Ms. Kimberly Cooper,
UTMB dermatology residency program coordinator, volunteered to meet with DIG
members for a Q&A session last week and provided very helpful information
in regards to applying and interviewing for a dermatology residency position.
She stressed the importance of UTMB’s November 1st
ERAS deadline because the dermatology residency committee starts reviewing
applications the following day. She displayed a computer application that
residency programs use to filter out specific application components such as Step
1 scores, AOA status, number of publications, etc. Currently, due to an
overwhelming number of applicants, the UTMB cut off score for USMLE Step 1 is 225;
however, she mentioned that many scores in their application pool are in the
250-260 range. UTMB medical students and
students from other institutions who take dermatology rotations at UTMB are
currently exempted from a specific cutoff score.
Step1 scores and grades are not the only important factors
in reviewing dermatology residency applications. Letters of recommendation and
research experience are also taken into consideration. Most applicants have an
average of 2-3 publications. Although research experience is not required for
UTMB dermatology residency, it is highly encouraged because third year
residents are required to complete a scholarly project before they complete
their residency.
Personal statements do not make or break an application, but
provide a way for the applicant to be unique and interesting. Ms. Cooper pointed
out that the personal statement could also be used to mention any ties, such as
family, to certain geographic regions.
UTMB students have the opportunity to work with faculty
members and current residents by taking one of the several dermatology electives
and/or an acting internship. This gives students a chance to portray their work
ethic, professionalism, and enthusiasm for dermatology. Students are encouraged to be on time, helpful,
enthusiastic and interested.
When reviewing applications, an important factor for faculty
and, most importantly, the residents is if the student will “fit” in the
program based on their “whole package”. This year UTMB received 350
applications. Of those, 10 MS4 students
from UTMB, 2 current residents from UTMB’s internal medicine program, and 32 applicants
from outside institutions were invited for an interview. There are currently four PGY-2 slots to be
filled each year through the NRMP.
At UTMB, each interviewer will have 16 individual interviews
with each faculty and resident. Each interview lasts approximately 11-15
minutes. After all of the interview sessions, the faculty and residents meet to
create a ranking list for the NRMP.
Thank you Ms. Cooper for your very informative talk and to
all of the students that attended!