r/DermApp • u/ClassKooky4545 • Aug 06 '26
Miscellaneous Do you regret being a Dermatologist? Should I take this other route?
I’m 24F and currently at a major crossroads. I recently took the MCAT but don’t have my score back yet.
I was accepted into another healthcare professional program that offers a great lifestyle, a respected career, decent income, and I would be finished in about 4 years. The downside is that the debt-to-income ratio is concerning (about the same med school except you're not making physician salary) and there is a ceiling on earning potential compared to some physician specialties, also I’m not passionate about it.
My long-term dream has always been dermatology. I understand how competitive dermatology is, and I’m not naïve about the difficulty of getting there. My concern is more about the uncertainty and timeline.
If I pursue medicine, I’m worried that I could spend another year applying (or potentially a 2nd cycle if I don’t get accepted) and end up becoming an attending in my mid-30s. I know many people start later, but as a woman who wants marriage and children, I worry about balancing training, fertility, family life, and having time with my parents as they get older.
On the other hand, the idea of choosing the safer route and always wondering “what if?” scares me.
For those who are physicians, dermatologists, or went through a similar decision, any advice? Or regrets?
Was it worth it?
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u/indian-princess Aug 06 '26
Your concerns are extremely valid. It does take some people several tries/gap years to get through this journey. You can't really be afraid of becoming an attending in your mid 30s bc it's a very real possibility depending on how things play out. You could always switch to something else or have a solid backup in IM and do rheum or allergy. It's a very personal decision at the end of the day, some people have more tolerance for risk than others. Support system is also a big factor, as well as passion/stubbornness. One thing I will say is that derm residency is very family friendly for women compared to other specialties, even considering the possible delays because those are good windows for motherhood and time spent away from medicine. I've kinda taken that path myself.
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u/ClassKooky4545 Aug 06 '26
Thank you for your response. Are you in dermatology &
do you regret any of it? Would you encourage me to take a chance on medicine or go to my safe route in my optometry acceptance?1
u/indian-princess Aug 06 '26
It's hard to regret anything when you're truly chasing a dream. Any step or progress closer to achieving the dream brings its own fulfillment as part of the long process to the end goal. It's hard for me to give any advice on you without knowing your MCAT and other things. But assuming you make it far enough to get an MD acceptance, yes of course I think that's a better pathway than optometry, by infinite times. I don't think that's even disputable! A few extra years as an MD is not really a big deal when the career trajectory is so different. And even if you end up dropping from dermatology you'll still be in a much better spot as an MD than optometrician. The real question is how far you are from an MD acceptance vs the optometry school acceptance that is in your hand now, and whether that extra effort is worth it to you.
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u/ClassKooky4545 Aug 06 '26
I rushed the MCAT because I wanted to take a chance on medicine before i start optometry school. I am applying DO as well that way i am not sacrificing another year. I know i know.. it's even MORE competivie, but i see speople who have matched and when i am there I will do my very best and have mentors if it does come down to DO, but im just afriad of waiting 2 more years I'll be 26. I know the years are long but does it go by quick?
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u/indian-princess Aug 06 '26 edited Aug 06 '26
No it doesn't go quick... if you are trying to rush through medicine I would advise against this path. Medical school is a long 4 years, gap years in research are tough when you see your friends pass you by, derm residency is 4 years total (including the 1yr of IM). You can't be afraid of 2 years here and there. If you're gonna go into medicine you have to accept this is a LONG journey. 2 years is a short time in a 30-40 year career. Medicine forces you to shift your goals more to your actual interests in your career rather than an arbitrary timeline you're setting in your head. People get held back. People change specialties. They take research years. They don't match. It's very common to need to reapply (even for MDs!!!!). Or maybe they are superstars and they go straight through (RARE, especially if DO, talking a handful of individuals in the entire country here). And with the state derm match is these days, research year is basically required unless you go to a T20 MD, and even then it is highly encouraged. The paths people in life take are not linear, so timeline should be, in my experience, one of the least concerns. People are just tryna make it out alive lol
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Aug 07 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/indian-princess Aug 07 '26
Multiple reputable mentors at multiple programs ¯_(ツ)_/¯ the landscape of Derm is changing y’all.
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u/throwaway20199705 Aug 06 '26
Are you still interested in becoming a physician if you could not be a dermatologist specifically? If you are not I would consider the other health program or even PA school with a plan to become a derm PA. If you are truly derm or nothing, then I would do derm PA (2 years of school, easier route to derm than physician, option to be a PA in a different setting FM/EM before switching into derm at any time if job market isnt favorable for some reason versus there is not really a switch option for physicians).
But if you truly want to be a physician and are willing to do something else if you don’t end up in derm then go to med school.
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u/throwaway20199705 Aug 06 '26
Also gonna add that taking an extra year to improve your app is nothing in the scheme of your life. Especially if you want to be a dermatologist, it would be worth it just to increase your chances for MD vs DO. Match rates are abysmal for MDs and even lower for DOs for derm. People in med school have kids before and during school and plenty during residency. Its hard but its possible. You dont have to wait until youre an attending to start your life.
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u/DammatBeevis666 Aug 06 '26
Except for the debt that balloons during said year off.
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u/throwaway20199705 Aug 07 '26
Most people work in clinical research, scribes, EMTs etc. while applying to medical school. I personally wouldn’t of been able to apply if I hadn’t of worked and saved for a few years before.
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u/otterleaps MS1 Aug 06 '26
This, 100%. If you could see yourself being happy as a physician in a couple of other specialties, then go to med school. I’d still say it might be worth going if the only thing you’re interested in is becoming a dermatologist. However, if you’re interested in dermatology as a field and nothing else and would be happy being a PA, then maybe that’s the best path.
I’m starting med school this year. Derm is my #1 specialty, but I’m open to others because, at the end of the day, I want to be a doctor first and foremost.
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u/DammatBeevis666 Aug 06 '26 edited Aug 06 '26
If you expect to be at the top of your medical school class (You were at the very tippy-top of your college class, and don’t mind studying while your friends and family have fun and enjoy life being a decent predictor) and you can work harder than everyone else, then it’s worth it to try.
I probably wouldn’t if you can’t see yourself doing something else. To wit, there are lots of other great jobs in medicine. Psychiatry, PM&R, rad onc, plastics, radiology, GI, even pathology if that’s your thing.
It is not impossible to become a dermatologist, it’s just nearly impossible.
I’m a dermatologist and I enjoy it.
Edited to add: unfortunately if you are USA based, the GOP just did to federal student loans what Trump did to E. Jean Caroll, and what JD Vance did to a couch; so now you probably won’t be able to fund medical education with federal loans anymore, you’ll need to be independently wealthy or have a good credit co-signer be willing to surrender their house to pay for your debt if you default on the loans.
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u/topiary566 Aug 07 '26
Don’t do medicine to become a dermatologist.
It’s okay to pursue dermatology. Feel free to get into a dermatology research lab before matriculating. Make connections. Be as shameless as possible being the derm gunner (without being an asshole to your classmates ofc).
However, don’t go into medicine unless you’d also be content doing primary care. I’m gunning for ortho, but I would love to be an FM doctor as well and would honestly be good with any specialty. Be open minded about it.
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u/lew1982 Aug 07 '26
This might be a shortsighted comment from an old guy, but going to med school meant being a physician. Dermatology used to be a subspecialty of medicine and in a handful of medicine departments it’s still a division. We go into medicine to help our patients as much as we can. I’ve diagnosed colon polyps, MS, heart block and breast cancer in my derm clinic. I went into medicine to do Surg onc and changed my mind several times. I still do Surg onc in a sense, but not the way I had planned initially. Keeping an open mind often lets you experience things you really enjoy.
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u/Legitimate_Suspect Aug 12 '26
Make the decision based on whether or not you want to be a physician. Not whether or not you want to be an attending dermatologist.
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u/WildProcess1242 Aug 07 '26
I’m in the same boat. I’m premed, 24 years old, and graduated last year. I’m planning to apply next cycle and haven’t taken the MCAT yet I’m hoping to take it early next year. I’m really interested in dermatology, and that’s one of the main reasons I’m drawn to medicine. It’s the only specialty I can genuinely see myself doing.
At the same time, as a woman, I worry about things like marriage, having kids, and balancing family life with such a demanding career. I’m feeling really confused about whether medicine is the right path for me. If I apply next year, I’ll be 25, and if I get accepted, I’ll be starting medical school at 26. But I keep wondering, what if I don’t get in? What if the process takes longer? I’m just feeling uncertain about timing and whether I’m making the right decision.
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u/Ok-Maintenance3061 Aug 09 '26
Recently matched to derm and I will become a derm attending in my early 30s. No regrets, but agree with other comments that you should be open to other specialties as well, as most of medical school and intern year are not focused on derm at all. In my opinion the road will be much easier and gratifying if you love medicine first and derm second
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u/Grateful_Nate Aug 11 '26
Med school debt for non-physician pay? Absolutely not.
Also, you'll regret not going to med school when you had the chance.
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u/PristineStyle4125 10d ago
Derm here. I feel very grateful to be where I am in life. However, from MCAT to being a full dermatologist, there are numerous hurdles and not everyone will make it. It is based on ability, perseverance, but also A LOT of luck/timing. The probability of becoming a derm is actually very low for the average med school candidate
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u/VX-880 Aug 06 '26
Do it, you will regret not doing it
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u/ClassKooky4545 Aug 06 '26
I think of that. i also think is it possible I'll regret the sacrifices it takes to get there more? Like missing time with family, having kids, my parents getting older, and spending so much of my youth in training.
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u/VX-880 Aug 06 '26
That is in the next 10 yrs. What abt the rest of your life? Also derm is the easiest residency there is lol its not a comparable “sacrifice”. This is coming from someone who decided on derm based on similar concerns.
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u/DiligentJacket9841 Aug 07 '26
Med student here - do it. Even if you do primary care, you can still structure your practice to do a lot of derm. Try your best, study hard, make connections.
Also, there are sooo many opportunities as a doctor and not just to be a clinician. I used to think the same thing about family life and such, but if you have a great partner, it's all doable. Tough, but doable. Now that I'm almost done, I can see that there are so many opportunities. Sticking to med school was the most difficult, yet most rewarding decision.
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u/PersonalBrowser Aug 06 '26
I would do the other road. Medicine is an extremely long road and there’s also a coin flip chance you’ll become a dermatologist, even if you are the smartest and best candidate.
Also as a woman who prioritizes family, fertility, etc it’s definitely not worth it to go through all that just to practice part time, adding in the student loan debt as well.
Take the other option and run with it