You finally made an appointment to see your dermatologist, and that spot that you were worried about comes back as a skin cancer. Your doctor recommends that you have Mohs Micrographic Surgery. How do you know that you are choosing the right Mohs Micrographic Surgeon?
Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) can be looked at as the gold standard of training for medical doctors in the United States. It is a council that monitors, accredits, and holds medical residencies and fellowships to the highest standards. You want to make sure that your Mohs Micrographic Surgeon completed an ACGME fellowship training program that is an additional 1-2 years of training after a dermatology residency. The ACGME recognizes fellowship programs that are approved by the American College of Mohs Surgery.
The American College of Mohs Surgery makes sure that your surgeon has had extensive post-residency training in Mohs Micrographic Surgery, Procedural Dermatology, Dermatologic Oncology, and Dermatologic Reconstruction. In order to be a member, your physician would have completed hundreds and sometimes thousands of peer-reviewed cases.
Members of the American College of Mohs Surgery not only act as your surgeon and pathologist, but also act as your reconstructive surgeon. Members of the ACMS have extensive training in Dermatologic Reconstruction and are able to complete your reconstruction after tumor clearance under local anesthesia in the office.
Don’t be fooled by providers that have only taken a weekend course. When you choose a surgeon that is a member of the American College of Mohs Surgery, you can rest assured that their skill has been acquired through extensive training and experience, not overnight!
Dr. Patrick Retterbush is our ACGME fellowship trained Mohs Surgeon at University Dermatology and Skin Cancer Center in Athens, Georgia. He completed his training at the University of North Carolina under Brad Merritt, MD and Raj Varma, MD, experts in Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Reconstruction.