It starts with residency selection, according to JAMA Dermatology Viewpoint authors from UCSF (Rethinking How We Select Dermatology Applicants—Turning the Tide, 2017;153:259-260). They make 6 specific suggestions about how to go about achieving greater diversity in dermatology, including removing AOA membership, Step 1 scores, and publication numbers as primary selection criteria. With the 2017 NRMP results release scheduled for next week, dermatologists will be looking at UCSF’s match list to see how successful they were in achieving their diversity goal. However, given the vagaries of the NRMP, a better solution might be to free programs seeking diversity from the NRMP for designated diversity residency positions that could be offered outside of the match to insure specialty diversity aims are met. In addition, the ABD could issue annual diversity awards for dermatology residency programs meeting diversity goals.
The University of Texas Medical Branch Dermatology Interest Group (UTMB DIG) is a resource for medical students interested in Dermatology as well as for dermatologists and residents.
Editors
Current Editors: Jane Onyemachi and Madelyn Schmidt
(Please email editors if there is blog-worthy news that you would like to see shared)
Past Editors: Fareen Momin, Andrea Francis, Renat Ahatov, Michael Phan, Elise Weisert, Michael Ryan, Keith Wagner, Tim Allen, Kristyna Gleghorn, Dung Mac, Alex Acosta, William Tausend, Sheila Jalalat, Rebecca Philips, Chelsea Altinger, Lindsey Hunter, Alison Wiesenthal, Leslie Scroggins, Mara Dacso, Ashley Group, Fadi Constantine, Emily Fridlington, Joslyn Witherspoon, Tasneem Poonawalla.