There are probably as many different rank list protocols are there are dermatology programs submitting them to the NRMP. However, the type of process used by each institution is of interest to many dermatology applicants. The three main types seem to be:
Highly Centralized: The Chair and the Program Director (often times the same person) interviews all invited applicants and ranks them on certain criteria. High board scores, AOA membership, prestige of the medical school attended, advanced research degrees, previous fellowship training, research publications and the impression created at the interview are variables that can count the most. A variant of this is that the Chair/Program Director ask other faculty to interview and submit their preferences to the Chair/Program Director for final determination. Obviously, if the Chair/Program Director really likes an applicant based on these criteria, that candidate will probably obtain one of the available spots should she/he want it.
Shared Faculty Decision: In this model, applicants are ranked by the faculty after interviews. It is a more democratic system, since more than one or two faculty create the rank list. Sometimes residents are asked their opinions about applicants, but they do not vote. This is probably the most widely employed system currently. This process may be more unpredictable, since many faculty may be looking for different candidate strengths.
Decentralized: This seems to be the rarest selection process for dermatology departments. In this model, all of the dermatology residents and faculty jointly select applicants for interviews, and then all participate in the interview process. Following interviews, the residents and faculty meet to create the rank order list. Every doctor in the department has input about the applicants. One advantage of this model is that no one person controls the rank list. This process also will diminish the impact of outside parties who are determined to obtain an interview or high rank positions for their candidate. This selection process may favor internal and visiting rotation students who perform well on during their elective, because it permits the most interactions between the applicant and those making the rank list.