Dermatology
Did you know...
In a web-based survey of dermatology applicants, Dr. Matthew Zirwas, Program Director of the Ohio State University Dermatology Residency, found that 63% of applicants had either "a lot" or an "extreme amount" of anxiety about matching. "Fifty-four percent of applicants lost sleep due to anxiety about matching."*
Learn more about the dermatology residency selection process through our interview with Dr. William James, Program Director of the University of Pennsylvania dermatology residency program.
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The Successful Match: Dermatology Supplement
Overview of Residency Training
To become an dermatologist, a minimum of four years of residency training is required. Only the latter three years are spent fully immersed in dermatology, and residents must first complete an internship or postgraduate year 1 (PGY1). This preliminary year can be completed in medicine (i.e., medicine preliminary year) or surgery (i.e., surgery preliminary year). Some residents choose to complete this year in a transitional program.
According to the AMA and AAMC, there are 1,080 residents training in 112 ACGME-accredited dermatology residency programs. Ninety-five percent are USMDs, 4% are international medical graduates, and 1% are osteopathic graduates.
To become an dermatologist, a minimum of four years of residency training is required. Only the latter three years are spent fully immersed in dermatology, and residents must first complete an internship or postgraduate year 1 (PGY1). This preliminary year can be completed in medicine (i.e., medicine preliminary year) or surgery (i.e., surgery preliminary year). Some residents choose to complete this year in a transitional program. According to the AMA and AAMC, there are 1,080 residents training in 112 ACGME-accredited dermatology residency programs. Ninety-five percent are USMDs, 4% are international medical graduates, and 1% are osteopathic graduates.
|
Dermatology residents in the United States |
|||
|
# of total residents |
% USMDs |
% IMGs |
% osteopathic graduates |
|
1,080 |
95% |
4% |
1% |
| Data adapted from Brotherton S, Etzel S. Graduate medical education, 2009 - 2010. JAMA 2010; 304(11): 1255 - 1270. | |||
2011 Match Data
In the 2011 NRMP Match, approximately 350 positions were available. Of note, 80 U.S. seniors (> 20% of all U.S. senior medical student applicants) failed to match, making dermatology a very competitive specialty. According to the NRMP, the mean USMLE Step 1 score among matched U.S. senior medical student applicants was 244. For unmatched applicants, the mean score was 227.1
Securing a position in an allopathic residency program has proven to be very difficult for osteopathic applicants. In the 2010 NRMP Match, only 2 osteopathic applicants matched into an allopathic dermatology residency program. Of note, osteopathic applicants may also apply to AOA-approved dermatology residency programs. In recent years, there have been approximately 20 such programs.
Only 10 international medical graduates matched into the specialty in 2010. IMGs are classified as independent applicants, and, in 2010, 56% of independent applicants failed to match.
2010 Dermatologist Compensation/Salary
Find out how much a dermatologist makes
Subspecialties of Dermatology
Subspecialties in which dermatologists can pursue fellowship training leading to board certification include dermatopathology and pediatric dermatology. Fellowship training is also available in cosmetic dermatology, immunodermatology, Mohs surgery, and teledermatology.
Excelling in your Core Clerkships
In a recent NRMP survey of dermatology residency program directors, 65% cited "honors in clinical clerkships" as a factor in selecting applicants to interview.2 Our book, Success on the Wards: 250 Rules for Clerkship Success shows students proven strategies for success in core clerkships. Nineteen U.S. medical school have made our book a required or recommended text for third-year medical students. Read reviews of the book and Q & A with the authors. The first chapter is available free to read. The book can be purchased through our online store or at Amazon.
Excelling in your Dermatology Clerkship
Medical student's guide to dermatology (UCSD)
Dermatologic curriculum for medical students
Dermatology Residency Application
Almost all residency programs require applicants to submit their completed application through the Electronic Residency Application Service, also known as ERAS. ERAS does not, however, allow applicants to submit their curriculum vitae or CV as part of this application. Instead, ERAS requires all applicants to transfer information from their CV to the ERAS Application Form. It is the ERAS Application Form that is then sent to programs for review along with the the rest of your application.
Once the application is received, program directors will read it closely and carefully. The application will be used to assess the quality of your written communication skills. Programs place considerable emphasis on communication skills because effective communication has been shown to directly affect the quality of care given to patients.
Therefore, it is imperative that all information in your application is well communicated and error-free. In our experiences reviewing and editing applications, errors are common. These errors can prevent even applicants with the highest USMLE scores from securing interviews.
We have considerable experience reviewing and editing the ERAS Application Form can make sure that your application is polished, professional, and powerful.
Our ERAS Application Review/Editing Service can be purchased through our online store. All clients will work directly with Dr. Samir Desai, author of The Successful Match.
Dermatology Residency Letters of Recommendation
In our e-document The Successful Match: Dermatology Supplement, you'll find answers to important questions about the role of letters of recommendation in the dermatology residency selection process. How many letters should be submitted by dermatologists? Is the Chairman's letter necessary? Who should you target? Should you obtain a letter from an away elective in dermatology?
Written by Dr. Samir Desai, author of the book The Successful Match: 200 Rules to Succeed in the Residency Match, this e-document combines a thorough search of the literature with inside information from program directors to give you powerful information. The Successful Match: Dermatology Supplement is available through our online store.
Dermatology Residency Personal Statement
In a NRMP survey of dermatology residency program directors, 91% considered the personal statement to be extremely or somewhat important for selecting an applicant to interview.3
In our e-document The Successful Match: Dermatology Supplement, you'll find tips and quotes from program directors offering important advice about the personal statement. What are program directors looking for in the statement? What turns them off? You'll learn how to avoid content that program directors are tired of reading.
It can be difficult to develop a unique and compelling personal statement. Our information based on the perspectives of program directors combined with a thorough review of the literature will help you create a statement that sets you apart from other applicants.
The Successful Match: Dermatology Supplement is written by Dr. Samir Desai, author of the book The Successful Match: 200 Rules to Succeed in the Residency Match.
Our e-document The Successful Match: Dermatology Supplement is available through our online store.
Dermatology Away Elective (Audition Elective)
Should you do an away elective? How important is an away elective in dermatology? What are the benefits of an away elective? How can you shine during the elective? In our e-document, The Successful Match: Dermatology Supplement, we combine a thorough search of the literature with inside information from program directors to give you powerful information to make away elective decisions. The Successful Match: Dermatology Supplement is available through our online store.
Dermatology Residency Interview
Among the most common questions you will be asked during dermatology residency interviews is "Why do you want to become a dermatologist?" or "Why have you chosen to pursue a career in dermatology?" To help you develop a compelling answer, we have developed the e-document Why Dermatology?
This e-document features actual quotes from 28 academic and private dermatologists about the reasons that led them to enter the field. Use our resource to develop a response that will set you apart from other candidates.
Written by Dr. Samir Desai, author of The Successful Match, Why Dermatology? is available through our online store.
Important Information for the Aspiring Dermatologist
Future directions in pediatric dermatology
The future of academic dermatology in the United States: report on the resident retreat for future physician-scientists, June 15-17, 2001
Factors affecting resident career decisions: the first five years of the society for investigative dermatology resident retreat
Physician career satisfaction within specialties
Pediatric dermatology workforce shortage
So you want to be a dermasurgeon: how to get training or choose a fellowship
Challenges facing academic dermatology: survey data on the faculty workforce
*Abstract (A Survey of Medical Students Applying for Dermatology Residency Positions) presented at Dermatology Teachers Exchange Group Semi-Annual Meeting in 2007.
References
1NRMP Charting Outcomes in the Match, 2011. Available at www.nrmp.org.
22010 NRMP Program Directors Survey. Available at www.nrmp.org.
32008 NRMP Program Directors Survey. Available at www.nrmp.org.