2026-2027 Derm

no

no

done. if there are programs that don't have a row feel free to add them

Resarch years are about connections, or in rarer circumstances about producing very high quality translational work that will make you more attractive to top programs. If you can form the connections without a RY then more power to you. If you are pursuing something like peds derm or even med-derm, a RY may not be as necessary since there is less competitition for these spots and more focus on the clinical interest (that being said, if you feign interest in these it is very easily spotted)

it can be either

Do a lot of programs require a chair letter?

would love more discussion for this but from what i have seen from prior years, very few programs if any actually require a chair letter

avoid if possible

no idea

im not cause my app is so derm focused i feel like they would see right through me but also i cant imagine doing anythign other than derm id cry

I thought about this (but rather derm + IM). It just adds so much stress doing this. Instead, at the end of my rank list, I just ranked prelim IM years that had a track record to taking you on as categorical.

how did you find these IM years?

My optimism says something in the 60+%, but realistically probably like 57 idk

this past year it was 58% for MDs and 49% overall, so will probably be lower than that in 2027

scary

It would probably be helpful if you shadowed for a day or two so they at least have an idea of how you work clincially - I was told to rotate with all of my research mentors if I could

Thanks

Is it a good idea for an MD student to get a letter of recommendation from a DO dermatologist?> honestly I don't think it matters if ur letter is from DO vs MD

Does not matter

doesnt matter, after residency nobody cares about DO vs MD theyre all just dermatologists/doctors

Just describe your journey to derm, your interests, motivations and goals. Don't just re list your CV and don't try overly hard to make it a flowery/creative writing piece that says nothing unless you can do this and still make it informative

I would personally say no unless you have an educational component/niche. Not a bad thing to have on your app but would focus on different hobbies

plz don't mention

absolutely don't mention it. A lot of people in academics are against med influencers and it may make them pass over you thinking you want derm to be an influencer (not saying this is accurate to your intentions, but this is how a lot of folks in academics perceive it)

No

Current snooping resident here, absolutely don't mention it lol

influencers are cringe, dont share it

are you referring to UMiami? or a different program in Miami?

umiami, I meant Dr. Kirsner

I think if you have no other true aways lined up at that time, it could still be useful for exposure to the department. But considering Miami only gives like 4 true aways per year that are attached to an interview, an observership probably won't carry as much weight unless your app is exceptionally strong

i'm going to take it for facetime and try and make the most of it

Nice you got this!