Become a Dermatologist

A dermatologist is a physician that specializes in treating and diagnosing the skin. From start to finish, including undergraduate coursework, the process can take a minimum of 11 years. This allows you to general doctoral training before moving onto your dermatology specialty area. Therefore, becoming a dermatologist will require hard work, motivation, and a deep interest in all things skin-related!

Steps

Preparing for Med School

1. Focus on your grades during high school. You're going to be completing a pretty rigorous academic program for the next 15 years or so, so it's best to develop the work ethnic now. When you're used to studying and gettin' good at the book learning, you'll get less stressed out when med school rolls around.
   • And those good grades will get you into a better undergrad program which will, in turn, get you into a better medical school. Those good grades are what's going to get you an internship and a residency -- without them, the doors won't open for you.
2. Go to a four-year, reputable university for your undergrad. You may think going pre-med is your only option, but it's actually quite the opposite: some schools actually encourage you not to go pre-med. As long as you get the core requirements in, they suggest doing something you enjoy. Med school is bad enough; don't make it four years longer!
   • It's a good idea to major in biology, chemistry, physics, or even English (it's a large part of the MCAT -- just make sure your electives are science-based). The more balanced out you are, the better you'll do in the future.
   • If you go pre-med and change your mind (which loads of people do), you're up a creek without a paddle. That's why it's better to major in biology and the like.
3. Take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). If you live in the UK, take the UKCAT or BMAT. Taking this exam as early as possible will ensure that you have time to retake it if you don't do as well as you'd like. Different schools have different minimum scores for admission, so check with the schools you're considering to see if your MCAT score is high enough.
   • It's best to take the MCAT in your junior or early senior year. Be sure to study, study, study -- this score will determine what schools take you seriously when you apply.
4. Earn your bachelor's degree. Most medical schools like to see a solid background in life sciences and sturdy grades. Keep them as high as possible and try to get some experience in a research lab if you can. The more practical experience you have going in, the better. And you'll get an idea if this is indeed the path for you!
   • If you already graduated but didn't major in the sciences, there's still hope. Most people who've found their calling later in life just take a few classes post-baccalaureate to pad their transcripts and then apply. It is doable!

Attending Med School

1. Apply to a medical program of your choice. These programs are competitive, so you may end up commuting or moving to another city to complete your doctorate. A Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree (D.O.) or Doctor of Medicine degree (M.D.) is required before you can move on to dermatology residency training. This program will take you about four years to finish.
   • The first two years will be spent in the classroom; the latter two years will be spent doing more hands-on training. You'll be working on clinical rotations, observing the pros and getting your feet wet. Finally!
2. Buckle down on your studies. Med school is not for the faint of heart. If you can't handle not sleeping, a stressful course-load, and zero social life, it may not be the path for you. And rightfully so -- people's lives will be in your hands. Can you handle the heat?
   • You absolutely need to get good grades. Half-assing your way through won't cut it if you want this to be your profession. Unlike undergrad, you can't party away the night and fill in mostly Cs on your multiple choice exams and get by. This is stuff that needs to be taken very seriously.
3. Utilize your summers. For the med school student, June through August are not months to be drinking beer, watching baseball, and gearing up for September. You have to be permanently geared up. Take this time to take extra courses or get work. The more experience you have, the less you'll be phased in the long-run.
   • Heck, study abroad and help out in a grassroots medical program in a third world country. Volunteer. Do something related to what you want to do for the rest of your life. Get on a committee. Organize events. Find a mentor. Do something that sets you apart from the rest.
4. Choose your specialty. After around 3 years or so in med school, you'll be granted the opportunity to choose your electives -- or, in other words, what you want to focus on. It's in your fourth year (or the equivalent thereof) that you get to zero in on becoming a dermatologist.
5. Take the USMLE and/or COMLEX. That stands for the United States Medical Licensing Exam and Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination, respectively (so, obviously, if you're not in the U.S., don't worry about it) and each examination comes in three parts. Take this incredibly seriously as a good score is needed to obtain a residency. In fact, 1/3 of all applicants fail to get accepted into one.
   • Step 1 is generally taken in the second year of your program; step 2 is taken during the fourth year, and the third step is taken during the first or second year of post-graduate training.

Getting Trained

1. Get matched. In 1952, the NRMP (National Residency Matching Program) began. Luckily for you, placement rates are getting higher and higher. Think of it as going Greek. You interview with some hospitals and at the end of the day you both fill out who you want to work with. If you're both on each other's list, you got it! You want to be trained by them and they want to train you. Excellent.
   • You'll have a list of hospitals ranked in order of preference. You can include a combination of preliminary, transitional, categorical and advanced programs. So in the months prior (this is usually started in June or July), do your research and get to interviewing!
2. Obtain a one-year internship. Not all grads have to do a preliminary year, but dermatologists do. This is technically part of your residency, but it's viewed as just an internship (and can be done at a different hospital) and you'll be working in surgery or internal medicine (probably). But hey, you're out of school and on the right path! Super. Now it's time to prove that you've learned your stuff.
   • Some choose to take a transitional year (or TY). However, this is generally viewed as less academic (read: easier) and those that do it struggle when they get to their actual residency. Do a prelim year in pediatrics, general medicine, or whatever you could tolerate doing another year of!
   • Getting an internship and residency is primo. Like mentioned above, plenty of people don't make it. If you don't have the stuff, it won't happen -- and it definitely won't fall into your lap. This needs to be a goal of yours from the get-go.
3. Start your three-year dermatology residency upon completing your internship. You may be able to continue at your current school but chances are you'll end up moving to another city and starting a new teaching program for your residency. In the United States, the school must be accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) and in Canada, it must have accreditation from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
   • The American Board of Dermatology requires that a Preliminary Registration Form be completed by you within 30 days of starting your dermatology residency. In addition, your training director must fill out the Yearly Report Form on an annual basis to attest that you're completing the program properly.
   • This is time well-spent learning from your mentors and finding your niche. You'll still be supervised as you're a newbie doctor, but you're a doctor nonetheless.
4. Pursue a fellowship. Though technically you're done at this juncture (apart from taking the last and final exam to get certified), some people decide to pursue a fellowship to establish a specialty. This is another spent devoted to working just in the one specific branch of dermatology that speaks to you.
   • You have a plethora of options -- everything from working with children to senior citizens, to skin cancer to removing tattoos. Your near decade of work in the area should give you a pretty good idea as to what you want to do!
5. Sit for your board exam. Passing this will give you your certification by the American Board of Dermatology or the American Osteopathic Board of Dermatology. You will then hold the title of board-certified dermatologist. Congratulations!
   • Check out the American Board of Dermatology's website for more information. They have links on test dates and procedures you'll need to know to complete your certification.
6. Obtain your medical license. The regulations on licensure vary by state, so check with your local Department of Health for the requirements. After the application fee and assembling your qualifications, you should be good to go!
   • For now, that is. You'll need to retake (and pass) your boards every decade and take CME (continuing medical education) classes to stay up-to-date. It's all for the good will of your patients! Worth it.

Starting Your Career

1. Obtain employment. Now that you're a licensed dermatologist, there are a number of work environments you could consider. It all depends on your specialty. Where do you see yourself working and with what types of people?
   • You could have your own private practice, or you could work in hospitals, spas, research labs, or clinics. And there's always teaching!
2. Get good at not being grossed out. Apart from being ridiculously driven to succeed, you need to be able to handle the human body in all its glory, too. You're going to see a lot of stuff you probably won't want to see, especially right after lunch.
   • Life is going to be full of rashes, skin aberrations, moles, blood, pus, and other unsightly things. If you don't have the stomach for it, this may not be a feasible career choice. If you don't know this going on, you'll soon find it out!
3. Know your stuff. Because of the human condition, loads of skin problems are just symptoms. It's not enough to know how the skin works -- you gotta know how the whole body works. Patients will come in with a skin rash that's actually due to problems in their digestive system. The problem might be in someone else's jurisdiction and you gotta know.
   • You also have to get a pretty good idea of what questions to ask. Each person's skin is different and their lifestyle, habits, and genes can all take their toll in different ways. Because of the wide variety of skin problems, you have to be able to pinpoint straight away the possible causes and narrow it down from there. Get good at questions now!
4. Enjoy your piles of money. According to the Bureau of Labor & Statistics, dermatologists are not hurting for cash. After a few years and if you're succeeding, you should be well making into the six figures and then some.
   • The need for dermatologists is said to be on the rise. With more and more people becoming skin conscious, it seems as though this is a trend that will only continue.
   • Not only will this job be incredibly financially rewarding, but it will be personally rewarding, too. You'll be helping loads of people be healthier and feel better about themselves. Now that's cool.

Tips

• Derma-surgery is a field similar to dermatology but it focuses on skin surgeries. Candidates for this specialty must have extensive training in surgery before moving on to a dermatologist training program. Doctors practicing traditional dermatology are also trained in surgery but to a lesser extent.

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