How to be "The One" ?

[doclobster]

i'm a current med student with a strong interest in dermatology. the catch: i go to an unranked, no-name, low-tier school. my school's previous matchlists show 0-2 people matching into derm, usually just 1 or none. this could equivalently refelect a low number of people from my school applying for derm, but that is not clear.

the bottom line: assuming i do well on step 1, get good grades and recs, and take up derm electives, will i match or will my school hold me back? i just can't imagine being that 1 person from my class who matches into derm...it just seems so unlikely. (also, my school does not have a great derm program, so i'd prefer to match to another institution, possibly out-of-state)

thanks for any input, it really means a lot.

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[dermabe]

I was in a similar situation when I applied to derm residency, as I went to a no-name state school. I felt like the private schools definitely liked students from "name-brand" schools. I still received many interviews, but mostly from the region I was from and other state schools. I think derm programs know they can get the cream of the crop, and they figure a student from Harvard is way better than a student from a state school, even if the latter has better scores, etc. I also have a friend that applied in a different competitive speciality, and an interviewer at Stanford actually told her that they don't interview students from state schools. It kind of sucks, but I wouldn't want to be at a pretentious place like that anyway.
Good luck!

 

[doclobster]

I was in a similar situation when I applied to derm residency, as I went to a no-name state school. I felt like the private schools definitely liked students from "name-brand" schools. I still received many interviews, but mostly from the region I was from and other state schools. I think derm programs know they can get the cream of the crop, and they figure a student from Harvard is way better than a student from a state school, even if the latter has better scores, etc. I also have a friend that applied in a different competitive speciality, and an interviewer at Stanford actually told her that they don't interview students from state schools. It kind of sucks, but I wouldn't want to be at a pretentious place like that anyway.
Good luck!

wow. so did you end up matching? also, if you don't mind me asking, what did your record look like?

 

[Dr Trek 1]

I would strongly suggest reading the chapter on derm residencies in Anita Taylor's "How to Choose a Medical Specialty."

What matters most in derm residencies, from my understanding, is:

1) USMLE scores
2) Med school grades (including first 2 years)
3) Clerkship Recommendations
4) Research

Keep in mind that people who match in derm are the cream of the cream of the crop. As long as you go to a US med school, your school shouldn't hold you back.

 

[dermabe]

wow. so did you end up matching? also, if you don't mind me asking, what did your record look like?

Yes, thankfully I matched! I think the key is to do an away rotation or 2 at places where you can get LORs from well-known dermatologists in the field. I had a fantastic letter from a very well-respected dermatologist and I think it helped my application a lot. I had USMLE step 1 250, AOA. But most people applying to derm have similar stats so you need things to set your application apart.

 

[doclobster]

Yes, thankfully I matched! I think the key is to do an away rotation or 2 at places where you can get LORs from well-known dermatologists in the field. I had a fantastic letter from a very well-respected dermatologist and I think it helped my application a lot. I had USMLE step 1 250, AOA. But most people applying to derm have similar stats so you need things to set your application apart.

Fantastic, congrats! How do away rotations work exactly- can i do them anywhere, even out of state? Also, how much, if any, research did you do, and when do you think is the best time to pursue it? Thanks so much for your advice, I really appreciate it! What do you like most about derm?

 

[adamant]

I mached this year in Derm and I went to such a no-name school that most people have never heard of it.
I think that doing rotations at places where you think you might have a chance is a great idea. ome places (i.e Emory, Wake Forest) have up to 30 rotators a year so it is hard to stand out from the crowd. Look for a smaller program that will give you time to get to know the faculty!

 

[Long Dong]

I mached this year in Derm and I went to such a no-name school that most people have never heard of it.
I think that doing rotations at places where you think you might have a chance is a great idea. ome places (i.e Emory, Wake Forest) have up to 30 rotators a year so it is hard to stand out from the crowd. Look for a smaller program that will give you time to get to know the faculty!

Congrats, I've been following your story on this board and on the dermboard.
But I think you should mention that you also rocked step 1 and 2 (260+ on both), so that the op doesn't get any unrealistic expectations.

 

[PathOne]

Speaking very generally, you can match in Dermatology if you're from a LCME-accredited medical school, and have a competitive resume.

However, it is my general experience that graduates from top-tier schools do have an easier time getting matched. Still, it is not clear if this is because of the school name on their diploma, of if they simply generally excel at whatever they do (which is probably how they ended up in that top-tier school in the first place).

But regardless of this, I don't think that ANY Derm program would automatically reject applicants from no-name schools, provided they're US/Canadian schools. It's another kettle of fish if you're a IMG/FMG....

 

[adamant]

yeah Long Dong I did have 260+ on both Steps. My only point is that being from a no-name school isn't a deal breaker. Agreed that it is much harder. Iw as told by several PD's that if I had come from a well known school I would have gotten 20+ interviews instead of 9.
Another vibe I got on the interview trail last year was that a lot of programs were looking to recruit male residents as some programs have gotten very female dominant. At the Miami interview there were about 30 guys to 20 girls.
Are you going for Derm Long Dong??

 

[doclobster]

yeah Long Dong I did have 260+ on both Steps. My only point is that being from a no-name school isn't a deal breaker. Agreed that it is much harder. Iw as told by several PD's that if I had come from a well known school I would have gotten 20+ interviews instead of 9.
Another vibe I got on the interview trail last year was that a lot of programs were looking to recruit male residents as some programs have gotten very female dominant. At the Miami interview there were about 30 guys to 20 girls.
Are you going for Derm Long Dong??

Great scores adamant, congrats on matching! The male/female thing is interesting, I had been wondering if there were gender issues in the field. If you don't mind divulging, where did you interview and where did you match? Any advice on research, ECs, and the importance of course grades? Thanks and best of luck!

 

[porokeratosis]

i'm a current med student with a strong interest in dermatology. the catch: i go to an unranked, no-name, low-tier school. my school's previous matchlists show 0-2 people matching into derm, usually just 1 or none. this could equivalently refelect a low number of people from my school applying for derm, but that is not clear.

the bottom line: assuming i do well on step 1, get good grades and recs, and take up derm electives, will i match or will my school hold me back? i just can't imagine being that 1 person from my class who matches into derm...it just seems so unlikely. (also, my school does not have a great derm program, so i'd prefer to match to another institution, possibly out-of-state)

thanks for any input, it really means a lot.

You are correct...generally speaking, it's better to attend a high-tier medical school with a strong academic reputation. But you can still match if you come from a middle or low tier LCME accreditted med school. I am a perfect example of this. I attended a middle tier med school and matched in Derm.

Please note that the competition to get into a Derm residency is fierce (match rate less than 40%) and your home program usually is your best place to match. In your situation, it sounds like you do not want to match at the Derm residency program affiliated with your med school. I would still recommend ranking your home program if you seriously want to become a dermatologist. If Derm is seriously what you really want, it does not really matter where you do your residency. Residency is only a short 3-4 years (depending on the program), then you can move anywhere in the USA you want. The key is to just get accepted into an accreditted Derm residency program. Just getting into any Derm program should be your priority, especially because you come from a low-tier med school.

To increase your chances at matching at an outside Derm residency program, I recommend doing outside Derm rotations during your late 3rd year or early 4th year. You can do clinical rotations or research rotations (I recommend 2 clinical rotations and 1 research rotation). I recommend doing 1 Derm rotation at your home program and 1-2 Derm rotations at outside programs. Try to do your Derm rotations BEFORE October of your 4th year, that way you can get attending(s) to write you excellent letter of recommendations (LOR). This give the attending time to write your excellent LOR. LOR's should be submitted before the Nov 1st deadline (when your Dean's letter is released). I think you should have at least have 2 Dermatologists write you an excellent LOR in support of your application.

Good luck

 

[desi5286]

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[cdql]

This has to be the most confusing post I've ever read on SDN.

Let me break down your questions one by one

1) Brown medical school may be poorly ranked because it has nothing to do with the Ivy League school. It's a completely different ball game. (Not trying to pick a fight with race but I do know Asians (assumption from your username) tend to look at school rank as a very important item. It is increasingly harder to tell what is good and what is bad as you move up into medical schools and residency programs)

2) If you are still an undergrad student, there is little to nothing that you can do to improve your shot at attaining a derm residency or a radiology residency. I would just enjoy the time you have off between medical school and undergrad. (I am very confused by your 2nd paragraph. It says that you have been accepted early but it seems as if you are still deciding between schools. Which one is it?)

3) Lastly, college records are not looked at during the residency application process. You are still way too early on to even begin worrying about that.

Advice:
Honor all your courses.
Do some research in between your 1st and 2nd year. (Doesn't have to be derm. Just make sure it is something that actually interests you.)
Honor all your courses 2nd year.
Get an incredibly high score on your USMLE Step 1.
Welcome to 3rd year. Now you can have a more accurate glimpse at which fields of medicine interest you and which don't.

I would definitely NOT share with the derm chairman that you are interested in his field because you are a people-person, you enjoy clinical medicine, and you enjoy the derm lifestyle. That is a horrific way to introduce yourself to what may be the most important person in deciding if you get into derm or not.