Patient Center > What does Board Certification mean?
To practice medicine in the United States, doctors must be licensed by the states in which they work. However, being licensed does not indicate whether a doctor is qualified to practice in a specific medical specialty, such as family medicine, surgery or dermatology. One of the best ways to know if your doctor has the qualifications to provide care in a specialty is to find out if he or she is Board Certified by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and participating in activities to stay up-to-date with the latest advances in medicine and patient care.
ABMS certified doctors voluntarily meet additional standards beyond basic licensing. They demonstrate their expertise by earning Board Certification through one of the 24 Member Boards that are part of the not-for-profit ABMS. Before a dermatologist can become ABMS Board Certified, each must complete: four years of premedical education in a college or university; receive a MD or DO degree from a qualified medical school, complete a year of internship, followed by further specialized education of at least three years of residency training in an accredited dermatology residency program. After completing their residency education, candidates take an exam given by the American Board of Dermatology (ABD), which is sponsored by the leading medical organizations in the field. Each dermatologist earns initial Board Certification by passing a written and microscopic examination created and administered by the ABD. Doctors who pass the Board-certification exam are then referred to as Diplomats of the ABD.
Boards other than the ABMS and ABD may not have as stringent educational requirements and some will grant board certification without a dermatology residency program. If you are unsure, request information on the educational requirements of these other boards at the time of the practitioner's certification. You may be surprised no formal education in a dermatology residency program is required.
