No Home Dermatology Program

[ucladoc]

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Hey Guys,

I am applying to medical school this year and have gotten into one program thus far. However, this medical school is heavily into pri-care and has no home dermatology program. I understand that I am very early in my career, but I have always considered Dermatology as a possible route.

I understand that there is always the possibility of reaching out to professors at different programs to do research during summer of 1st yr, but I really don't know if that would give me the opportunity to build solid relationships. Would going to a med school without a derm program prevent me from matching into top programs (UCSF, Stanford, etc)?

 

[broadbasedbud]

Take a look at the Derm match cycles 1999 - current sticky on the homepage.

History repeats itself.

Coming from a mid -low tier medical school, it would be very difficult but not impossible.

 

[FixItUp Chappie]

Hey Guys,

I am applying to medical school this year and have gotten into one program thus far. However, this medical school is heavily into pri-care and has no home dermatology program. I understand that I am very early in my career, but I have always considered Dermatology as a possible route.

I understand that there is always the possibility of reaching out to professors at different programs to do research during summer of 1st yr, but I really don't know if that would give me the opportunity to build solid relationships. Would going to a med school without a derm program prevent me from matching into top programs (UCSF, Stanford, etc)?

Why worry about going to a top program for derm this early on? It's enough to get into any derm program and from there it's completely what you make of it. There have been famous/successful dermatologists from even lesser-known programs. Some of the best dermatologists in the country right now are in programs off the beaten path.

Just like med school, your education is what you make of it. Also, not to be harsh, but if you are having a difficult time getting into your choice of allopathic medical school, matching into the most competitive specialty at the most prestigious program in the country will take a significant increase in effort.

 

[dermathalon]

As mentioned earlier, there are many excellent dermatology programs and it will come down to the faculty and how much they pour into teaching you. Research weighs heavily into rankings and FixItUp Chappie nailed it on the head with "you education is what you make of it." I could not agree more. Don't be lured by just a name and think beyond that and where you want to go. I can give you a multitude of examples as to why the "classical top programs" are better and also why the others may actually be better. A lot of it is dependent on who you are and how curious you are and how hard you work.

If you go to a program with a home dermatology program, you will be a significant advantage because you can make the ties to dermatology that much more easily. That being said, you can still make ties into dermatology even if you don't have a home program and I've seen it been done before. Summer internships and fellowships are a great place to create these connections and you have to apply early in the 1st year to set these up.

Let me add that I was a previous medical school reject...and I matched comfortably into dermatology with more than enough interviews...yes we can grow up and become less and less scared of ourselves.