best med schools to go to to get INTO dermatology residency

[aviary17]

Hi. I am deciding now which med school to go to after college. I've always wanted to be a dermatologist, and as of now that is my plan. I have been told the residency is very difficult to get into. Do you know which medical schools are considered to be good when being considered for a dermatology residency? Thank you for your insight.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Mariah246]

The very best one you can afford.

Also the one where you can nab all honors clinical and pre-clinical, as high a Step 1 score as possible, outstanding evaluations, outstanding LORs, outstanding research experience, and a home dermatology department.

 

[werd]

i think bigger names help a little. regarding specifics, i can attest that uva matched 5/6 last year and 5/5 this year.
at the end of the day, i think the school you go to is secondary to the effort you put in (to med school, to boards, to your ps, to making good impressions, etc)

 

[aviary17]

The very best one you can afford.

Also the one where you can nab all honors clinical and pre-clinical, as high a Step 1 score as possible, outstanding evaluations, outstanding LORs, outstanding research experience, and a home dermatology department.

That's kind of the conflict I'm facing. I think that at a big-name school (Harvard) it will be harder to stand out or score honors, while if I go to a smaller school my chances will be better.

 

[Mariah246]

That's kind of the conflict I'm facing. I think that at a big-name school (Harvard) it will be harder to stand out or score honors, while if I go to a smaller school my chances will be better.

The downside is, if you go to a smaller school, thrive/stand out/score honors and secure a LOR, it could come from a nobody.

Either way, it seems like you're overthinking it. Pick a school because it's nice, because you can afford it, and because you think you'll enjoy/be able to thrive there.

Picking a school solely for the purposes of nabbing a derm residency is a surefire recipe for misery. I don't know of too many people who decide on something as a pre-med and stick it through until the very end. (Too many variables, too many things you just haven't seen yet)

Especially if we're talking about something as competitive as derm.