10 Easiest Dermatology Residencies to Get Into

It’s not easy to determine 10 easiest dermatology residencies to get into, but we’ll give it a try. In fact, we’ll do much more than that. Dermatology is generally considered as one of the most competitive residencies overall. Why is this the case – you can find out on our list of 10 most competitive residency programs in US. For starters, there are precious few open dermatology residency spots across the states and around 1.5 graduate applies per one open position overall. You can check this info on the eighth page of this here 2104 NRMP report. Furthermore, even US seniors have to fight for only 0.95 open positions while trying to get a dermatology match which leaves independent and international applicants with their work cut out for them. Finally, it’s no secret that dermatology physicians earn much more than most of their colleagues from other specialties, and this too can be an important motivational factor when choosing one’s career path. Lack of night shifts speaks in dermatology’s favor too, and the list goes on.

In order to understand our methodology, you first have to know that there are no bad dermatology programs. Of course, some people might end up in a residency that doesn’t really suit their habits out of necessity, which tends to affect their satisfaction level in the end, but these are ultimately subjective opinions. You might think that it’s easier to get into a larger residency program, but you should think again. There are some rather obscure programs accepting no more than three candidates while some renowned programs offer as much as 20 total positions (give or take). The thing is, however – applicants with lower scores will likely have better chance to get into smaller, isolated and not so reputable residencies, even if there are only a few spots available. Best candidates tend to apply to the most renowned programs and even 20 open spots would soon get filled. That’s why we didn’t take the size of a respective program into consideration.

As for the methodology itself, we have gathered the data from Doximity. Note that you’ll have to register in order to gain the full access to Doximity’s info, and in order to do that, you have to be a healthcare practitioner (whether resident or fully pledged senior physician). Program’s reputation is the main factor in deciding which of dermatology residencies are easiest to get into, but it’s not the only one. Research output is important as well, and so is a percentage of board certified dermatologists that have emerged from the respective residency program. If a program offers excellent research conditions, which is evident by its respective program level H-index, this usually means that this residency will most likely attract a higher caliber of candidates – in turn making it hard to get into. Same correlation can be found in the percentage of board certified dermatologists which testifies in previous statement’s favor. If most of the residents do become board certified dermatologists, this speaks volumes of respective dermatology residency’s reputation and setup, and vice versa. Luckily, all this data have been gathered from a number of surveys. Continue reading our list of 10 easiest dermatology residencies to get into and find out which of the 119 dermatology residencies across the country offer best odds for getting a match with average or below average grades.

10. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

UAMS can’t really boast with high reputation of its dermatology department, being ranked just ten spots from the bottom at 109th position. However, this 9-spot program established in 1959 produces 93 percent of board certified physicians making it one of the best in the category (of those that have made the list). Finally, as pretty much any residency from the list, dermatology department at UAMS belongs to the bottom half programs in terms of level H-index. Of 104 ranked specialties, dermatology residency from Little Rock, Arkansas ranks 73rd.

9. Wright State University

Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio is planning on accepting 2 candidates for a start date of July 1, 2017, making it a tricky choice. However, WSU dermatology department’s reputation (ranked 106th) would make us bet against that assessment. Furthermore, the residency program ranks 87th by research output and roughly between a 40th and 50th spot in board certified dermatologists percentage which amounts to 95 percent.

8. University of Texas Health Science Center

This residency program probably doesn’t offer the level of professionalism required by an urban area such as San Antonio. Just take a look at their department’s web page and you’ll note that they have last updated their residency information in now-distant 2009 year. They still have between 5 and 10 residency positions and their rankings are mediocre at best in all three of our criterions: 104th of 119 by reputation, 59th of 104 by research output and 83rd of 99 by board certified physicians (90 percent).

7. National Capital Consortium

Based in Bethesda, Maryland, NCC represents one of the fresher residency programs; being established in 1997. NCC at Bethesda ranks very low by reputation and research output (110th and 93rd respectively), but highest of all programs that have made this list of 10 easiest dermatology residencies to get into, in the percentage of board certified physicians. Just like Wright State University, National Capital Consortium yields 95 percent of board-certified dermatologists. Doing residency in and around Washington DC is one of the program’s advantages, and size of 18 positions for future dermatology practitioners is another one if you’re aiming to get your match here.

6. SUNY at Stony Brook

The State University of New York is spread across a vast number of campuses, and Stony Brook University is only one of them. This Long Island campus is currently filled by 7 positions, 2 of them being in a postgraduate (PGY-4) year. Numbers speak the following: Stony Brook University’s dermatology department rates 107th by reputation, 69th by research output and 76th by percentage of board certified dermatologists, which amounts to 90%. Being close to America’s most vibrant city, SBU offers a fine chance for both international and domestic seniors willing to try their luck in the Big Apple.

5. Howard University

Another residency based in nation’s capital – Howard University is currently filled by 8 dermatology residency spots. Of all the programs that have made this list of 10 easiest dermatology residencies to get into, Howard University’s program ranks the best by reputation at 81st spot. It’s also ranked 84th by the H-index, and low 94th by percentage of board certified dermatologists (84 percent). The campus is relatively close to DC’s vibrant center and all three of the residency hospitals, however, which makes this university one of the best choices in terms of commuting – apart from being relatively easy to get into.

4. Texas A&M College of Medicine – Scott & White Healthcare

With almost 10 filled spots, Scott & White program is one of the mid-sized residencies. It ranks 87th by the reputation which is better than most other dermatology residencies from the list, but almost at the bottom by other criteria. 98th spot out of 104 ranked residencies by research output and 95th spot out of 99 ranked programs by percentage of board certified physicians (83 percent) make us believe, with reason that this Temple, Texas-based program isn’t that hard to get into.

3. University of Florida

Department of Dermatology of the University of Florida in Gainesville was established in 1991 and is currently filled by a total of 11 positions. With 90% of board certified physicians, UF ranks 82nd. Moreover, it ranks 94th by the H-index and 114th by reputation. These are not very strong numbers and someone with lower GPA and USMLE STEP 1 and 2 scores might find it easier to get a match here than with other, more reputable programs.

2. University of Puerto Rico

Most of you probably didn’t think about this one. While not (yet) the US state, Puerto Rico is still an unincorporated territory within the United States, and as such needs to be considered. The University of Puerto Rico in San Juan doesn’t offer the level of quality exhibited by most other US programs. It’s rated 98th by the reputation which isn’t that bad considering the fact that it’s also rated 101st by research output and dead last 99th in the last remaining category with only 65 percent of board-certified dermatologists. If you aren’t afraid to make a change, and you’re already close to the Gulf of Mexico, why not take a trip across the Caribbean and try your luck in this tropical wonderland?

1. University of New Mexico

Position number one on our list of 10 easiest dermatology residencies to get into belongs to Albuquerque’s University of New Mexico. It doesn’t manage to rate dead last in any of the given categories, but it does manage to come close to the bottom line in every single one of them. Out of 119 listed programs, dermatology residency of the UNM rates 115th by reputation. It rates 103rd of 104 residencies by research output and 93rd out of 99 spots by percentage of board certified dermatologists (85 percent). It’s no secret that people all over the country tend to choose the University of New Mexico for their dermatology residency training – usually out of necessity.

There are other factors that could have been taken into consideration when ease of access comes to mind. Since best students choose first, those with slimmer portfolios are usually left to fight for scraps. That being said, rural and far-away areas are as god choice as any for them. It’s not easy getting into dermatology residency these days. If you take a look at this page, you’ll see that as of 2015, dermatology is on the rise. Only 76% US seniors matched is still not a trend, but certainly breaks one from years past when more than 90% US seniors were able to get a match in dermatology. If this does become a trend, even residencies listed here might become more competitive in the future.