Frequently Asked Questions About Our EBH Training Fellowship
What does the Training Fellowship Involve?
This 500 hour training fellowship includes attendance at meetings, and completion of assignments, quizzes and readings. For most participants, the weekly commitment to the program is approximately 6 hours, although one can dive in extremely deep and easily spend 10 hours or more in all the weekly activities that the EBHF offers.
This training program is certainly not for everyone – but is for those who wish to dive into this field with an intensity and rigour that will surely see them equipped with valuable skills to genuinely help a broad array of patients following completion of training. It does not take long to become a practitioner who sees hair patients.
It takes time to create an expert – and that’s the goal of this training program. Through repetition and constant reinforcement of material, the EBHF will help practitioners learn new material, incorporate the new material with previously learned material, correct faulty thinking, and ultimately develop new problem-solving strategies.
How long is the training program?
This is a 2-year program. It runs Jan 2026 to Dec 2027.
What are the deadline for applying?
The deadlines depend if you want to take advantage of the early bird application rates or the standard rates. The early bird deadline is September 1, 2025. Payment of the first payment must be received by this deadline.
Sept 1, 2025: Early bird deadline (payment due by Sept 1 for early bird rates)
Dec 1, 2025: EBHF Final payment deadline (payment due by Dec 1, 2025 for all applicants)
How is the EBHF Training Program Organized?
The EBHF training program is organized into training “blocks.”
· Block 1 is a high-yield introductory block providing exposure to a broad array of topics
· Block 2 focuses on androgenetic alopecia, telogen effluvium, and alopecia areata
· Block 3 focuses on scarring alopecia, contact dermatitis and hair shaft disorders
· Block 4 focuses on psychodermatology hair restoration, non-surgical methods of camouflage, cancer, infections
When are the lectures for the 2026-2027 EBHF program?
Lectures are provided to fellows, via video, every Monday morning at 7 am PST. Lectures are generally about 3 hours in length. Fellows may watch them at any time during the week.
When are the meetings for the 2026-2027 EBHF program?
In addition to 5-10 hours of weekly study, program participants meet “live” via virtual meetings with Dr. Donovan every 2 weeks for 2 hours. For most months, it is the first and third Wednesday. However, this may change from time to time.
OPTION 1: Early “WEDNESDAY” MEETING TIMES
Session 1 starts Wednesday 5:00 am PST; 8 am EST; 1 pm UK, 2 pm Central Europe; 4 pm Saudi; 12 am Eastern Australia)
OPTION 2: Late “Wednesday” MEETING TIMES
Session 2 starts Wednesday 4:00 pm PST; 7 pm EST; 12 am UK, 1 am Central Europe; 2 am Saudi; 11 am Eastern Australia)
What is a typical EBHF week like?
A typical week for the EBHF participant proceeds as follows:
Participants are provided with links to the weekly video on the Monday of each week. Participants are encouraged to watch the 3 hour video on their own time during the next 7 days.
Participants are given 1-2 short assignments each week and these assignment questions are released on the Monday. The purpose of these assignments is to reinforce key learning concepts as well as to foster the development of new clinical problem-solving skills. These assignments have been developed to encourage the development of a well-rounded, evidence-based practitioner. Assignments may take 1-5 hours to complete depending on the participant and the depth that he or she wishes to explore a given topic. Participants are also given a multiple-choice quiz (MCQ) each week. The purpose of this quiz is to reinforce the material presented in the lecture. Assignments and MCQ quizzes for each week are due by Monday 7 am PST (just prior to the release of the next week’s material). A link to a video explaining the answers to the assignments is provided to all learners in the following week’s video. Answers to MCQs are provided to fellows immediately upon their completion of the quiz
What is required for successful completion of the EBHF?
Briefly, completion of 70 % of assignments and 90% of MCQ quizzes is required for successful completion of the EBHF. Fellows must complete Block 1, Block 2 and Block 2 examinations with a minimum score of 70% and the final examination with a score of 50 % .
Here is a more detailed explanation of the our policies.
Successful completion of the EBHF requires:
· Completion of 70 % of EBHF assignments. Dr. Donovan will review answers to assignments in the following weekly sessions. Assignments are due by 7 am each Monday. Assignments received after Monday are not counted as completed assignments.
· Completion of 90% of weekly EBHF MCQ quizzes. We do not require any particular score on “weekly quizzes” although we ask that participants who score below 70% simply take the same quiz again. Retaking the quiz helps participants solidify knowledge.
· Completion of Block 1, Block 2 and Block 3 Examinations with a MINIMUM score of 70% on the Examinations
o Participants are not allowed to proceed from Block 1 to Block 2 unless a score of 70% has been achieved on Block 1. 2 additional attempts on the examination will be permitted for those scoring 50-70% on the block 1 examination provided the fellows has attended 50 % of Wednesday live sessions. If a score of 70% is not attained on at least 1 attempt participants will not be permitted to proceed in the program. The re-attempts will be a different examination and must be completed within 30 days. EBHF Fellows who score below 50% on the Block 1 Examination will not be permitted to proceed in the program. Participants who complete weekly lectures, assignments and quizzes on time will not have any difficulty passing the Block 1 Examination. The 70% cut off is meant to help focus participants and help participants address deficiencies. Participants who do not pass the Block 1 examination on the additional attempts may reapply for the EBHF in future years. Re-application does not guarantee entry. Similarly, EBHF Fellows who score below 50% on the Block 1 Examination will not be permitted to proceed in the program but may apply in future years.
o Participants are not allowed to proceed from Block 2 to Block 3 unless a score of 70% has been achieved on the Block 2 examination. 2 additional attempts on the examination will be permitted for those scoring 50-70% on the block 2 examination provided the fellows has attended 50 % of Wednesday live sessions. If a score of 70% is not attained on at least 1 attempt participants will not be permitted to proceed in the program. The re-attempts will be a different examination and must be completed within 30 days. Participants who complete weekly lectures, assignments and quizzes on time will not have any difficulty passing the Block 2 Examination. The 70% cut off is meant to help focus participants and help participants address deficiencies. Participants who do not pass the Block 2 examination on the additional attempts may reapply for the EBHF in future years. Re-application does not guarantee entry. Similarly, EBHF Fellows who score below 50% on the Block 2 Examination will not be permitted to proceed in the program but may apply in future years.
o Participants are not allowed to proceed from Block 3 to Block 4 unless a score of 70% has been achieved on the Block 3 examination. 2 additional attempts on the examination will be permitted for those scoring 50-70% on the block 3 examination provided the fellows has attended 50 % of Wednesday live sessions. If a score of 70% is not attained on at least 1 attempt participants will not be permitted to proceed in the program. The re-attempts will be a different examination and must be completed within 30 days. Participants who complete weekly lectures, assignments and quizzes on time will not have any difficulty passing the Block 3 Examination. The 70% cut-off is meant to help focus participants and help participants address deficiencies. Participants who do not pass the Block 3 examination on the additional attempts may reapply for the EBHF in future years. Re-application does not guarantee entry. Similarly, EBHF Fellows who score below 50% on the Block 3 Examination will not be permitted to proceed in the program but may apply in future years.
· Participants are not deemed to have successfully completed the EBHF unless a score of 50% has been achieved on the Final EBHF Examination to be held Dec 1 2027. 2 additional attempts on the examination will be permitted for those scoring below 50% on the final examination provided the fellow has attended 50 % of Wednesday live sessions. If a score of 50% is not attained on at least 2 attempts of the repeat final examination, a fellow will not be given the EBHF certificate and will not be deemed to have successfully completed the EBHF program. These attempts must be completed within 2 months.
· Attendance at live sessions is optional. We encourage participation as these sessions are valuable. Most sessions will be recorded – but not all sessions.
What will my time commitment be for the Fellowship?
Most participants will spend between 5-9 hours per week with assignments, readings, attending lectures. Please consider 6 hours to be the minimum investment each week to the EBHF program. The more you invest in the EBHF, the more you learn! This is an incredibly vast program with incredible learning opportunities above what you might imagine!
The total investment is 500 to 800 hours over the 2 years.
What are the fees for the fellowship?
Fees are outlined below.
How difficult is the EBHF Program?
The Evidence-Based Hair Fellowship is the world’s most comprehensive training program in hair loss. The program is stimualting , intense and challenging but at the same time fun and rewarding (See comments from current fellows). Applicants to the program should be passionate about hair loss with a hunger to learn and immersen themselves in the field!
The program aims to nurture the develop of world experts in hair loss. The fellowship combines the medical disciplines of dermatology, rheumatology, pediatrics, genetics, anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pathology, psychology, cardiology, endocrinology, ophthalmology, hematology, oncology, allergy, surgery, emergency medicine, internal medicine, gynecology, pediatrics with basic sciences of genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry and physiology and epidemiology.
The is an incredible program developed over 8 years and has one goal in mind - to create our next generation of world experts in hair loss. We make no efforts to hide that this is an intense program. This is not a weekend course in hair loss nor a basic certificate program in hair science. This is a rigourous program - designed to create incredibly trained practitioners like no other.
One does NOT need to be a medical doctor to enter the program. Some of our non-medically trained EBH fellows in the 2024-2025 program have performed at levels that are identical to our experienced dermatologists. Make no mistake that this requires tremendous effort but the EBH program is meticulously designed to make it possible for non-medically trainined practitioners to excel. If you are willing to put in the time (meaning 5 hours per week minimum and 10 hours per week if your medical backround is more limited)… you will find the EBH fellowship to be a practice-changing endeavour. Dr Donovan will review all applications and if he accepts a candidate into the program, it’s because he believes that they can succeed in this program!
I understand there are five types of applicants that can apply. What are the five types of applicants to the EBHF?
We welcome practitioners with the following backgrounds denoted in these FIVE groups to apply:
Group 1 Applicants
1) Dermatologists - both recently graduated and highly experienced
2) Hair transplant surgeons, both new, experienced and very experienced
3) Family physicians with specialty interest in dermatology
4) Physicians and surgeons with any background, provided they have some basic experience in treating hair loss.
Group 2 Applicants
Anyone meeting the criteria of a Group 1 applicant (see above) but currently practicing or living in one of the following countries:
¡ Afghanistan, Ablania, Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros Congo – Brazzaville, Congo – Kinshasa, Djibouti, Egypt, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Guatamala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, India, Iraq, Iran, Ivory-Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Laos Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Micronesia, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Paraguay, Papa New Guinea, Philippines, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, St Lucia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukraine, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Group 3 Applicants
Medical “trainees” including:
· Clinical fellows currently pursuing fellowships in hair loss, dermatopathology or cosmetic medicine
· Dermatology residents/registrars, plastic surgery residents/registrars
· Current trainees in hair transplantation
PLEASE NOTE:
1. The final decision as to whether someone is considered to meet the EBHF definition of a Group 3 applicant trainee will be solely and entirely left up to the EBHF. This will not be open to debate and discussion.
2. Please note that the term ‘registrar’ is used differently in different countries. We use this term to denote a “trainee” who does not have an independent medical license. In some countries, registrar is a term to denote a licensed physician – this is not the definition here for a Group 3 applicant.
3. In general, a group 3 applicant is not a doctor who is recertifying in a new country or retraining in dermatology, family practice, pathology or cosmetic medicine. A group 3 applicant is generally a doctor in a formal training program whose day to day (every single day) is supervised by another individual (i.e. residency director or fellowship director).
4. Group 3 applicants generally have limited ability to practice independently
Group 4 Applicants (Limited Positions Available for Highly Qualified Applicants)
During the 2024-2025 iteration of the EBHF, a very limited number of EBHF positions will also be made available for highly motivated individuals with the following backgrounds.
· Highly Experienced (non-physician) trichologists ***
o with a minimum 5 years of experience seeing patients with hair loss
· Nurse Practitioners
o with a minimum 1 year experience seeing patients with hair loss
· Physician Assistants
o with a minimum 1 year experience seeing patients with hair loss
· Practitioners of Naturopathic Medicine
o with a minimum 5 years of experience seeing patients with hair loss
Practitioners who fall in this particular category (Group 4) should have a significant degree of experience treating hair loss before applying for the fellowship. Please note that this fellowship may not be appropriate for many applicants who fit into group 4. However, we welcome applications from highly motivated individuals. We know for a fact that many of our group 4 participants in the 2024-2025 program have excelled in the EBHF program – with achievements ranking at the very top of the program. If you want to learn – this program will help you learn!
We ask all applicants to be wise and reflect on their past training. The medical nature of the fellowship including study of anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pathology, makes the EBHF a big leap for many applicants in group 4. The program will offer guidance but one must be aware that the leap may be huge for some applicants. Again, we remind all applicants that if you have a desire to learn about hair at a level that is not offered elsewhere – this program is for you. If you have the passion and desire and the time – this is a program to consider. For the 2026-2027 EBHF program, Dr. Donovan will welcome a small number of highly qualified and highly motivated applicants who have the time to dedicate to advancing their knowledge and skills in hair medicine.
We recommend 5 or more years practicing in hair loss for trichologists, and 1 year practicing in the area of hair loss for nurse practitioners and physician assistants and 5 years for practitioners of naturopathic medicine. Exceptions do apply but we will have only a very limited number of positions for group 4 applicants. Applicants should state clearly their experience when applying for the fellowship.
Group 5 Applicants (Limited Positions Available for Highly Qualified Applicants)
During the 2026-2027 iteration of the EBHF, a very limited number of EBHF positions will also be made available for highly motivated non-medical individuals with the following backgrounds.
· Basic science or clinically oriented researchers, with a focus on hair loss
In the 2026-2027 year will welcome a limited number of highly motivated non-physician applicants who are working in the area of research. This will largely be made up of PhD level researchers although other research specialists may be considered as well.
Please note that this fellowship may not be appropriate for many applicants who fit into group 5. However, we welcome applications from highly motivated individuals.
The medical nature of the fellowship including study of anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pathology, makes the EBHF a big leap for many applicants in group 5. However, for the 2026-2027 Dr Donovan will welcome a small number of highly qualified and highly motivated applicants who have the time to dedicate to advancing their knowledge and skills in hair medicine.
The material of the EBHF training program is presented at a level which assumes a greater degree of background knowledge in pharmacology, pathophysiology, pathology and internal medicine than many of our non-physician colleagues may have been exposed to thus far. Nevertheless, Dr Donovan will welcome application from a limited number of highly motivated individuals willing to devote time and effort to further develop their expertise.
The EBHF does not discriminate based on country of origin, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation or age
How do I apply to the EBHF?
Please email the following documents to info@donovanhairacademy.com with the subject line of the email stating “Application to the 2026-2027 EBHF”
· A 1-4 page letter of interest - answering the 8 questions on page 22 of the application guide
· A curriculum vitae/resume
Do you accept all applicants?
No, we accept applicants who we feel can excel in the program. The EBHF is challenging and intense program and is not for everyone.
How do I learn more?
To learn more about the program, you may wish to watch the EBHF introductory video below, or click here to Download the EBHF Guide