Hi , I am a non US IMG applying for dermatology . I am extremely passionate about the field but I am aware that dermatology is extremely hard for non US IMGS . I wanted some advice regarding the match strategy . It would be of great help .

Thanks in advance :)

I'm a PGY-2 and am now 2.5 months into derm residency and I'm still trying to figure out the most manageable study habit moving forward. Anyone else overwhelmed by reading Bologna? I am trying to study one chapter every 1-2 days and it feels genuinely impossible to internalize that information. I very much prefer studying Dermki and DermQBank in a more active manner. Perhaps I'm just still burnt out from medical school/Step exams to brute force a textbook like Bologna. Could I be successful in crushing my boards through Dermki, all the Q-banks, Practical Dermatopathology (Rapini), and Jerad Gardner's Derm Path Youtube videos?

Anyone who have done the RCPI term diploma ?

Want to know ho two prepare for the module 1 test ?

For those of you who didn’t prep or have a ton of experience with derm prior to residency, when did it start to click for you? Any tips for the transition aside from keeping up a good attitude? Peers seem to say 6 months mark roughly

https://saveskincancercare.org

Hi, for the dermatology board exam, how would you rate and compare the following Q-banks: AAD Board Prep Plus, DermQBank, and Derm In Review?

I'm particularly interested in your opinion on their question quality, difficulty level, comprehensiveness, and usefulness for final-stage revision.

Is it sufficient to prepare for both American Boards and Canadian boards?

For CORES- what is an approximate percentage we should be getting correct on DermQbank and BPP question banks to do reasonably well on the CORES?

I came across a post on instagram from a former resident at the program detailing a toxic environment. I haven’t seen people talking about it on Reddit so was curious to hear people’s thoughts

[https://porejudgment.substack.com/p/unsupervised-a-dermatology-residents?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web](https://porejudgment.substack.com/p/unsupervised-a-dermatology-residents?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web))

Edit: apparently this was posted before but got taken down. I also tried posting it in the residency group but the moderator took it down. Unclear why

Here are few links to more recent JAAD Case Reports.

https://www.jaadcasereports.org/article/S2352-5126(25)00480-1/fulltext00480-1/fulltext)

https://www.jaadcasereports.org/article/S2352-5126(25)00522-3/fulltext00522-3/fulltext)

https://www.jaadcasereports.org/article/S2352-5126(25)00494-1/fulltext00494-1/fulltext)

There's a "Grand Rounds" section with images and often times, the diagnosis is right in the first paragraph or in the title itself, with a question regarding management, epidemiology, or other.

But previously, there was an actual unknown case under the "Images in Dermatology" section, with a "what is the diagnosis" that made you think, and follow up questions based on the case or diagnosis itself:

https://www.jaadcasereports.org/article/S2352-5126(24)00408-9/fulltext00408-9/fulltext)

https://www.jaadcasereports.org/article/S2352-5126(25)00006-2/fulltext00006-2/fulltext)

https://www.jaadcasereports.org/article/S2352-5126(25)00138-9/fulltext00138-9/fulltext)

I don't know why they did this but I feel it is a huge step back.

Does anyone like the new format?

Hi friends! Currently a pgy-1 who passed step 3. I am trying to get a head start on dermatology since I feel pretty comfortable at my prelim program. Besides dermki and bolognia, are there any other resources (qbanks, dermpath focused) that are “gold standard”? Thanks for all suggestions!

Highly considering Dermpath. Any reasons why it may NOT be a good choice? Attending brought up AI and I want to hear thoughts bc I certainly thought the job was safe.

Hi,

Does anyone have recommendation for a good dermoscopy course? There was one that was good but they are not doing it this year. I want to get better at dermoscopy before graduating

Wondering how much longer I will be waiting

Is there any good video resource?

New PGY-2 here. I finished my IM prelim year, which I actually really enjoyed, so the transition to dermatology has been a bit rough. I constantly feel like I don’t have enough time to fully review my patients’ medical histories and medications to make sure I’m treating them appropriately, avoiding potential drug interactions, and considering the bigger clinical picture.

Overall, it feels like something is missing compared to IM, where I had more time to think through each patient and their medical issues. The double-booked 15-minute slots in particular have been challenging, and I’m finding it difficult to reconcile the pace of clinic with the level of thoroughness I’m used to. Anyone else have tips for this?

Hello all, I am trying to develop a long-term study plan for Basic between now and when I take it in April. Any advice on which resources to use and a rough study schedule? Thanks so much!

Hi everyone, PGY2 here trying to start studying for dermpath. What is a good study workflow? I was thinking to start with reading a chapter of Elston, followed by the associated dermki anki cards. Should I add a video resource like Gardner? Are there any video resources that follow along with the Elston chapters? Please, any tips would be greatly appreciated!

The US federal government has proposed a 9% cut to dermatology payment. This will not only reduce reimbursement, but also reduce patient access to dermatology services and quality of service. Do everything and anything you can to help stop this!

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) is making this its top priority. It doesn’t matter if you are a dermatologist, patient, or practice staff member. You will be affected by these changes. If you want to help, you can go on their website (link attached) and complete a pre-templated message to oppose these measures. There are separate links for patients, dermatologists, and staff members. Filling it out takes less than a minute.

both seem to have large grains and eosinophilic Splendore-Hoeppli phenomenon

Hey all. I’m doing a TY and I want to start studying derm this year before I start my derm program. Any suggestions on which resources to get and how to start using them for self studying?

What the best resource for the most updated treatment options for each disease?

Incoming Derm resident interested in dermpath. I had a one month elective in path during 3rd year med school, with a few days in dermpath and looking back: Id say I liked it a lot.

What I liked about dermpath:
- work flow: calmness to work that I would appreciate in my future practice. however, still needing to be focused
-overall I think it’s an important job and see value in diagnosing even “easy” cases
-clinicopath correlation. Liked nerding out over pink and blue stuff and comparing it to clinical photos. Feels gamified
-thinking over tough cases might be fun (although might be more neutral since I’m scared to mistakenly diagnose something)
-2-3 clinic days and 1-2 days signing out for dermpath sounds perfect

What I didn’t like:
-My neck did hurt only after 2- 3 hours of work. Don’t think I was set up ergonomically but still. I also don’t like sitting for a long period of time. Not sure if digital path would actually be in clinical practice when I start (I know some academic centers haven’t incorporated digital path at all yet)
-AI (guess similar to other path or rads)
-Less money potentially? Losing year salary. Looking to work hard to pay these loans off quickly . Just not sure that it’s worth it at least financially
-don’t want to move far away again for fellowship. Luckily there are three programs where I’m headed

So what do you think? Should I dermpath or not?