Medical Student Expectations for Away Dermatology Rotations

What should medical student rotators expect from their away dermatology rotations? Visiting students on an away dermatology elective should gain exposure to another dermatology department or division with different faculty and residents, and have the opportunity for professional interactions that may create additional career networking opportunities. Sadly, the national trend seems to be moving away from automatic interview offers for away dermatology rotators due to the increased competition from outstanding applicants and limited departmental/division resources for interview slots. However, since previous educational research in dermatology indicates that dermatology residency programs are most likely to match with either their own students or visiting students doing away electives with them, away rotations can help applicants obtain residency positions. This observation suggests that some programs may place greater emphasis on longer term interactions with dermatology applicants than excellent paper credentials and a one or two day interview. The bottom line is that away dermatology rotations may open some interview doors for applicants, but it is no longer automatic!