I don't consider myself a strong applicant. Would it help if I went into Internal Medicine first and then apply?
application advice.
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Others further in the game could comment better on this, but I would think that yes, having a strong medicine background is looked upon as desirable. However, at this point, you want to sell yourself as being dedicated to dermatology, not someone who went into medicine and then decided to switch. Thus a dermatology research fellowship or something similar would be a better option in my mind.
Don't do it without at least trying for derm.
You never know, you could match. I didn't consider myself a strong applicant after reading the horror stories online about walk on water applicants going unmatched. I still got lots of interviews and matched well.
If you're set on doing a residency instead of derm research fellowship, then do IM as your backup. At least you'll have tried!
Doing IM residency first might help you at a select few programs, but it will also disqualify you from consideration from programs that don't have a lot of extra funding. You only get a certain number of years as a government funded resident, depending on your specialty... then the program has to want you bad enough to foot the bill. Unlikely to happen unless you achieve something amazing during IM residency.
You never know, you could match. I didn't consider myself a strong applicant after reading the horror stories online about walk on water applicants going unmatched. I still got lots of interviews and matched well.
If you're set on doing a residency instead of derm research fellowship, then do IM as your backup. At least you'll have tried!
Doing IM residency first might help you at a select few programs, but it will also disqualify you from consideration from programs that don't have a lot of extra funding. You only get a certain number of years as a government funded resident, depending on your specialty... then the program has to want you bad enough to foot the bill. Unlikely to happen unless you achieve something amazing during IM residency.
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Well said, your chances go down dramatically after completing one residency as you have exhausted your funding.
I definitely agree with the last post - doing I-Med isn't the best way to go. There are a few programs (Utah comes to mind) that have historically taken or even preferred I-Med trained applicants, but this is the overwhelming exception.
I think that doing a research fellowship is the way to go.... get yourself aligned with a big name in the field, do a lot of publications, and then apply. Carve out a niche for yourself in terms of an area of expertise/exerience/pubs and this will make you stand out much more than training in internal medicine. Consider doing a prelim or TY year first, though, because many derm research fellowships available require you to be licensed (i.e. passed step 3), especially for clinical research spots.
Many of these fellowships are posted on this website, or on the forum at the derm interest website (www.derm-interest.org). Check them out! There are some great opportunities out there. They will show much more dedication to derm than an i-med residency.
I think that doing a research fellowship is the way to go.... get yourself aligned with a big name in the field, do a lot of publications, and then apply. Carve out a niche for yourself in terms of an area of expertise/exerience/pubs and this will make you stand out much more than training in internal medicine. Consider doing a prelim or TY year first, though, because many derm research fellowships available require you to be licensed (i.e. passed step 3), especially for clinical research spots.
Many of these fellowships are posted on this website, or on the forum at the derm interest website (www.derm-interest.org). Check them out! There are some great opportunities out there. They will show much more dedication to derm than an i-med residency.
