How to be "The One" ?

[doclobster]

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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.

 

[neutropenic]

Also need to publish papers and ace away electives.

4 matched into derm from West Virginia (unranked, I believe).

http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/som/students/admissions/match2006.asp

Dermatology

4

Geisinger Health System
Danville
PA



West Virginia University SOM
Morgantown
WV



Baylor College of Medicine
Houston
TX



Roger Williams Medical Center
Providence
RI

 

[outofhere]

I knew this person from med school, who matched into a prelim year but didn't match into derm. She had some contacts somewhere, and agreed to do a two year research stint with them, then they would take her on into their derm program. I don't know if it actually panned out, but all is not lost in the match...

 

[Medical123]

I would also suggest doing away electives at the programs that you are interested in. That way, they get to know you and will get an idea of your work habits. I would also recommend applying to a large number of derm programs to increase your chances of matching. Good luck!

 

[bigfrank]

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 could contact the other people ahead of you from your school that have successfully matched in Derm. Find out WHERE they matched, their stats, what they did that worked, etc. to get a better idea of what you'll have to do.

Your school's Office of the Dean should have a record of their address, phone number, +/- email.

Good luck!

 

[71263]

RFUMS is also unranked and does not have a great reputation. Nevertheless, 4 pepole matched into derm, so it IS possible:

http://66.99.255.20/osa/Resources/2006MR.pdf

One thing I have heard from friends is that if you plan on applying to such a competitive residency, it might be worth it to consider taking a year off after graduation to do research and strengthen your application. Good luck!

 

[mojojojo]

We had a derm match this year at my Caribbean school! So don't let the school issue keep you from applying. Good luck to you!

 

[DrThom]

Silly you...

Only people who go to Harvard and Hopkins match into Derm....

 

[Red Beard]

Take the red pill.

 

[doclobster]

how do away electives work- can i go anywhere, even out of state, to do them? also, isn't it true that the crucial factors for getting a derm residency (or any residency for that matter) are merely usmle scores, grades, recs, and research? from what i've heard, school reputation does not really factor in...to a significant extent.

 

[pristine21]

Do what your heart tells you... dont listen to ranks and orders, if you do well, you will make it. Work hard show an interest just like anything else... you are lucky that your school has a derm program, that will work well for you, dont forget to kiss the ass of all the derm attendings at your school either

 

[Medical123]

how do away electives work- can i go anywhere, even out of state, to do them? also, isn't it true that the crucial factors for getting a derm residency (or any residency for that matter) are merely usmle scores, grades, recs, and research? from what i've heard, school reputation does not really factor in...to a significant extent.

Your Dean's office can probably help you with this---as each school has their own polices regarding this. In general, you contact the programs where you are interested in doing away rotations, fill out an application, and await their approval. Whether or not you get an away rotation at a particular place depends on whether or not a spot is available for you.

 

[Dunce]

Your Dean's office can probably help you with this---as each school has their own polices regarding this. In general, you contact the programs where you are interested in doing away rotations, fill out an application, and await their approval. Whether or not you get an away rotation at a particular place depends on whether or not a spot is available for you.

It also depends on other factors. For example, I know of a derm program that states on the website regarding away rotation applications that the minimum Step 1 cutoff requirement is 230 just to have your application looked at. I'm not really into derm all that much, so I don't now how often you will find that this is the case at other programs across the country.

Insurance is one additional concern that could pose a problem, but it is less likely. You have to have malpractice coverage (which your school provides), but sometimes that might not work or meet the minimum required by an out-of-state program. I have heard of people doing aways who had to shell out some serious dough to be covered by insurance for that rotation.

 

[njbmd]

Hi there,
There is a duplicate thread under Graduate Medical Forums in the Dermatology section. Feel free to post your replies there as I am closing this one.

njbmd 🙂