Why Is dermatology Such A Popular Residency Choice Among Medical Students Everywhere?

Dermatology is arguably the most difficult specialty for medical students to 'match' into for residency. It is popular for a number of reasons including reimbursement, lifestyle (hours and type of work), and job security. Full disclosure: I am happily matched into radiology. Dermatologists will be more knowledgeable about why they entered the field.

1) Interest - The dermatologists I know love the field and they love learning about the pathophysiology of each skin disease. It is their passion.

2) Reimbursement - The median salary is listed around 250k for the US. However, I think this is low for the typical dermatologist who incorporates cosmetics into their practice with lasers, peels, and other treatments. In addition, there are Mohs surgery fellowships available for dermatologists to do skin cancer removal in their practice. This is very lucrative. All of the earning potential as a dermatologists is bolstered by #2 and #3.

2) Lifestyle - This is a generalization, this is not all inclusive for all dermatologists in practice. However, the majority of dermatologists work in a clinic setting, with normal hours (9-5). Emergencies are rare and get referred quickly to tertiary centers for proper care. Many people desire the flexibility in their schedule and many argue that dermatology allows for a "more normal" family life than some other specialities. Finally, some dermatologists can diagnose in seconds, they know the problem when they see it. The majority of diagnoses are quick and made just by looking at the lesions. However, even if the dermatologist hasn't seen it before a biopsy is easy to do in clinic and many of the problems get either steroids, antibiotics, or antifungals.

3) Job Security - The number of spots for dermatology residency are kept very low; therefore, you have only a limited number of dermatologists out in the workplace. I know many clinics have a 6 month wait list. It is even more difficult trying to get into a dermatology clinic in a more rural environment. This is terrific for the dermatologist because there is always demand. They can dictate business because dermatology is a monopoly.

In addition, it is one of the most competitive residencies and some of the true 'gunners' that med school seems to attract just want to go for the hardest residency to get. I guess all of these factors play a role as to why dermatology is such a popular and desired residency.

​

Source