Derm allo and osteo

[giznut12]

I am a third year medical student going into dermatology. I have a few questions about the application process. I was planning on applying to both allopathic and osteopathic programs. I understand that unlike most specialities the osteopathic derm programs are not linked and require you to apply during your internship year. And the allopathic match for derm will take place during my fourth year. My question is...Is it even possible for me to apply to both since the osteopathic match (for internship) is earlier than the allopathic match? Will I be automatically withdrawn from the allopathic match if I match at an osteopathic intership? I am confused. If you can provide me with any advice on this issue, it will be greatly appreciated.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[novacek88]

You apply for osteo derm as an intern. You can't "match" into osteopathic derm so you wouldn't hurt yourself by applying for allo derm during your 4th year. If you don't match, you can always apply to osteopathic derm programs during your intern year.

I would strongly encourage you to research applying to osteo derm. It's an entirely different process than its allopathic counterparts. Many of the osteopathic derm programs are in hospitals that can't fill their family medicine residency. So the derm programs often make applicants complete 3 years of FP first in that program before jumping into derm. This is a catch that most students are unaware of. Many DO derm residencies have these "under the table" deals where they will "promise" you a derm position if you agree to complete 3 years of FP at their program. If you notice many DO derm programs accept students who were family practice residents at their hospitals. I know the AZCOM program in Kingman, AZ is exactly that way; most of their fellows were in a combined 6 year program that included a FP residency first.

Rarely, is it picture perfect scenario where you apply directly out of your intern year and you go straight into derm during your second year. It seems like most DO derm residents already completed another residency such as FP or IM. Some derm program directors prefer or even mandate prior experience (READ: completed a residency in another field) before you apply. Also, many DO derm programs are not funded or underfunded so you may work for free. Many are privately funded so you will get compensated but not as much as a normal resident.

In short, DO derm has a lot of uncertainty associated with it. This is why many of the best osteopathic students avoid applying to them despite an interest in derm.

 

[tripleJ]

At Kingman prior residency training is not required.
To the O.P. search the following sites to answer your ?s



www.doctorsbookmark.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi

b34.ezboard.com/bdermatology

 

[peppersgrl]

At Kingman prior residency training is not required.
To the O.P. search the following sites to answer your ?s



www.doctorsbookmark.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi

b34.ezboard.com/bdermatology

Giznut & NovaceK88,

The Kingman DO derm program does not require that you finish family medicine at their program before starting the derm program. In fact, none of our residents have finished the Kingman family med program and only one of us has finished an FP program. Our program director is very fair and looks at all applicants regardless of prior residency experience, research experience, or no experience. :

 

[novacek88]

Giznut & NovaceK88,

The Kingman DO derm program does not require that you finish family medicine at their program before starting the derm program. In fact, none of our residents have finished the Kingman family med program and only one of us has finished an FP program. Our program director is very fair and looks at all applicants regardless of prior residency experience, research experience, or no experience. :

My apologies, I misread your website. I quickly glanced at this

http://www.azdesertderm.com/about.html

"In addition to the dermatology residency, Kingman Regional sponsors a 5 position internship with two out of five combining with Family Practice Residency Program, a 6 position Family Practice Residency Program which includes rotations in the local and surrounding communities and an Emergency Medicine Residency program.

Anyway, a lot of programs don't officially mandate prior experience. A lot of this is just under the table as with some of the Florida programs. It's nice to know Kingman is not this way but there are programs that promise derm if one first agrees to complete an FP residency at that hospital. They do this because they know FP at that particular hospital is difficult to fill if they don't attach some incentive to it like derm.

 

[novacek88]

At Kingman prior residency training is not required.
To the O.P. search the following sites to answer your ?s



www.doctorsbookmark.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi

b34.ezboard.com/bdermatology

Good luck trying to get anything answered on that website. There is essentially no activity on that website.

Didn't you finish 2 years of IM before matriculating into your program?

 

[tripleJ]

yes, I did.
While there is not much activity on the DO derm site, there are existing threads which answer all the same old ?s such as:
How do I apply to DO derm programs? when is their match? will I get in? what grades/letters/boards/research do I need to get in? Are some programs unfunded? I'm a DO and I want to go to Penn for derm, should I take the USMLE? My cousin said that DOs get in to allopathic derm programs all the time, is this true.... on and on
Rather than regurgitate the same old answers I would rather have someone read the entire board there (which will take 20 minutes max).