We had a great turnout during yesterday's meeting! The DIG would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Dr. Wagner and Dr. Jimenez for their informative session with our medical students about matching into a Dermatology residency. Below is a recap of the topics that were discussed, followed by general news and upcoming DIG events:
Shadowing within the Department:
- A great way for first year students to rotate in the department is during the summer preceptorship program, however there are other opportunities such as through the Physician Healer Track (PHT) summer program, and on a case-by-case basis if there is space during the months of December-February or when there are low volumes of student rotators.
- Students will also get a chance to rotate for a ½ day during their POM 2 course and for a month through the dermatology clinical elective during their 3rd and 4th years.
- STVC Dermatology night is a great way for students to gain more exposure and hands-on experience.
Research:
- Students that are interested in getting involved in research are encouraged to help write up case reports if there is an interesting patient they encountered while in clinic or at STVC. Additionally, students are encouraged to come up with their own research questions and direct their plans to the current Research Chief, Dr. Pinto-Cuberos, according to the UTMB Guidelines for Dermatology Research.
- The Honors Research Program at UTMB offers medical students advanced research training, leading to the conferment of Honors in Research at graduation. Administered by a faculty-led Steering Committee, the program requires students to submit an approved research proposal and commit significant time and effort, with some projects requiring up to a year of full-time work. Students are required to have successfully passed Step 1 prior to consideration for admission to the program. More information about the UTMB honors program can be found here: https://www.utmb.edu/meded/BSHSselectives/bdisplay.asp?rec=219
- When it comes to research, it is best to not make attempts to inflate your research numbers on your CV or ERAS, as this can be very obvious to residency programs.
- There is data available surrounding the average number of research experiences for matched applicants, however it is best that you engage in meaningful research that suits your interests and can be well explained if asked to do so during an interview.
Grades, Honors, & Board Exams:
- It is really important that students aim to honor and high pass at least a majority of their clerkships. This is especially important now that Step 1 is P/F. UTMB Dermatology is using clerkship grades to aid in selecting away rotators.
- Obtaining GHHS & AOA can reflect positively on students, but not having this distinction will not hurt an applicant’s chance of matching
- Failing either Step 1 or Step 2 can significantly decrease a student’s chances of matching. Failure or having to repeat pre-clerkship courses can also be considered detrimental for a student’s chance of successfully matching, although not necessarily impossible.
- Every program is going to vary in regards to how much weight is placed on Step 2 performance, but in general, applications are viewed holistically and while Step 2 is important, it is not the only application metric that is reviewed.
Home Dermatology Clinical Elective & Aways:
- The Chief Resident of Medical Student Education helps to serve as a liaison between the department of dermatology and current medical students. While in this role, Dr. Jimenez oversees the scheduling of student rotators, provides mentorship, and resources and support for medical students interested in dermatology at UTMB.
- The official Association of Professors of Dermatology (APD) recommendation for outside rotations is 2. Although the UTMB dermatology AI was officially removed in 2024, all UTMB students who are applying dermatology are strongly encouraged to complete a clinical elective in dermatology during their 4th year.
- Away rotations are a great chance to shine and show programs that you would make a great resident. Maintain professionalism, be as helpful as you can, and showing enthusiasm are ways to positively stand out. Contrarily, complaining or being indifferent can be viewed as a “red flag”.
- Make sure that whomever you ask for a LOR has had a chance to get to know you. Do not expect for faculty to be able to write a strong LOR after only working with you for a day or so.
General Advice:
- When on the interview trail, it is important to be yourself. It is a chance to show programs why you would make a great fit at that particular program and vice versa.
- There is not one single or sure-fire method that will guarantee that a student will match. Having great scores, or numerous research publications won’t guarantee your success either. If you do not successfully match the first time, complete your prelim year or research year and try again.
- Dermatology is a very sought after field, and as a result, it is very competitive. Striving for excellence with a well-rounded application is your best chance for a successful match!
General News and Upcoming Opportunities for Involvement with DIG:
- Application deadline for ALL posters/podiums for the TDS Fall 2024 conference is August 30, 2024 (TONIGHT). Deadline for RESIDENT abstracts for poster/podium is September 6, 2024
- AAD Application Deadline: September 11th
- Sign up to receive DIG blog email notifications or share DIG blog worthy news by emailing the current editors: Jane Onyemachi (jaonyema@utmb.edu) and Madelyn Schmidt (mlschmid@utmb.edu)
- Hats for the Homeless Volunteer Sign Up:
- https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeEz9sl_TC1FAj3QPDTT8DUly6J2sZPdZqpx6XnQnDBlkeToQ/viewform reach out to Victoria Katei (vnkatei@utmb.edu) with any questions.
- Volunteers needed for the Texas City Community Health Fair on Saturday, October 12, 2024 from 10am - 2pm. Please reach out to jaonyema@utmb.edu if interested.
- Sign up for the DIG mentor-mentee program: https://forms.gle/w8CAxqJP3aEaVVWj7 reach out to Melissa Marchan-Martinez (memarcha@utmb.edu) with any questions.
- AAD's Good Skin Knowledge Grant for public health and community initiative will be used to deliver a four-module lesson plan on skin, acne, sun safety, and more for children at Austin Elementary School this fall. Reach out to Jane Onyemachi (jaonyema@utmb.edu or Bethel Desta (bddesta@utmb.edu) for more info on how to get involved.
