Success in the Dermatology Resident Match in 2003: Perceptions and Importance of Home Institutions and Away Rotations

Otolaryngology externships and the match: Productive or futile?

“…A survey of urology program directors revealed that 86.8% felt completing an externship at their program warranted “special consideration.” In dermatology, a 2006 study demonstrated that 53% of applicants who had successfully matched into a dermatology residency position did so at a program where they had prior experience . Of this 53%, 26% were at the applicants' home institution, 18% at a program where an externship was completed, and 6% at a program where a research fellowship was completed . These studies suggest that personal knowledge of an applicant can be beneficial and can increase the likelihood of matching.…”

A national cross-sectional analysis of dermatology away rotations using the Visiting Student Application Service database

“…This is particularly useful for dermatology applicants, for whom away rotations have become an integral part of the residency application. Indeed, a recent study reported that a majority of applicants matched at either their home institution or at a program at which they completed an away rotation [3]. For candidates coming from home institutions without an established dermatology residency program, the away rotation also offers an invaluable opportunity for career exploration and further learning opportunities.…”

“…Given the highly competitive nature of the dermatology residency match [1], medical student applicants often elect to perform away or "audition" rotations for further training at institutions where they hope to match [2][3][4]. The American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) established the Visiting Student Application Service (VSAS), a web-based portal allowing students from accredited medical and osteopathic schools to browse and apply to electives offered by 199 registered host institutions [5].…”

An underrecognized barrier to the dermatology residency match: Lack of a home program

“…Second, students without a home dermatology program lack an internal dermatology rotation to hone their clinical skills before visiting audition clerkships. There is no available data on match rates of students without home programs compared with those with home programs, but a 2003 survey study found that nearly one-third of dermatology applicants reported matching at their home program ( Clarke et al, 2006 ), highlighting the lack of home-court advantage in this cohort. These students rely heavily on away rotations as a key opportunity to connect with faculty and showcase strengths that may be difficult to convey through applications alone.…”