(WAMC) What are my chances for matching into Dermatology?

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sawtella said:
I really appreciate the advice. In the event that I can't schedule a rotation within the next month, what advice can you give in regards to taking a year off? I was considering do a MBA, MPH, or just working part-time in a derm lab. Thanks
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I've personally witnessed the following:

1. Taking an extra year of medical school, working in the Dermatology clinics and in a Dermatology research lab. Matched!

2. Doing a year of IM, then doing a year of research fellowship, with the added bonus of being Matched into the following year.

3. Completing an entire IM residency and then Matching into Dermatology.

I like the idea of doing an MPH with a problem in Dermatology as your focus, e.g. Atopic Dermatitis education. There are days where I wish I could round up every single family who has a little dude with this disease and go through the massive options just once, with time for questions of course.

Probably some other things I've seen but currently not recalling because Weedon and Rook are knocking on my door and I am easily distracted by Weedon and Rook. It is tea time with my Australian and British friends! :)
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Neuro or Derm said:
Thanks for the reply! I was looking at the NMRP data tables and realized that only one US IMG (which is my category) matched into dermatology in this match. If that is the general trend, I guess my chances are pretty slim to actually match next year as a 4th yr US IMG, and the lack of derm experience negates that even more!
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You'll notice that all the IMG's who matched did at least one or even multiple research fellowships at the matched institution. Additionally, one IMG was already a pediatric dermatologist in her home country. I'd say your chances are poor this year, so don't waste your money and time applying. Concentrate on getting into a top-notch medicine program as your backup, then re-apply after you've lined up your research fellowship at desired match program.

Otherwise, apply to derm-related fellowships such as Allergy or Rheumatology, which in my experience and opinion, can be just as rewarding.

All the people with excellent stats - have your personal statement read and edited by a professional. That is probably your weak point...doubt it is your interview, if you are a normal pleasant human being.
 
Hi All:

I've slowly developed an interest in dermatology over time and would like to try and find out if it's right for me. Right now, I'm an MD-PhD student pursuing my PhD doing a bit of cardiology and a bit of cell biology research. I enjoy the research enough but the clinical aspects of cardiology do not interest me but I can't switch labs now, as I'm almost finishing up. Question 1, does the PhD help me in at least getting interviews for Derm?

I've taken my Step 1 and did two years of medical school so far so I'm still fresh =) but I would like to initiate contact with my Dermatology department. How can I go about doing that? How can I learn more about academic dermatology to make a positive impression?

I feel that I'm way too "specialized" with my present research that I would not make an impression on my Derm Department. My Step 1 score, is 239/99 which is below cutoffs for some programs and well, without contacts and a decent score, my only crutch is the PhD.

I'm just worried that my PhD set me on the path to getting stuck with internal medicine/cards as my mentor is the Division Chief in Cards and faculty talk...

Any serious advice or help on this matter would be appreciated.
 
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The first question on my mind, and undoubtedly on everybody else's minds (everybody else = dermatology PD's, chairs, residents), is, "why derm?" You come on here asking about where to start and elaborating on your research and scores, but not telling us WHY you want to pursue dermatology. This makes me question your motives.

As for where to start, contact the rotation coordinators around spring of M3 year (you might have to call them a few times, they are very busy, do not send emails or mailings) to arrange away rotations at residency programs or regions or interest. If you have time off between now and 4th year, spend it shadowing a dermatologist attending at an academic program (to gain a mentor who will write you a personal LOR), or one who is affiliated closely with an academic program. Often, PD's and chairs are too busy but you can try...but always have a plan B and C attending to work with.
 
Wow! Card peeps would be drooling I think... Well, yeah.

Like sensitive said, "Why?" It sounds so elementary. But it can be hard to answer.

Honestly, IMO the PhD thing probably works best when the research can be discussed with respect to Dermatology. I only say this because the PhD thing was/is still one of my strong points because what I did for my PhD is totally Derm-able, topic and techniques. Now if the techniques you have been using to study Cards translates to what you may be able to do in Derm then you have got some game going for you, e.g. RT-PCR, FISH, gene arrays, heck... cloning, immuno-hybridization studies, all sorts of diff microscopies, and so on, and so on... You catch my drift? Hope this helps. It's really about spin. But spin can be good and this isn't hype fake spin I am talk'n bout here. This is REAL legit spin. Spin can open avenues Dermies may catch onto and get you somewhere and hopefully solving some open Derm questions down the road.
 
who is impersonating sore eye? long time no talk, bro.
 
Hey guys,
I'm a med student between 3rd-4th year who is wondering if i have a legitimate chance at matching Derm. Just wondering if you can offer some tips or advice on my chances and what I can do with what little time I have left.
Basic Background below:

School: East Coast, barely Top 25 school
Grades: A's in Medicine, Psych, Family Med; A-'s in Surg, Peds, Neuro; B+ in Ob/gyn
AOA: Unfortunately nope
USMLE Step I: 250
Research: No publications to date, various college and med school summer research projects. Currently doing an HHMI year at NIH studying Kaposi's sarcoma in a basic science lab with PhD.

Things I want to do is shadow/clinically work with an academic Dermatologist at a nearby med school close to NIH during my year. Just wondering if things are just futile now. I'm just starting to get antsy as my fellow classmates are starting to go through the application/interview process. Thanks for your help guys; I appreciate all productive comments.
 
If you are studying Kaposi's, MAKE SURE you shadow or do research with Dr. Robert Schwartz at UMDNJ who is basically "Mr. Kaposi." If you can get a personal, positive letter from him, you will have an even better chance of matching, and especially better chance of getting more East Coast interviews.

Anyway, HHMI fellowship = awesome. You look like you're in really good shape to match. The only things I suggest are obtaining glowing/very personal LOR's from your derm mentors. At interviews, do not dwell on the negatives (not AOA), just focus on all your good points.


YanCanCook said:
Hey guys,
I'm a med student between 3rd-4th year who is wondering if i have a legitimate chance at matching Derm. Just wondering if you can offer some tips or advice on my chances and what I can do with what little time I have left.
Basic Background below:

School: East Coast, barely Top 25 school
Grades: A's in Medicine, Psych, Family Med; A-'s in Surg, Peds, Neuro; B+ in Ob/gyn
AOA: Unfortunately nope
USMLE Step I: 250
Research: No publications to date, various college and med school summer research projects. Currently doing an HHMI year at NIH studying Kaposi's sarcoma in a basic science lab with PhD.

Things I want to do is shadow/clinically work with an academic Dermatologist at a nearby med school close to NIH during my year. Just wondering if things are just futile now. I'm just starting to get antsy as my fellow classmates are starting to go through the application/interview process. Thanks for your help guys; I appreciate all productive comments.
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sensitive skin said:
All the people with excellent stats - have your personal statement read and edited by a professional. That is probably your weak point...doubt it is your interview, if you are a normal pleasant human being.
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Any examples of services that are good for editing personal statements for residency? Are you talking local (I would have no idea where to start looking for those...) or something online?



I am an MS3 at a mid-tier med school and I have been considering Derm almost since day 1. I did well on Step 1 (259) and honored about half of my basic science classes (9/17) and have honored Surgery and Family so far. I did "research" with a dermatologist between first and second year, which actually ended up as me working as an MA for free at his clinic. Therefore, I have no publications (although I do have a book chapter I contributed to, but no idea when it may be published). The one thing that did get me was an excellent relationship with a fairly well-known academic dermatologist and another private dermatologist (frequently they say I am the best medical student they've ever had, etc etc).

So here's the deal. In an ideal world, honestly I would be starting to do more derm research now. However, I'm starting to explore other career options like radiology and rad onc. Don't get me wrong, I love derm. I can give a really compelling speech as to "why derm" and it's truly heartfelt, too. It's just that after starting my clinical rotations I've been exposed to some other stuff and kind of wonder whether I would like that too or even more.

So I guess my question is... would it be ABsolutely detrimental for me not to start derm research RIGHT now? I mean I don't know how quickly I can get exposure to Rads/Rad Onc to rule them out or in. My school doesn't allow electives third year and I've kind of got a lot going on personally so shadowing outside of the core rotations (especially while trying to honor all of them) may be difficult. I just don't want to start research in derm and then fall in love with Rad Onc and although I know it's not wasted time, I value the tiny amount of free time I have and would really enjoy not doing that.

The other thing I'm concerned about is the derm match in general. I don't think I'm the best applicant you've ever seen (of course assuming I get some derm research and hopefully make AOA, do many derm rotations 4th year) but I would consider myself competitive. But when I was applying to med school, I also considered myself a competitive applicant (41 MCAT, good GPA (don't remember exactly what), top 10 university, research (although no pubs)) and although I got interviewed at all the public schools in my home state (Texas), I didn't get a SINGLE interview off my AMCAS application. Not one! Not even Baylor!! I don't know I am just scared of derm match now because I can definitely see the same sort of thing happening. I really really want to stay in Houston for personal reasons (sick family members) and that may be something that might make it even harder for me to match. However in my favor, the strongest connections I have and plan to make are here in Houston. Oh, and I'm going to do couples match too; he's thinking Rads right now. I don't even know if that affects my chances but I just thought I'd throw it out there.

Anyway, to complete the large circle of my long and rather tangential post, that's why I was originally asking about the personal statement editing. While I had many peers and of course my school's health care application program or whatever look at my personal statement, and I personally thought it was quite nice, it's one of the only things I can think of that might have weakened my application so much. I don't mean to toot my own horn but I think my personality is quite pleasing and don't anticipate and problems there, and seeing as I was accepted to med school everywhere I DID get an interview I am hoping that is a good sign as well.

So... any advice regarding any of the multiple issues I raised above would be appreciated. Sorry for the excessively long post.
 
I think you have legitimate concerns. You obviously can't guarantee that you'll get AOA, awesome letters, and 1st author pubs, and the fact that you're trying to couples match with someone going into a competitive specialty will make your life much harder. You're on the right track for derm with good board scores and clinical honors, but I would recommend getting involved with derm research ASAP if you want to keep the derm doors open. It takes a lot of time to do good derm research and get a few pubs out there, especially if you're not doing full-time research. Doing derm research builds your resume, gives you something to talk about on interviews, and gives you a great way to get excellent LORs and connections. If you wait too long to get involved in research, it will make your application weaker.

You could always explore rad/rad onc while you're doing derm research. If you decide to change over to rad or rad onc, you could try to finish off your derm stuff and get involved with research in your chosen field. Obviously then you'll have to explain why you did derm research first and why you switched without making yourself sound like someone who's just looking for a lifestyle specialty, but I've seen others do this successfully. If you really want to hold off on doing any research until you decide for sure on derm, then you might want to consider taking a year off to do research before you graduate from med school. You can always gamble and go into the match without much research, but if you want to have your best possible odds of matching (and staying in your hometown and doing the couples thing), it would be best to pad the resume with publications.

jmw38 said:
Any examples of services that are good for editing personal statements for residency? Are you talking local (I would have no idea where to start looking for those...) or something online?



I am an MS3 at a mid-tier med school and I have been considering Derm almost since day 1. I did well on Step 1 (259) and honored about half of my basic science classes (9/17) and have honored Surgery and Family so far. I did "research" with a dermatologist between first and second year, which actually ended up as me working as an MA for free at his clinic. Therefore, I have no publications (although I do have a book chapter I contributed to, but no idea when it may be published). The one thing that did get me was an excellent relationship with a fairly well-known academic dermatologist and another private dermatologist (frequently they say I am the best medical student they've ever had, etc etc).

So here's the deal. In an ideal world, honestly I would be starting to do more derm research now. However, I'm starting to explore other career options like radiology and rad onc. Don't get me wrong, I love derm. I can give a really compelling speech as to "why derm" and it's truly heartfelt, too. It's just that after starting my clinical rotations I've been exposed to some other stuff and kind of wonder whether I would like that too or even more.

So I guess my question is... would it be ABsolutely detrimental for me not to start derm research RIGHT now? I mean I don't know how quickly I can get exposure to Rads/Rad Onc to rule them out or in. My school doesn't allow electives third year and I've kind of got a lot going on personally so shadowing outside of the core rotations (especially while trying to honor all of them) may be difficult. I just don't want to start research in derm and then fall in love with Rad Onc and although I know it's not wasted time, I value the tiny amount of free time I have and would really enjoy not doing that.

The other thing I'm concerned about is the derm match in general. I don't think I'm the best applicant you've ever seen (of course assuming I get some derm research and hopefully make AOA, do many derm rotations 4th year) but I would consider myself competitive. But when I was applying to med school, I also considered myself a competitive applicant (41 MCAT, good GPA (don't remember exactly what), top 10 university, research (although no pubs)) and although I got interviewed at all the public schools in my home state (Texas), I didn't get a SINGLE interview off my AMCAS application. Not one! Not even Baylor!! I don't know I am just scared of derm match now because I can definitely see the same sort of thing happening. I really really want to stay in Houston for personal reasons (sick family members) and that may be something that might make it even harder for me to match. However in my favor, the strongest connections I have and plan to make are here in Houston. Oh, and I'm going to do couples match too; he's thinking Rads right now. I don't even know if that affects my chances but I just thought I'd throw it out there.

Anyway, to complete the large circle of my long and rather tangential post, that's why I was originally asking about the personal statement editing. While I had many peers and of course my school's health care application program or whatever look at my personal statement, and I personally thought it was quite nice, it's one of the only things I can think of that might have weakened my application so much. I don't mean to toot my own horn but I think my personality is quite pleasing and don't anticipate and problems there, and seeing as I was accepted to med school everywhere I DID get an interview I am hoping that is a good sign as well.

So... any advice regarding any of the multiple issues I raised above would be appreciated. Sorry for the excessively long post.
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Hi guys,

So I'm relatively new to this party but I would like to have your advice on how I can improve my application and/or if I'm being realistic in wanting to pursue this track.

I currently attend a top 25 med school in the Southeast and am NOT Jr AOA
Step 1: 263
3rd Year: A's in 3/4 of my rotations with A- in 1/4 portion. Currently in Medicine. I'm not sure if I'll be in the running for Sr. AOA. I may need to kick up my grades a bit. We have a weird induction process where sr AOA i believe is class nominated and grades combined.

Research: 5 publications, none 1st author, numerous presentations and awards. None derm related. Good LOR's (I'm assuming)

I feel like I'm very run-of the mill on paper. What can I do to improve my chances? I've emailed a prominent Dermatopathologist at my medical school for research/case study opportunities and haven't set up anything yet. I plan to do a Derm rotation in May and some away rotations at other places.

What do you think I can do to really improve my application and furthermore, realistically speaking, would I match?
 
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sorry, vicinihil. :shrug: i don't have the answers.

dermatology residency is a frustrating mountain to climb. giving you my advice would be like a virgin trying to satisfy sore eye's mother -- it's just pointless.

:whistle: hopefully, someone will answer your call
 
Looks like your Step 1 is outstanding and I'd try and take Step 2 sometime later in 4th year

Sr AOA would help

Derm research as a 4th yr or between 3rd and 4th year would help

Outstanding LORs in particular from dermatologists during your 4th year rotations are very beneficial

I would ask around your derm department and of course your student deans but it seems like my program looks very heavily on LORs (more so than Step 1 and grades, we merely use Step 1 as a cutoff)

vicinihil said:
Hi guys,

So I'm relatively new to this party but I would like to have your advice on how I can improve my application and/or if I'm being realistic in wanting to pursue this track.

I currently attend a top 25 med school in the Southeast and am NOT Jr AOA
Step 1: 263
3rd Year: A's in 3/4 of my rotations with A- in 1/4 portion. Currently in Medicine. I'm not sure if I'll be in the running for Sr. AOA. I may need to kick up my grades a bit. We have a weird induction process where sr AOA i believe is class nominated and grades combined.

Research: 5 publications, none 1st author, numerous presentations and awards. None derm related. Good LOR's (I'm assuming)

I feel like I'm very run-of the mill on paper. What can I do to improve my chances? I've emailed a prominent Dermatopathologist at my medical school for research/case study opportunities and haven't set up anything yet. I plan to do a Derm rotation in May and some away rotations at other places.

What do you think I can do to really improve my application and furthermore, realistically speaking, would I match?
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Hi everybody,

I'm new here on this forum. I'm a 3rd year medical student at an OK state medical school, now committed to pursuing dermatology. So I need your honest opinion on my chances.

My credentials...
1) I went to an Ivy League undergrad for what it's worth.
2) I have an MS degree in basic science from an Ivy League.
3) I have a PhD in basic science from HYP.
4) As you can see from my educational history, I am an older applicant.
5) I have two first author publications in basic science journals (one average and one top journal), but not related to derm. I have also presented at national meetings.
6) I've won 3 fellowship awards for my research (including NIH fellowship).
7) I have Step 1 score of 242 (really don't want to take Step 2 b/c I don't think I'll do any better than that; I'm not that good at standardized tests).
8) I'm pretty sure I won't make AOA (my grades so far consists of High Pass's). I hope to honor medicine and surgery though.
9) I plan to at least write up two case reports in derm journals. I have a faculty member who is willing to help me out with this.
10) What else? I was told by my school's residency program director (when I first met him) that I come off as friendly, confident (but not arrogant), easy to get along type of person. So I think I'll interview well.
11) My EC's have lots of mentoring, obviously research, and fine arts (I've won many awards both nationally and internationally for my photography).

Whew, that's me in a nutshell.

I would really appreciate your honest answers. I've been trolling on this forum for some time and people here are so impressive in terms of pubs and stats. If that's the norm, I'm screwed. ;)

Thanks so much!
 
if you add two derm case reports to what you already have, and honor just medicine, i put your chances of matching at >85% with the stats you gave. don't take step 2 until feb 2012. no reason. forget about ucsf and the two or three other places that want it.

if you have good lor and a strong personal statement, you'll get 8-12 interviews.

apply everywhere.

good luck.
 
DermPlease said:
Hi everybody,

I'm new here on this forum. I'm a 3rd year medical student at an OK state medical school, now committed to pursuing dermatology. So I need your honest opinion on my chances.

My credentials...
1) I went to an Ivy League undergrad for what it's worth.
2) I have an MS degree in basic science from an Ivy League.
3) I have a PhD in basic science from HYP.
4) As you can see from my educational history, I am an older applicant.
5) I have two first author publications in basic science journals (one average and one top journal), but not related to derm. I have also presented at national meetings.
6) I've won 3 fellowship awards for my research (including NIH fellowship).
7) I have Step 1 score of 242 (really don't want to take Step 2 b/c I don't think I'll do any better than that; I'm not that good at standardized tests).
8) I'm pretty sure I won't make AOA (my grades so far consists of High Pass's). I hope to honor medicine and surgery though.
9) I plan to at least write up two case reports in derm journals. I have a faculty member who is willing to help me out with this.
10) What else? I was told by my school's residency program director (when I first met him) that I come off as friendly, confident (but not arrogant), easy to get along type of person. So I think I'll interview well.
11) My EC's have lots of mentoring, obviously research, and fine arts (I've won many awards both nationally and internationally for my photography).

Whew, that's me in a nutshell.

I would really appreciate your honest answers. I've been trolling on this forum for some time and people here are so impressive in terms of pubs and stats. If that's the norm, I'm screwed. ;)

Thanks so much!
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The fact that you did an MD after your PhD will bring into question how sincerely you want to do research. Just be ready for that on the interview trail. A lot of programs are skeptical if you do a MD after your PhD; however, if you do a joint MSTP program, then that's a positive.
 
I had half your resume and still got 10 interviews.
 
Thanks for the encouraging words. I feel like now I can really commit to it and just go for it. :thumbup:
 
pupster said:
The fact that you did an MD after your PhD will bring into question how sincerely you want to do research. Just be ready for that on the interview trail. A lot of programs are skeptical if you do a MD after your PhD; however, if you do a joint MSTP program, then that's a positive.
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Are you serious? Unfortunately, I guess you are. Some academic doc have nothing else better to do.

You will get many interviews. Step1 is not the end all. I did not have a PhD, only 1 case report, Step1 <240, but was AOA for what it is worth and had 10 interviews. Matched at my number one.

I've said it a 1000 times. Once you get the interview it is more about personality and how well you mesh with a particular program than anything. They know you can handle it academically, they just want to see that you are normal and they can work with you for 3 years.
 
Agree with mohderm on the research bit. Actually, there are several people that did an MD after a PhD and were successful researchers. I think it's the individual and path you walk. I know plenty of MD/PhDs in MSTPs that are plain burnt out and it's pretty obvious who is thinking about research or not when you talk to them. The ones that think about funding and how they can get there are for real for research (and are specific about it and not just saying that they are going for funding). Just doing an MSTP doesn't mean you'll do research...there's much more to that.

To the OP, you are going to get interviews no doubt and go for it if it's what you want.
 
mohderm said:
Are you serious? Unfortunately, I guess you are. Some academic doc have nothing else better to do.

You will get many interviews. Step1 is not the end all. I did not have a PhD, only 1 case report, Step1 <240, but was AOA for what it is worth and had 10 interviews. Matched at my number one.

I've said it a 1000 times. Once you get the interview it is more about personality and how well you mesh with a particular program than anything. They know you can handle it academically, they just want to see that you are normal and they can work with you for 3 years.
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Eh? I wasn't saying that it was bad. I just know that at MY institution (which is considered a top 10 program), there's a bias against people that did the MD after the PhD.
 
Thanks for the extra info pupster...I'm not sure that's the best way to choose people that are going to go into research but it's good to know that the bias is out there.
 
Are derm chances for IMG's virtually close to 0%?
Graduated in July from British medical school (school is average prestige-wise, not Oxbridge). I have one derm publication (first author), was mentioned in the EADV (European Academy of Dermatology) conference.
Just did Step 1 last week so I don't know results yet but hopefully 240+.
Graduated without honours.
I know the answer is probably going to be yes, my chances are close to 0% but thought it was worth asking as dermatology was originally one of my two possible career choices before I decided to come over to the US. Should I just give up that half of the dream for good?
 
From what I know regarding the match, it will be extremely difficult. You can look at the NBME website "Charting Outcomes" publication to see how IMG's did in Derm and what their scores were (I think that's in there).

Good luck.
 
Mid-Tier School
All H/HP first 2 years
So far, a mix of H/HP/P in 3rd year. I can take a derm elective 4th year.
Step 1: 240
Step 2: Scheduled for Sept
Research: Neurosurgery award/Summer fellow, but no pub
 
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DrVanNostran said:
Mid-Tier School
All H/HP first 2 years
So far, a mix of H/HP/P in 3rd year. I can a derm elective 4th year.
Step 1: 240
Step 2: Scheduled for Sept
Research: Neurosurgery award/Summer fellow, but no pub
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Your grades are below average for derm. Your Step 1 is slightly below average (the averages go up every year). My guess is it will be around 245 for your class. Definitely take step 2. Compare the average and SD to step 1 and you will see that even if you score the same percentile your score will be 10-15 points higher. The lack of derm pubs is def a negative on your app. Try to get a few case reports on there if not something more substantial.

Its really tough to say what your chances are. So much depends on how well you interview and how likeable you are. You could easily match with these stats if you do some aways at mid tier programs; you get a few case reports; you are a likeable person. If however you have an average personality, you do not do aways, and you do not get any pubs...your chances are not good..10% perhaps?
 
hey, just wanted to get some advice as far as my chances. i'm not sure whether i should just go ahead and apply this year, or take a year off and get some derm research under my belt. thoughts?

*mid-tier school on east coast
*step 1: 245
*honors in all clinical rotations so far (5/5)
*currently being considered for junior AOA
*no derm research, but a few second-author pubs in an unrelated field (most of them before med school)
*strong community service in under-served communities
 
coffee nut said:
hey, just wanted to get some advice as far as my chances. i'm not sure whether i should just go ahead and apply this year, or take a year off and get some derm research under my belt. thoughts?

*mid-tier school on east coast
*step 1: 245
*honors in all clinical rotations so far (5/5)
*currently being considered for junior AOA
*no derm research, but a few second-author pubs in an unrelated field (most of them before med school)
*strong community service in under-served communities
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I think if you go to your derm department and get 2-4 easy first-author pubs (ie case reports) you should match somewhere this year with your stats. If you were to take a year off in a lab you would be more competitive and have more say where you end up.
 
Hi. A little background:

I'm a 17 almost 18 year old girl from southern california. I've always known I've wanted to be a doctor of some form. Problem is, the second I got to high school, I became the biggest screw off ever. Now, ending senior year, I'm watching all my close friends get into places UCBerkley, Boston University, and even STANFORD while I'll be attending the local community college in the fall. Throughout high school, I've gotten several D's and even two F's, not because I'm stupid, just because I cared more about hanging out and working in my school theatre, not giving a **** about schoolwork. Thankfully, I've never been into drugs and alcohol, so thats a positive.

Anyways, I suffered TERRIBLE, i mean TERRIBLE acne starting the end of sophomore year all the way until March of junior year. I tried absolutely everything to clear my skin up, but nothing would work, including proactiv and other benzoyl peroxide treatments, which just made my face worse. Finally I tried perscription drugs for my acne, topical AND oral with no success. After about 6 months of my acne just getting worse, I got put on Accutane. It was absolutely the worst time of my life thus far. Its safe to say it ruined my face, and in the end it didn't even work! My acne came back two months after I got off of it! Finally, I went to a new dermatologist (HES AMAZING!!! Best doctor ever.) who suggested Spironolactone and concluded that I have severe hormone issues. After a week, I noticed my acne going away. After a month, I was basically clear. It was truly a miracle. 6 months later, I am now completely clear. I struggle with huge pores, a few pit scars, and uneven skin tone from that damn Accutane.

The experience with acne has really made me want to help people with their skin problems, weather it be acne or something else. Our skin is amazing and so interesting. I really have a passion for skincare and though this means nothing, I help a lot of my friends clear up their skin. My boyfriend has gone from a full face of acne to almost clear, thanks to me! I REALLY want to be a dermatologist. The skin is so fascinating. I've researched dermatology for hours and I really love what being a dermatologist can do to help people and their appearence or skin diseases.

I'm determined to be a dermatologist. I know it is a lot of work, but it seems worth it.

With my poor high school "achievements", would I even get a chance to go to med school once I transfer to a four year from community college? Do they look at high school? Because it would be killing my dream if they based my rather rebellious years on a decision to let me pursue what I believe is the profession for me.
 
med schools don't look at your high school grades. They care about your mcat, college grades, where you did college, what kind of extracurriculars you did, what hospital exposure you have, what research you've been able to get involved with thus far. From med school, the route to derm residency is another ballgame. Take it a step at a time, do well here and now
 
Not sure if you're aware, but derm is the most competitive specialty. You will have to be exceptional to even have a chance.

People often go into derm for the lifestyle ($$ and free time relative to other specialties) but they lose some of the best years of their lives getting there.
 
NOsquid said:
Not sure if you're aware, but derm is the most competitive specialty. You will have to be exceptional to even have a chance.

People often go into derm for the lifestyle ($$ and free time relative to other specialties) but they lose some of the best years of their lives getting there.
Click to expand...

Why is it so competitive?
 
sideways said:
You've done the academic equivalent of saying you want to play in the NBA. But only on the Lakers.
Click to expand...

Or saying you want to be an actor that only acts in Leonardo DiCaprio movies b/c you noticed u both have blond hair. Note also that if you go around telling other aspiring actors of your motives, you'll face disdain. :ninja:
 
xxsprinkles said:
Hi. A little background:

I'm a 17 almost 18 year old girl from southern california. I've always known I've wanted to be a doctor of some form. Problem is, the second I got to high school, I became the biggest screw off ever. Now, ending senior year, I'm watching all my close friends get into places UCBerkley, Boston University, and even STANFORD while I'll be attending the local community college in the fall. Throughout high school, I've gotten several D's and even two F's, not because I'm stupid, just because I cared more about hanging out and working in my school theatre, not giving a **** about schoolwork. Thankfully, I've never been into drugs and alcohol, so thats a positive.

Anyways, I suffered TERRIBLE, i mean TERRIBLE acne starting the end of sophomore year all the way until March of junior year. I tried absolutely everything to clear my skin up, but nothing would work, including proactiv and other benzoyl peroxide treatments, which just made my face worse. Finally I tried perscription drugs for my acne, topical AND oral with no success. After about 6 months of my acne just getting worse, I got put on Accutane. It was absolutely the worst time of my life thus far. Its safe to say it ruined my face, and in the end it didn't even work! My acne came back two months after I got off of it! Finally, I went to a new dermatologist (HES AMAZING!!! Best doctor ever.) who suggested Spironolactone and concluded that I have severe hormone issues. After a week, I noticed my acne going away. After a month, I was basically clear. It was truly a miracle. 6 months later, I am now completely clear. I struggle with huge pores, a few pit scars, and uneven skin tone from that damn Accutane.

The experience with acne has really made me want to help people with their skin problems, weather it be acne or something else. Our skin is amazing and so interesting. I really have a passion for skincare and though this means nothing, I help a lot of my friends clear up their skin. My boyfriend has gone from a full face of acne to almost clear, thanks to me! I REALLY want to be a dermatologist. The skin is so fascinating. I've researched dermatology for hours and I really love what being a dermatologist can do to help people and their appearence or skin diseases.

I'm determined to be a dermatologist. I know it is a lot of work, but it seems worth it.

With my poor high school "achievements", would I even get a chance to go to med school once I transfer to a four year from community college? Do they look at high school? Because it would be killing my dream if they based my rather rebellious years on a decision to let me pursue what I believe is the profession for me.
Click to expand...

You can still accomplish your dreams, but you'll need to change virtually everything about your educational outlook from here on out. The above metaphor about the NBA and the Lakers is very apt. Dermatology is the most difficult specialty in all of medicine to match into.

Its very easy for people who have a history of poor academic achievement to say, "oh, I could have gotten straight A's if I had tried" - but this often proves much more difficult in reality. It's kinda like rigorous dieting and exercise for weight loss, easy in theory but nearly impossible to achieve long-term success.

10 Suggestions I have for you.
1. Work hard in Community College and don't fall into the social crowd there. The regular crowd at CC has a lot of time to waste, and you now do not. You'll need to do extraordinarily well to get into a good california state university.

2. Focus on Ace'ing basic science/math courses at your CC. Find out what the acceptance requirements are to transfer into your choice of cal state uni. Don't try and take harder classes like calculus or organic chemistry at the CC, because many University pre-med programs/preadvisory committees want you to take their own med school prerequisites. This saves you time when your courses do not transfer.

3. Getting into Med School in california is not easy. It's among the most difficult states in the country to gain acceptance. Try transferring into a university that has an associated med school.

4. If you have a 4.0 at Community College and then a 4.0 at your university, nobody will care what your high school grades were. You can let them draw their own conclusions.

5. Get a mentor, early! Find someone who is academically important and who can speak personally of your attributes and your (by this time well-developed) academic prowess.

6. Spend as much time as your academics will allow shadowing, volunteering and performing medical outreach in every medical setting possible.

7. Do a 3 to 6 month weekend Kaplan MCAT review course (or a 1-2 month daily summer course) in your Junior year. Kaplan knows their stuff and they have track record of success. A lot of hard work by yourself will get you a 30. A lot of hard work with a Kaplan course will get you a 36.

8. Apply broadly to medical school. Apply everywhere you can afford. Don't mention Dermatology anywhere on your application.

9. When you get into med school, repeat steps with emphasis on dermatology and USMLE's.

10. The failure to complete any of the above steps puts you in jeopardy of not accomplishing your goals. Good luck.
 
I am a 2nd year medical student with a strong interest in dermatology. I was looking at the unfilled list during scramble and noticed that there are A and C programs in dermatology. What is the difference? Sorry if its a stupid question. I really did try to google it, to no avail.
 
sustentaculum said:
I am a 2nd year medical student with a strong interest in dermatology. I was looking at the unfilled list during scramble and noticed that there are A and C programs in dermatology. What is the difference? Sorry if its a stupid question. I really did try to google it, to no avail.
Click to expand...

Advanced vs. Categorical
 
I am a 3rd year medical student at a mid-tier medical school in the midwest.
Step 1: 254
3rd year: honored 1st semester (now on 2nd semester)
1st/2nd year: half honors/high pass
Research in derm: anticipate one first author and one 2nd author
LOR: anticipate 3 strong LOR from home derm program

So my question is how competitive am I? I'm looking to do an away rotation as well but am wondering whether I should do it at a mid-tier vs top-tier (ie:mayo) to increase my chances.

Advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
I apologize if these types of threads pop up a lot here.

I'm an MS3 reaching the last few months of third year. For most of my medical school career I've been aiming to match into ortho, but I recently realize surgery really isn't where I want to end up. I've been spending the past several weeks agonizing over what I want to do with my life now (trying to plan 4th year schedule, etc). I'm in the middle of my Medicine clerkship, and as part of the ambulatory requirement we do some dermatology clinic work. We get almost no exposure to derm during the first two years, so I didn't really know what to expect. Turns out, I really like it.

Now, I don't know for sure that derm is something I am going to pursue, but I would like a little guidance and realistic input to help me decide if it's something that I should look into further. A little about me:

Step I: 255
First two years: All "Honors"
Third year: All A's so far (equivalent of High Pass, I suppose?), no "Honors"
AOA: No (surprised at not receiving Junior AOA, but oh well)
Research: One pending ortho pub (first author), one poster presentation

Since I'm quite late in the game, I don't really have any contacts with Derm faculty yet. Obviously it would be in my best interest to get to know them. I guess I'm just unsure of how to do this. I feel like any attempt I make now will be looked at as "oh, so you just wanna match into derm because of $/lifestyle/etc, eh?" I mean, I won't deny that that stuff is pretty enticing, but I honestly think I'd enjoy Derm as a career.

Anyway, after seeing the superduperrockstars that match into Derm here on SDN, I feel quite below average. Any suggestions/input?
 
I spent my spring brake of 3rd year shadowing and seeing patients in the derm clinic. One of my classmates and I both did this, after that we both got a feel for derm.
 
Thanks for the reply. I've lurked on this site for a long time and I usually appreciate your input, Long Dong.

If you could, would you be able to tell me a little more about how you started to set yourself up as a solid derm applicant? I'm guessing that from what you mentioned, you didn't start really thinking derm until midway through M3 or so too? What else did you do after that shadowing over spring break?

Thanks.
 
PSUtoMD said:
Thanks for the reply. I've lurked on this site for a long time and I usually appreciate your input, Long Dong.

If you could, would you be able to tell me a little more about how you started to set yourself up as a solid derm applicant? I'm guessing that from what you mentioned, you didn't start really thinking derm until midway through M3 or so too? What else did you do after that shadowing over spring break?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
Yeah around this time in 3rd year after my one week in derm clinic (cause my school wouldn't let you do derm until 4th year) I decided to go for it. I started making contacts with home program and started setting up a research elective during the summer between 3rd and 4th year.

Start making your connections as soon as you think you would want to do derm. Who you know is about as important if not more important then what you know (eg board scores, aoa).
 
Yeah, I'm getting the impression more and more that regardless of what you go into, "who you know" is increasingly important.

I'm gonna try to set up a meeting and hopefully shadowing experience with someone in the derm department during spring break. This might be a dumb question, but does something like this come off as annoying to them? I have this incessant fear that med students applying for dermatology are reviled by everyone, including dermatology faculty. This is really based on no evidence, of course.

Also, what's the opinion of taking Step 2 early vs. late in the realm of derm?

Thanks again!
 
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