RECERTIFICATION / MAINTENANCE OF CERTIFICATION-DERMATOLOGY (MOC-D)
(An ABMS Maintenance of Certification Program)

OVERVIEW

Maintenance of Certification-Dermatology (MOC-D) is a program of educational and professional development designed to assess the competence of physicians on an ongoing basis. The MOC-D program is based on the 6 general competencies identified by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the ABMS: patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, and systems-based practice. For MOC-D these 6 competencies are placed into 4 components:

1. Evidence of Professional Standing:
   --License attestation
2. Evidence of Commitment to Lifelong-Learning and Periodic Self-Assessment:
   --Patient safety module
   --CME attestation
   --Periodic self assessment of general knowledge
3. Evidence of Cognitive Expertise:
   --Cognitive examination
4. Evaluation of Performance in Practice:
   --Patient communication survey
   --Peer communication survey
   --Practice assessment/Quality Improvement

All diplomates whose certification expires in 2006 and beyond must enter MOC-D. Doing so places you in the category "Certified (or recertified), participating in MOC-D". If you hold a lifetime certificate, it cannot be revoked based upon your performance on a recertification examination that you have taken voluntarily or upon your decision not to pursue all elements of the MOC-D program. You will continue to be in the category "Certified". If you certified in the period 1991-2005, you will enter MOC-D only upon successful recertification, but not before, and you are not required to complete any elements of this program until your successful recertification. If you possess a time-limited certificate and if you do not pass the MOC-D examination by the end of the ten-year cycle, you lose certification, but you may immediately reapply to enter the MOC-D cycle. There will be a period of time in which you are not certified by the American Board of Dermatology (ABD), but we encourage reapplication. Upon successful completion of the MOC-D examination, you are deemed to be "Recertified" and will enter MOC-D.

If you recertify early (i.e., in year 8 or 9 of the 10-year cycle), you will only begin MOC-D in the year after your current certificate expires. For example, if your certificate expires at the end of 2011 but you passed the examination in 2009, you will enter MOC-D in January 2012. The annual fee must be paid by December 31, 2011 and participation in MOC-D activities begin January 2012. If you have paid the annual fee already, we will credit you once you enter MOC-D.

The table below represents the roadmap of the MOC-D cycle. A personalized, interactive table for each diplomate currently in the MOC-D cycle is available in the diplomate’s online profile showing what is required in each year of the cycle. You will be able to click on the boxes to notify us of completion of the various elements of the program. Click here to login to your profile.

Table of MOC-D Participation

Specialty societies: Guidelines and application for establishment and approval of a Self Asessment program.