International Board of Dermatopathology Certification

[Whiskeyjack]

Is this any use if you've already got your American Dermpath Boards? Saw some dude advertising himself as a dermatopathologist in a U.S lab with this certification. Though he never did a fellowship or took the American Boards.

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[Torsed]

If you have to ask......well.....probably a sham.

I'd avoid that individual like the plague. One would be a fool to send that person consults.

 

[sternberger]

The International Board of Dermatopathology is an exam taken by dermatopathologists outside the US. In order to write it, candidates are generally required to have completed 12 months of dermatopathology training (so similar to a fellowship).

I don't think it's a sham...international dermatopathologists who haven't completed fellowship training in the US are not eligible to write the American boards so this is the certification for them.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Thing is he did his residency in the U.S but didn't do a dermpath fellowhip. So not sure why he took the international boards and I'm also wondering if the 12month requirement is fellowship level requirement or if you just have to have 12months worth of seeing derm cases maybe as a practicing pathologist in a practice or something.

 

[coroner]

The former chairman of the pathology dept. where I trained had his international dermpath boards. And he was an AMG who was AP/CP board-certified who completed path residency in the U.S. in the mid-seventies and did a clinical chemistry fellowship (BC'd as well) when it was still hot, but later wanted to become more proficient in derm. He already had been signing out derm for years so I don't know what additional benefit having int'l boards would have been because the group already had a dermatopathologist. And this was at a U.S. teaching hospital that was JCAHO, CAP, ACGME, etc. accredited with all BC'd pathologists.

To answer your first question if there's any benefit if one has ABP dermpath boards to then obtain int'l boards, probably not because ABP boards are pretty much universally recognized. As far as what the qualifications are to sit for them, I don't know. Why somone would pursue these boards could also be a matter of personal merit/achievement. I think one benefit is advertising for someone who did not do a dermpath fellowship here and is already in private practice, the group can say that they have a BC'd dermpath guy. After all, they did pass their dermpath boards, it was just written/issued by a different governing body than the ABP.

Now if actual ABP dermpath boards (and therefore a U.S. fellowship) are required to get hired for a job that's seeking a dermatopathologist here, the employers will most likely require that.

 

[KluverB]

Thing is he did his residency in the U.S but didn't do a dermpath fellowhip. So not sure why he took the international boards and I'm also wondering if the 12month requirement is fellowship level requirement or if you just have to have 12months worth of seeing derm cases maybe as a practicing pathologist in a practice or something.

Unless these rules changed since he took them, it sounds rather weird considering:

"Candidates from non-European countries, where a Board Certification in Dermatopathology is already established, cannot sit for the International Board Examination in Dermatopathology, unless they have already obtained the Board Certification from their country."

(http://www.icdermpath.org/1/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3&Itemid=3)

 

[Whiskeyjack]

The former chairman of the pathology dept. where I trained had his international dermpath boards. And he was an AMG who was AP/CP board-certified who completed path residency in the U.S. in the mid-seventies and did a clinical chemistry fellowship (BC'd as well) when it was still hot, but later wanted to become more proficient in derm. He already had been signing out derm for years so I don't know what additional benefit having int'l boards would have been because the group already had a dermatopathologist. And this was at a U.S. teaching hospital that was JCAHO, CAP, ACGME, etc. accredited with all BC'd pathologists.

To answer your first question if there's any benefit if one has ABP dermpath boards to then obtain int'l boards, probably not because ABP boards are pretty much universally recognized. As far as what the qualifications are to sit for them, I don't know. Why somone would pursue these boards could also be a matter of personal merit/achievement. I think one benefit is advertising for someone who did not do a dermpath fellowship here and is already in private practice, the group can say that they have a BC'd dermpath guy. After all, they did pass their dermpath boards, it was just written/issued by a different governing body than the ABP.

Now if actual ABP dermpath boards (and therefore a U.S. fellowship) are required to get hired for a job that's seeking a dermatopathologist here, the employers will most likely require that.

Interesting. So one can advertise oneslf as a board certified dermatopathologist without having done a fellowship. Though true isn't it a bit misleading when advertising a groups skill set? Isn't there a meaningful difference between American Dermpath certification and this International cert?

 

[coroner]

Is it misleading?...well that depends on how you look at it. The Int'l cert. is stating that the individual has a certain degree of expertise in the field, just like anyone who is subspecialty certified. How the qualifications stack up vs someone getting ABP dermpath-boarded I'm not sure.

Is ABP vs Int'l boards meaningful?...This is sort of a three-tiered answer based on my knowledge: 1. Yes - For someone to get hired in the U.S. as a dermatopathologist. Employers will look at fellowship training and ABP boards. 2. Maybe - If the individual works for a group that's trying to pull in a new contract from a new derm clinic that opened shop in town and the pathologists spout "we've got a dermpath guy here!", I don't know if derm clinics are going to follow up or care what type of certification that person has as long as they make accurate diagnoses. So in that case Int'l boards may cut it to bring in new biz. 3. Not really - If someone is already in a group/hospital with an ACGME dermpath fellowship-trained pathologist and the practice already has a steady flow of skins/surgicals. Therefore, the group is not looking to expand and getting Int'l boards would pretty much be another piece of paper to hang on your wall.

 

[Allaboutme]

Is this any use if you've already got your American Dermpath Boards? Saw some dude advertising himself as a dermatopathologist in a U.S lab with this certification. Though he never did a fellowship or took the American Boards.

Hey seems that here is a lot of confusion or lack of knowledge. The Int Board of Dermpath is the European equivalent of the American board. Simple like that, a certification of the American board is required to work as a dermpath in the US, and a certification of the International is required to work as a dermpath in Europe. In some asian and latin american countries is recognized the International board certification to practice derm there. The American is only recognized in the US and Canada. The UK and Australia has also their own certifications in derm by the Royal College of Paths from both UK and Australian. The only practical reason for an american dermatopathologist to seek a certification for the International board is if he/she want to work in Europe, Latin America, or Asia, and vice versa. The members of both boards the international and the american have together joint meetings and workshops every year, and they recognize their certifications as equivalents.

Your story seems very weird, I think probably the dude was showing a fake certification from the Int board. Because is mandatory to have finalized a dermpath fellowship in an accredited program (not many US based programs are accredited in europe) and be certified as dermpath to ask for apply for certification if the candidate is from non-european countries in the Int Board. Then the application is reviewed in the Inst of Pathology in Frankfurt Germany, and they say if the candidate is or not eligible for the board test.

 

[jp123ok]

Interesting. So one can advertise oneslf as a board certified dermatopathologist without having done a fellowship. Though true isn't it a bit misleading when advertising a groups skill set? Isn't there a meaningful difference between American Dermpath certification and this International cert?

At one time the International Board of Dermatopathology exam was open to Americans, but this is no longer true. At that time, it was not necessary to have done any dermpath fellowship training in order to be eligible to sit the exam.

The UK and Australia has also their own certifications in derm by the Royal College of Paths from both UK and Australian. The only practical reason for an american dermatopathologist to seek a certification for the International board is if he/she want to work in Europe, Latin America, or Asia, and vice versa.

I'm not sure about the UK but I know that in Australia there is no dermpath board exam or other specific qualification. There have been some plans to establish one though but nothing exists right now.

 

[turtle1966]

At one time the International Board of Dermatopathology exam was open to Americans, but this is no longer true. At that time, it was not necessary to have done any dermpath fellowship training in order to be eligible to sit the exam.


I'm not sure about the UK but I know that in Australia there is no dermpath board exam or other specific qualification. There have been some plans to establish one though but nothing exists right now.

There is "International Academy of Cytopathology Board" which used to have a lower qualification standard. It used give many a way for another "piece of paper." I knew of a schmuck passing his IAC certification as superior to that of American Board.