Dermatopathology Fellowship

[PathDr]

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I have a quick question about dermpath fellowships. I am getting ready to start my fourth year of medical school in a few months and I am seriously considering dermpath. Obviously I want to do an audition elective at a place where I want to go for residency, and I want to go to a place with a strong dermpath program. Can anyone recommend some strong dermpath programs for me? Thank so much.

 

[KeratinPearls]

I have a quick question about dermpath fellowships. I am getting ready to start my fourth year of medical school in a few months and I am seriously considering dermpath. Obviously I want to do an audition elective at a place where I want to go for residency, and I want to go to a place with a strong dermpath program. Can anyone recommend some strong dermpath programs for me? Thank so much.

UCSF with Leboit (melanoma) is the place to be. There are many other good places as well, but Leboit is THE man in dermpath.

 

[gavilan]

UVA- Patterson
Wake Forest- Sangueza
UT Houston- Rapini

 

[yaah]

Seems to me that most dermpath fellowships are actually quite good. The list would grow into the dozens of places that would be good to train at.

 

[caffeinegirl]

Any of the Harvard programs are great for dermpath as well. At MGH, we have Dr. Mihm, the GOD of dermpath IMHO.

I second Yaah's point that pretty much any dermpath fellowship is good..and at the end of the day it just matters that you're boarded (although it of course helps if you're coming from a good program). But remember that residency isn't just about getting to fellowship, and you would do yourself a favor by going to a residency program where you'll actually be happy and well trained in AP.

 

[Weirdo]

I have another question regarding dermpath fellowships. I know if I'm interested in it I should go do my residency at program with a great reputation and where they have a dermpath fellowship. I'm pretty sure I could get into such a program, but I won't be going to one due to other personal circumstances. I'll get great training but not at a big name program. If I can't get a dermpath fellowship straight out of residency, am I just screwed forever? Do people ever go off to do a good surgical pathology fellowship first as a stepping stone to a dermpath fellowship?

 

[caffeinegirl]

If I can't get a dermpath fellowship straight out of residency, am I just screwed forever? Do people ever go off to do a good surgical pathology fellowship first as a stepping stone to a dermpath fellowship?

You're not screwed if you don't get a dermpath spot right out of residency. I did a surg path fellowship prior to dermpath...not only is it a great stepping stone, but it can increase your marketability in getting a job, since you can sign out generals if necessary....not that I'm recommending this to everyone (pleeease let this not become a "why two fellowships?" thread!). Plus, some programs "require" a surg path fellowship prior to dermpath (Stanford was one of them).

 

[Gene_]

I have a quick question about dermpath fellowships. I am getting ready to start my fourth year of medical school in a few months and I am seriously considering dermpath. Obviously I want to do an audition elective at a place where I want to go for residency, and I want to go to a place with a strong dermpath program. Can anyone recommend some strong dermpath programs for me? Thank so much.

If you're already strongly interested in dermpath, you should probably be seeking a dermatology residency.

 

[Weirdo]

Is that b/c it's easier to get into dermpath from a dermatology residency? I thought about dermatology briefly but shadowed one and didn't like it. I liked the Mohs stuff, though. I shadowed a dermatopathologist, too, and liked it more. I also loved my pathology rotations, so I'm going to do path. At this point I'm not sure what subspecialty I'll end up doing. But knowing how competitive dermpath is and since I'm somewhat interested in it, I was just curious if there might be other ways to get into it for people who don't go to a big name residency program (though I understand that's the best insurance).

 

[Gene_]

It certainly seems to me like those who want to do dermpath plan on seeing only dermpath when in practice. It seems to me like a much more effective use of time to study derm/dermpath only from the start. Also, I have heard the derm residents have the upper hand in getting dermpath fellowships.

The dermatology residents at our institution are really good at dermpath because they spend 100% of their time learning dermatology. They know the clinical and histologic differential and can put all that together into a logical diagnosis (which is often descriptive with a list of possibles).

If you like path more, and think you like dermpath, then by all means go somewhere with a dermpath fellowship. You'll see a lot of cases in your residency, and possibly have an inside track to the fellowship.