It tests the candidate's knowledge of the basic science and clinical aspects of dermatology, including all the related disciplines. Among the topics included in this part of the examination are clinical dermatology, pediatric dermatology, preventive dermatology, entomology, epidemiology, dermatopathology, cutaneous allergy and immunology, dermatologic surgery, cutaneous oncology, sexually transmitted diseases, internal medicine as it pertains to dermatology, medical ethics, photobiology and cutaneous microbiology as well as anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, radiation physics, radiation therapy, physical therapy, pharmacology, genetics, and electron microscopy as related to dermatology.
Considerable emphasis is placed on comprehensive knowledge of the literature.
Projected kodachrome slides are utilized in this part of the examination. Candidates must answer multiple choice type questions about the projected pictorial material, which is drawn from all areas of clinical and laboratory dermatology. Examples of the types of slides used include photographs of patients, diagrams and illustrative drawings and pictures of dermatologic surgical procedures, including Mohs micrographic, hair transplantation, dermabrasion, sclerotherapy, liposuction, chemical peels and tissue augmentation, histopathologic sections, fungal cultures, culture mounts, bacterial cultures, Tzanck preparations, skin scrapings and smears, roentgenograms, histochemical and fluorescent photomicrographs, electron micrographs, darkfield micrographs and drawings or photographs of organisms, including viruses, rickettsiae, bacteria and parasites that affect the skin. This section of the examination encompasses the entire spectrum of dermatopathology. For the purposes of scoring, the Examination in Clinical and Laboratory Dermatology is combined with the Examination in Dermatopathology, and candidates must pass this combined examination as well as the Comprehensive Multiple Choice Examination in Dermatology in order to be certified.