Eligibility to Apply for the Certifying Exam

A candidate is not considered an "active" candidate until his or her application has been received and approved by the Board. This approval includes a review by the ABD of the application and annual evaluation reports from the candidate’s program director. 

Residents who complete an approved dermatology residency will not be permitted to take the certifying examination later than five years following the completion of their training.

Physicians who complete dermatology residency training prior to 2012 will not be permitted to take the certifying examination after December 31, 2016.

A dermatologist who has not met this requirement may not claim to be "board eligible" unless the American Board of Dermatology determines that the physician has been prevented from taking the examination within the applicable five year period by military deployment or personal catastrophic illness.

If either of these situations exists, a dermatologist wishing to claim to be "board eligible" or wishing to take the examination after the expiration of the five year period may be granted a time-limited deferral by making application to the Board. The decision to grant or deny a deferral will be at the sole discretion of the Board. This policy also applies to diplomates completing subspecialty fellowships with subspecialty certification examinations.