How to Get a Dermatologist Residency

Dermatology specializes in the health of the skin.

Dermatology is a highly sought after specialty in medicine. A dermatologist treats the skin and can make a diagnosis just by looking at the affected area. This makes a dermatology practice outpatient-heavy, reducing the workload of the physician. Because dermatology is a niche practice with a lighter workload, there is a lot of competition to enter the field. Securing a residency is very difficult. There are approximately 100 dermatological residency programs in the U.S. Each program receives over 250 applications per year to fill one to three available positions.

Instructions

1. Decide that you want to be a dermatologist early in medical school. An estimated 33 percent of applicants fail to match into dermatology, so getting an early jump can make the difference.

2. Get good grades in medical school. Competition for dermatology residency is fierce and you want to stand out.

3. Take a dermatology elective in your third year. Most medical students will take the elective fourth year and you'll want to beat them to it.

4. Ask your third-year dermatology elective faculty member about research opportunities, especially in a clinical setting. Performing clinical research will demonstrate your eagerness to advance the practice of dermatology.

5. Attend grand-rounds whenever possible to show your commitment to the faculty of your own medical school. This may aid in your ability to obtain solid letters of recommendation.

6. Approach dermatology faculty members and ask them for letters of recommendation. Dermatology is a small, tight-knit community. Getting a solid letter of recommendation from a respected member of the community goes a long way.

7. Perform well in your first-year broad-based medical internship (PGY1). This will get the attention of prestigious medical residency programs. The more attention you get, the more you'll stand out when it comes time to interview for you dermatology residency.

8. Apply to prestigious internal medicine residency programs and entertain any offers you might receive. Communicate with the programs to get the names of the people in charge and attend any interviews. Dermatology residency interviews occur later than other fields, so you'll have time to attend the internal medicine interviews beforehand.

9. Apply to your desired dermatology residency program. You can visit the program's website and follow their application process or you can use a program called ERAS, Electronic Residency Application Service.

10. Go to the interview for your prospective residency. Tell the interviewer how well you performed in medical school, your PGY1 and tell them about any prestigious internal medicine residencies you may have been offered. This will increase your chances of securing a dermatology residency.

Tips & Warnings

• Most dermatology residency programs sponsor events with current residents. Attend the events to gain insider information about the programs when determining which residency you will accept.

• Apply to as many residencies as possible. Each program will interview approximately 15 candidates for every available position. Shoot for getting 10 interviews.

• Take care of any skin blemishes you may have before any interviews.

References

• American Medical Association: Residency: An Inside Look
• American Academy of Dermatology: About U.S. Dermatology Residency Programs

Resources

• University of Texas Medical Branch: Dermatology Residency Programs
• Electronic Residency Application Service
• National Residency Matching Program