Dermatology Residency Application Instructions

Association of Professors of Dermatology Residency Program Directors Section  Information Regarding the 2021-2022 Application Cycle

For the 2021-2022 application season (for residents starting the program in 2023), all interviews will be conducted virtually in accordance with the AAMC recommendations.  Application deadline is November 1, 2021.

We accept applications to the Dermatology Residency Program through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-residency/article/myeras-application-residency-applicants/.

Document Requirements

• Current curriculum vitae
• ERAS application including all recent updates
• Personal statement
• Dean’s letter
• USMLE Step 1 scores
  • Our program is committed to reviewing all aspects of an applicant’s qualifications and life experiences that have contributed to their training thus far.  While one element of our application review is determining that an applicant has achieved the preferred minimum STEP 1 score of 215, we also actively review all applications for those qualities that a STEP 1 score may not capture.​
• Medical School Transcript
• Letters from three references (including program director for the preliminary year or previous residency, if applicable, and at least one letter from Dermatology)

Application Requirements

Applicants to the UNM Dermatology Residency Program must be students at or graduates of approved medical schools in the United States or Canada and must successfully complete a preliminary (PGY-1) year before being eligible to begin dermatology residency training (PGY-2). We also accept applications from osteopathic (DO) physicians, but only after they have enrolled in an ACGME-accredited allopathic internship (PGY-1).The first year (PGY1) must consist of 12 months of clinical training in one of the following types of programs in the United States accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or a similar training program in Canada accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada: a transitional year, or a first year residency in emergency medicine, family medicine, general surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics & gynecology, pediatrics, or preliminary year https://www.abderm.org/residents-and-fellows/primary-certification-examination/requirements-to-take-the-certifying-exam.aspx#AdeqClinTrn.We also accept applications from International Medical Graduates, but only if they have graduated from a medical school recognized by the Medical Board of California (https://www.mbc.ca.gov/Applicants/Schools_Recognized/),  completed PGY-1 training in the US in one of the specialties approved by the American Board of Dermatology, hold a current, valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), and are eligible for a New Mexico Medical License. Eligibility requirements for New Mexico Medical License are found at https://www.fsmb.org/siteassets/ua/states/032/instructions.pdf.  We accept only J-1 Visas.We welcome applications from physicians with previous residency training beyond internship, particularly in internal medicine or pediatrics (even if their additional years of training make them ineligible for Medicare GME funding).

Holistic Application Review

https://www.aamc.org/services/member-capacity-building/holistic-review

Holistic Review considers the “whole” applicant

Holistic Review refers to mission-aligned selection processes that take into consideration applicants’ experiences, attributes, and academic metrics as well as the value an applicant would contribute to learning, practice, and teaching. Holistic Review allows selection committees to consider the “whole” applicant, rather than disproportionately focusing on any one factor. 

Core Principles of Holistic Review

1. Applicant selection criteria are broad, clearly linked to Department mission and goals, and promote numerous aspects of diversity as essential to excellence.
2. Selection criteria include experiences and attributes as well as academic performance. These criteria are:​​​​​
   • Used to assess applicants in light of their unique backgrounds and with the intent of creating a richly diverse interview and selection pool and student body,
   • Applied equitably across the entire candidate pool, and
   • Supported by student performance data that show that certain experiences or characteristics are linked to that individual’s likelihood of success as a learner and/or physician.
3. Schools consider each applicant’s potential contribution to both the Department and the field of medicine, allowing them the flexibility to weigh and balance the range of criteria needed in a class to achieve their institutional mission and goals. 
4. Race and ethnicity may be considered as factors when making admission-related decisions only when aligned with mission-related educational interests and goals associated with learner diversity; and when considered as a broader mix of factors, which may include personal attributes, experiential factors, demographics, or other considerations.*

*Under federal law (and permitted by state law)