ACGME Program Requirements for Surgical Specialties: How Do Dermatology and MSDO Stack Up?

Dermatology and micrographic surgery and dermatologic oncology (MSDO) are two areas of medicine where surgical procedures play an important role both in training and practice. We sought to determine how dermatology and MSDO compare to ACGME surgical specialties with regard to surgical curriculum and case log requirements. We found that the surgical curriculums for dermatology and MSDO are similar to those of our surgical colleagues in ophthalmology, obstetrics, and gynecology. They are similar in that none require general surgery rotations, a general surgery postgraduate year 1 is not required, and all surgical experience can be obtained within each respective specialty residency training program. Regarding case log requirements, MSDO was found to have numerical case log requirements comparable to those of ACGME surgical specialties. Dermatology case log requirements were on the low end of the surgical spectrum. In dermatology and MSDO, surgical training is well integrated into the programs and case log requirements. They represent two of the many areas where medicine and surgery combine in the name of patient care. J Drugs Dermatol. 2023;22(1): doi:10.36849/JDD.6886.