INTRODUCTION
The inaugural written examination for Micrographic Dermatologic Surgery board certification was offered in October 2021.1 With this examination, micrographic surgery and dermatologic oncology (MSDO) has entered the realm of subspecialties with both Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited training as well as board certification by the American Board of Dermatology (ABD) and the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS).2,3 With this new standing in the medical community, we sought to determine how dermatology and MSDO compare to other specialties with regard to surgical curriculum and case log requirements.
METHODS
ACGME does not differentiate between medical and surgical specialties, and many specialties have components of both. We investigated ten non-dermatologic surgical specialties in addition to dermatology and MSDO. The ten non-dermatologic specialties that we evaluated are ACGME-accredited and generally considered to be surgical by the medical community and the American College of Surgeons.4 These include: general surgery, neurological surgery, obstetrics and gynecology (Ob-Gyn), ophthalmology, orthopedic surgery, otolaryngology, plastic surgery, thoracic surgery, urology, and vascular surgery. In addition, we evaluated dermatology and MSDO in which surgery is emphasized in both training as well as in post-graduate practice.
Three of the specialties, plastic surgery, thoracic surgery, and vascular surgery, can be either integrated (as part of another surgical residency) or independent (after completion of a different surgical residency).5,6,7 Eleven of the twelve specialties that we evaluated have residency programs that are either integrated or independent. MSDO is the only subspecialty that we included. For MSDO, completion of a dermatology residency is required prior to starting a MSDO fellowship training program.2
There are numerous other surgical specialties and subspecialties that we did not evaluate due to overlap with those listed above. For example, there are multiple surgical specialties that can be pursued after completion of a general surgery residency including colon and rectal surgery and pediatric surgery. Similarly, gynecologic oncology can be pursued after completion of a residency in Ob-Gyn.3 There are numerous other specialties that have a strong emphasis on procedures both in residency and in practice that are beyond the scope of this article.
We reviewed the 2021 ACGME program requirements for each specialty. If the case log requirements were not included in the 2021 ACGME program requirements, we referred to the case log requirements posted on the ACGME website.
Three of the specialties, plastic surgery, thoracic surgery, and vascular surgery, can be either integrated (as part of another surgical residency) or independent (after completion of a different surgical residency).5,6,7 Eleven of the twelve specialties that we evaluated have residency programs that are either integrated or independent. MSDO is the only subspecialty that we included. For MSDO, completion of a dermatology residency is required prior to starting a MSDO fellowship training program.2
There are numerous other surgical specialties and subspecialties that we did not evaluate due to overlap with those listed above. For example, there are multiple surgical specialties that can be pursued after completion of a general surgery residency including colon and rectal surgery and pediatric surgery. Similarly, gynecologic oncology can be pursued after completion of a residency in Ob-Gyn.3 There are numerous other specialties that have a strong emphasis on procedures both in residency and in practice that are beyond the scope of this article.
We reviewed the 2021 ACGME program requirements for each specialty. If the case log requirements were not included in the 2021 ACGME program requirements, we referred to the case log requirements posted on the ACGME website.
