Advice for DO

[cantaka]

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Hello all,

Longtime lurker, first time poster. I am interested in derm and was wondering what it took to get into an ACGME derm residency as a DO/Osteopath. I have a step 1 of 265/99 and am in the 60%ile of my class. My clinical grades are good, but our school grades only by Pass/fail. My shelfs were 99% medicine, 91% OB, 84% Peds, 95% Family, and 82% surgery. I have some undergrad research in pain mechanisms. What should I do to maximize my chances to match in derm? Will it require 1-2 years of post grad research? Aways? Any tips on helping my application for derm would help greatly. Any insight into my chances if I apply this year vs after research.

Thanks!

 

[sestamibi]

I would guess that chances aren't good for a DO but perhaps someone could shed more light on this.

 

[gerido]

Hello all,

Longtime lurker, first time poster. I am interested in derm and was wondering what it took to get into an ACGME derm residency as a DO/Osteopath. I have a step 1 of 265/99 and am in the 60%ile of my class. My clinical grades are good, but our school grades only by Pass/fail. My shelfs were 99% medicine, 91% OB, 84% Peds, 95% Family, and 82% surgery. I have some undergrad research in pain mechanisms. What should I do to maximize my chances to match in derm? Will it require 1-2 years of post grad research? Aways? Any tips on helping my application for derm would help greatly. Any insight into my chances if I apply this year vs after research.

Thanks!

Look at the numbers. Don't let SDNers convince you out of using common sense and basic analytical skills that you've been trained to use.

 

[cantaka]

Thanks for the advice so far. I was just trying to get some insight, as I don't see much advice regarding DO chances of matching MD derm. Is there any way of finding out the # of DO applicants to ACGME and the number matched? Any more tips will be greatly appreciated as I can't seem to find adequate information regarding DO's in derm. Thanks.

 

[DOCTORSAIB]

Thanks for the advice so far. I was just trying to get some insight, as I don't see much advice regarding DO chances of matching MD derm. Is there any way of finding out the # of DO applicants to ACGME and the number matched? Any more tips will be greatly appreciated as I can't seem to find adequate information regarding DO's in derm. Thanks.

Congrats on your Step 1 score. Strong work.

Check out dermboard.com. That site seems to be more active for all things dermatology.

I'm not in dermatology but I can tell you that at least 3 DO's matched allopathic derm this past application cycle. One guy was a graduate of PCOM (shameless plug) who had done research at UPenn and ended up matching at Univ of Cincy in OH.

Clearly it's very (very) tough but can be done. You've got the board score (You're at least 20 points above the avg Step 1 score for derm). Now you need research. Bigtime research with a bigtime dermatologist (preferably a MD). Not a rinky-dinky case report with Joe Smoe, DO in PP derm.

G'luck man!

 

[MOHS_01]

You can most definitely do it -- just apply and interview well. It would help (greatly) if you could have a high ranking faculty member call programs on your behalf, and they should be happy to oblige given the relative difficulty of the task which you are undertaking.

There are also DO dermatology programs, but I know very little to nothing about them (other than the fact that they are not open to MD applicants).

I will pass on, FWIW, a bit of advice that was given to me from the chair of dermatology at a program in the northeast -- and I paraphrase a little b/c it has been 8 years and I don't remember everything:

".. throw your name in the hat. Work hard. Be courteous. Do your due diligence. If you do not match, don't despair -- if it is truly what you want to do, go through the appropriate channels and find out what your true chances are and what you need to do in order to make it happen. At the end of the day, dermatology is not the be-all and end-all that everyone makes it out to be. It has been good for the last several years, but everything in medicine is cyclical. This will be the same. Don't spend years of your life chasing it...."

At the time I did not agree with him and could only see myself being a micrographic surgeon. I was very lucky (another story - perhaps I will tell it someday - suffice to say not all good deed goes unpunished) and never had to deal with the "what if" scenario.


Best of luck.

 

[Long Dong]

Is there any way of finding out the # of DO applicants to ACGME and the number matched? Any more tips will be greatly appreciated as I can't seem to find adequate information regarding DO's in derm. Thanks.

I don't think that data is available. The dermboard used to have a match list available every year (it wasn't complete though) and from scanning it the past few years like doctorsaib said I do recall 3 DOs matched this past cycle, the year before I recall 2 DOs matching (one did path, then derm path, before matching), and the year prior I don't recall any matching.

Like others have said you got to go for it, you never know until you've tried. Looking at the match stats only ~3 out 17 people each year with 260+ don't match every year, so your chances are good. Being DO just might make it a little tuffer. I'd recommend doing some research with someone known in derm, and doing some away rotations at places that have taken DOs in the past (I've heard Univ Cincy, Cleveland clinic, Univ Kansas have taken DO's and Mayo MN has a DO on faculty) to get good LORs. Hope that helps.

 

[cantaka]

Thanks for all the advice and tips so far. A last question, if I apply this year and do not get accepted, should I take step 2 or should I not take it? As I dont have to take step 2, but only the comlex level 2 (DO equivalent). Furthermore, from my understanding, taking step 2 is a further risk to my step 1. Will residency directors question why I didnt take step 2 if I applied again the following year?