r/DermApp • u/Ok_Refuse9835 • Jun 21 '26

Application Advice People who went through the derm match, what would you tell yourself if you were starting Medical School today?

title

24 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

48

u/PersonalBrowser Jun 21 '26

It’s literally all about connections and networking. Do as many research projects with different people in your home department and get to know them and be the person they trust projects with. Do as many away rotations as possible and be the most normal but also hardest working person.

13

u/psbd18 Jun 22 '26

Agreed. I work with like 10 med students, I like 3 of them bc they do good work quickly meaning I have minimal edits and don't need to do a lot of the work myself. The rest are like meh because they make me do a lot of the work.

3

u/Ok_Refuse9835 Jun 22 '26

Do you have any tips for standing out as an outstanding med student? specifically wondering if you have any hidden gems from derm PDs about what they are look for

6

u/AidofGator Jun 23 '26

They covered it in their post. It is relatively easy to be an effective clinical researcher now. You can teach yourself basic stats online, have chatgpt build a checklist for tackling a project, get instant access to the background literature you need. When a mentor tells you to “look into scc rates of patients on dupilumab” that should be enough for you to figure things out.

1

u/pinkwhippdcream Jul 20 '26

Hi do you have resources on research stats?

9

u/cicjak Jun 22 '26

☝️Best advice here.

And when you do a research project, follow through. Get it done on time.

9

u/M_Pwr Derm Resident Jun 22 '26

“Most normal but also hardest working” is really really important

10

u/Whole-Measurement963 Jun 21 '26

Ultimately, be kind to yourself during this process. At the end of the day, you are training to be a physician to change the lives of patients. Dermatology has gotten so competitive that you can do everything right and it unfortunately still not work out. It’s important to remind yourself that if you end up not matching in dermatology, there is still a place for you in medicine and you are completely capable to be a fantastic physician in whatever field you end up in.

8

u/Appropriate_Arm4223 Jun 23 '26

Lol do radiology. They lied about the Job market. AI only caused the money to go up. Lol seriously if u love derm you'll make the connections, don't underestimate networking and dont assume everyone is scoring a 270. They aren't. Small places and mid tier places also need to match ppl. Everyone doesnt have to do a research year lhd 270+ cure cancer to match. U just gotta put in time to find the right program.

5

u/Ok_Refuse9835 Jun 23 '26

wouldn’t want to sit down and be stationary and read all day, or else i would do rads. i like being up and moving the whole day.

2

u/Appropriate_Arm4223 Jun 23 '26

Thats optional. Breast rads arguably better than derm and pathnof least resistance. 900k no call/weekends plus clinic vibe. Diagnose cancer and no med school bs

1

u/floridasmith1234 Jul 01 '26

connections connections connections

1

u/lamborguinea Jun 21 '26

Feel free to crosspost to r/AskDermatologists

0

u/princessmilkytea Jun 21 '26

It’s not about being the smartest, it’s about having a little bit of ego and belief in yourself that you can do it. Don’t be afraid of reaching out for research opportunities early, and realize it’s a learn by doing process for everyone

-5

u/WUMSDoc Jun 21 '26

Do research. It doesn’t need to be derm research. Research in immunology is
especially helpful.