Derm Research Fellowships

[dermabound]

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I want to do derm, but did not get to know the derm department at my medical school very well. I did not match into dermatology during the previous application cycle, but am now at an academic internal medicine prelim program. I would like to do a research fellowship after prelim year, so I am now looking around for one. Several ones ask for rec letters, which I can get from internal medicine attendings I am working with. But I cannot get any from a derm faculty member since I didn't know any of them. Would this decrease my chance of obtaining a research fellowship at a good place (i.e. one that consistently matches fellows?) I was third quartile in med school, with Step 1 in low 220s and Step 2 in 260s. I plan to take Step 3 in September. When should I apply to these fellowships anyways? As soon as possible? Are they difficult to obtain? Thanks for answering my questions.

 

[Dral]

Your step I is low. You know this already. Having good letters and research is the typical applicant...except the typical applicant has a great step score also. You don't seem to have any of those. Congrats on step2 though. Great job.

Did you get to know the derm faculty at your intern year institution? It's critical that you get some research experience, which fellowship would provide. You also need to get to know people in the field. I don't understand why you haven't done this up to this point. You need people to go to bat for you. Derms don't really care too much what IM ppl think of you unfortunately.

You still have a lot of year left. Start being proactive about meeting the derm faculty where you are.