If you’re in medical school and you’ve decided to specialize in dermatology, you certainly have a lot of great schools available to you. Finding the best dermatology schools isn’t that difficult, but it’s still a good idea to research all of them to determine what they each have to offer. Each future doctor has their own goals and hopes for the future, but looking into the best colleges and then comparing each one is the first step to choosing the best college for dermatology for you.
How to Find the Best Dermatology School
Dermatology is the study of the skin, and when you’re a dermatologist, you’ll be dealing with everything from acne to skin cancer and much more. If you aren’t sure what to look for in a dermatology school, below are some things to look at:
- Location. Many prospective doctors consider location to be important because they have preferences regarding where they’ll be living while they’re in school.
- Cost. Yes, getting a medical degree is expensive, but it can cost less at some schools than it does at others, so always compare the costs of different schools if you can, as well as research to determine if there are grants or scholarships available that could make the degree more affordable (or even free).
- USMLE pass rates. It’s also good to look at the United States Medical Licensing Examination pass rates because this can tell you how well the school does overall.
- Graduation rate. In other words, how many students actually graduate from the school? The average rate is 82–84%.
- The admissions criteria. This is important because each school is different, and you’ll want to make sure you meet the criteria before you apply.
For this step, there are other things you might consider just as important, but the good news is that finding the best schools in dermatology is simple these days because most of your research can be done online, and the aforementioned answers and statistics are widely publicly available for accredited universities and legitimate programs.
Now let’s take a look at some of the best schools if you’re interested in studying the field of dermatology:
- Harvard University
Medical students graduating from Harvard medical school will certainly receive a top-notch education. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard is renowned for its dermatology program due to its excellent faculty and research opportunities. In fact, the students are encouraged to participate in as much research as possible because it considers clinical research (and research projects) one of the most critical offerings in preparing the next generation of dermatologists. You can also gain experience in areas such as leprosy, teledermatology, and laser medicine, among others.
- The University of Pennsylvania
Located in Philadelphia, UPenn is an Ivy League school that offers a three-year dermatology program with numerous options available to you. It is home to a dermatology program that ranks fourth in the nation when it comes to dermatological research output, and it provides students with access to different areas of dermatology, including cosmetics, psoriasis, bullous disease, and all other sorts of skin diseases. It also offers top-notch research opportunities in all types of dermatological problems.
- Yale University
Yale University is a very elite school located in New Haven, Connecticut. It provides you with not only a great education but also opportunities for mentorship and clinical experience. As you can guess, Yale’s dermatology program is not exactly cheap, but you can pay for it through scholarships, grants, and student loans. The experience you receive is well worth it in the end. You also get access to specialties such as wound care, contact dermatitis, and transplant dermatology.
- Thomas Jefferson University
The Thomas Jefferson University Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology is the perfect choice for students who wish to work on new treatments and therapies for various dermatological conditions. Located in Philadelphia, the university offers numerous opportunities for research and clinical work, providing students with a well-rounded medical education. And if clinical research is your special area of interest, this is the right university to consider.
- UC Irvine
UC Irvine is another great university when you wish to get both clinical and research experience. At UCI, you’ll gain clinical expertise in areas that include melanoma, birthmarks, gynecologic dermatology, hair disorders, and so much more. Plus, it is located not far from Laguna Beach, San Diego, and Los Angeles, so you’ll be able to enjoy great weather, easy access to amazing parts of coastal Southern California, as well as an excellent education. Once your rotations are complete, you’ll have gained experience in the most important areas of dermatology.
- The University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh specializes in both research and excellent medical education and is one of the top medical schools in the country. It is also devoted to inclusion and diversity in its programs, but it is also a very competitive program. In fact, they only allow six people into their three-year residency program each year, which is something to keep in mind when applying to medical schools. They also let you specialize in areas such as dermatopathology and cosmetic dermatology.
- University of California – San Francisco
The University of California at San Francisco is not only a great medical school, but it also allows you to participate in a four-year program so that you can earn both a Ph.D. and an M.D. at the same time. Their Mt. Zion clinic is utilized during the residency program, and you can gain experience in areas such as phototherapy, autoimmune diseases, pediatric dermatology, and so much more. Even though it’s a research-heavy university, you’ll get great clinical experience as well.
- New York University
New York University houses the world-renowned Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology that enables people to gain experience in research and excellent patient care. The program is designed to keep you well-informed to prepare you for a lifetime of learning, and if you belong to an underrepresented group, this New York City-based school is definitely worth considering. After all, who wouldn’t love to go to medical school in such a great city?
- Stanford University
Located in Stanford, California, this university has been around since 1891 and offers more than 200 undergraduate degrees in addition to medical school. Their dermatology department is ranked 13th internationally, so regardless of the specialization you’re after, you’ll fulfill your goals as long as you work hard until the end. To get into this medical school, you’ll also need to submit letters of recommendation, a personal statement, and proof of non-academic achievements, among other things.
- The University of Michigan
Based in Ann Arbor, the University of Michigan has been around for more than 200 years and ranks third in the country in dermatological research output. On average, each of their students publishes around seven articles per year. Best of all, UM allows you to gain knowledge in all areas of dermatology, so you’ll have a very well-rounded education when you’re done. You also practice at both University Hospital and the Kellogg Eye Center.
- Johns Hopkins Medical School
Johns Hopkins is a private medical school founded in 1876. It is located in Baltimore and offers training programs, opportunities for special studies, and multiple subspecialty fellowships. As you can imagine, you’ll be a top-notch dermatology graduate once your courses are complete, and research is what they do best. This is partly due to the fact that their faculty focuses on research and patient care, and they do a great job of publishing their findings regularly.
- The University of Miami
If you wish to study dermatology in a nice sunny location, you should consider the University of Miami a great option. You’ll be studying at the Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, and when you’re finished, you’ll have expertise in general dermatology and numerous other types as well. In fact, some of the best skincare specialists in the country have studied here. They even have a level-1 trauma center with 1,550 beds for the perfect practice facility.
- Mayo Clinic
Located in Rochester, Minnesota, the Alix School of Medicine is a very well-known and reputable medical school and one of the best in the world. Their dermatology residency programs are top-notch and offer a curriculum that allows you to get experience in diagnosing and treating a variety of conditions, both standard and unusual. At this school, you get experienced mentors, excellent classroom instruction, and hands-on practical work.
- UCLA
The University of California – Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine is home to some of the best dermatology experts in the world. In fact, if you’re researching top-notch dermatologists, many of them were once students at this university. Some of them have become experts in areas such as cutaneous oncology and even hair loss and scalp disorders. From eczema to skin cancer and everything in between, you’ll be able to learn everything you need to become a great dermatologist one day.
- Northwestern University
Based in Chicago, the Feinberg School of Medicine offers classes and hands-on experience in every form of dermatology you can think of, including dermatology in the field of pediatrics. You can gain experience in both laser and cosmetic procedures, and you’ll get hands-on experience by practicing at one of the many area specialty clinics. It’s a great city to practice in because it truly offers something for everyone, especially when it comes to studying medicine.
What to Expect When You’re Planning to Go to Medical School
If you’re going to become a dermatologist, you should first learn what you’ll need to do to make sure you fulfill all of the requirements first. Here is a basic recap of the process:
- Get an undergraduate degree in some type of science, e.g., biology, chemistry, etc.
- Apply to a four-year medical school and complete the curriculum.
- After three to six years of a residency program, you have to pass the dermatology board exam.
- Get a dermatology residency at a hospital.
- Gain experience as a dermatologist.
Being a dermatologist means you will have a lucrative career. In fact, dermatologists are ranked sixth when it comes to medical professionals’ salaries, ahead of specialists such as anesthesiologists and oncologists. If you go to the right college, you’ll be able to participate in various clinical trials and research opportunities. If you attend a school that has its own hospital, you get even more research opportunities because university hospitals give future doctors tons of opportunities to diagnose and treat a variety of ailments.
The downside of being a dermatologist is that it is a very competitive career, which can make it difficult to get into the right medical school. Another disadvantage is its repetition, as you’re likely going to spend your days seeing the same conditions over and over again. The good news is that if you research graduate programs that allow you to get a higher degree while also getting your M.D., you’ll have more opportunities to teach, research, and write about dermatology.
The right medical center offers educational opportunities as well as chances to practice, and since you’ll be in school and residency for many years, you might as well choose a school that is located near a good hospital. Expert clinical care is always the result of having the right doctors around, and so this should be one of your considerations when you’re researching dermatology schools. If you have a faculty member who’s a mentor, you can ask them for recommendations if you’re not sure where to start.
Conclusion
Being interested in a job as a dermatologist is a strategic choice in terms of medical specialty and career because in addition to being a lucrative profession, it’s one in which you’ll be able to diagnose and treat a broad array of health conditions, as well as lend to cosmetic surgery and other elective procedures that make the career vast in terms of opportunity and career longevity. Furthermore, as dermatology touches life-threatening conditions (like melanoma) you’ll get the satisfaction of knowing you are able to help hundreds of patients every year with some serious skin problems and even save lives. While it’s ambitious to pursue any medical degree, finding the best college for dermatology for you (based on your preferences, medical specialty interests, and ultimate career goals) is likely to make both your experience and outcome even better, thus setting you up for a higher education and career journey that’s both enjoyable and rewarding.
