Program Overview

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Overview of the University of Miami Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery

The University of Miami Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery is one of the largest dermatology training programs in the country, founded in 1956. The department has 25 residents, including one MD/PhD spot per year, and one resident per year that matches into the Disparities in Medicine and Community Health Track. There are 38 full-time faculty members, consisting of 21 clinical and 17 basic science faculty. The department also features 12 full-time and part-time faculty physicians and a large voluntary faculty of over 140 members who contribute to resident education through lectures, teaching, and clinical supervision.

Facilities and Rotations

The training program provides comprehensive dermatologic care across several sites, including:

• University of Miami Hospital (UMH)
  • Hair Disorders
  • Nails Disorder and Surgery
  • Eczematous Disorders and Patch Testing
  • Complex Medical Dermatology
  • Inpatient Dermatology and Consults
  • Pruritus
  • Ulcer/Wound Clinic
  • Pediatric Dermatology
  • Phototherapy
  • Dermatopathology
  • Teledermatology
  • Cosmetic Procedures, including Injectables and Lasers
  • Mohs Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology
  • Psychodermatology
  • Acneiform Disorders
  • Clinical Trials Unit
• VA Medical Center (VAMC)
  • Medical Dermatology
  • Surgical Dermatology
  • Inpatient Consultation Service
  • Phototherapy
  • Teledermatology Clinics
• Jackson Memorial Hospital (JMH)
  • Surgical Dermatology
  • Medical Dermatology
  • Inpatient Consultation Service
  • Immunobullous Clinic
  • Ulcer/Wound Clinic
  • Psoriasis/Biologics Clinic
  • Pediatric Dermatology Clinic
  • Hansen's Disease Clinic
  • Phototherapy
• Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center (SCCC)
  • Mohs Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology
  • Pigmented Lesion Clinic
  • Inpatient Consultation Service
• Mount Sinai Medical Center
  • Inpatient consultation service and an outpatient clinical setting with cutaneous surgery (including Mohs and nail surgery), medical and cosmetic dermatology.

Residency Tracks

The program offers three clinical tracks for trainees to apply for:

1. Traditional track: a 3-year track from PGY2-4 that encompasses all aspects of dermatology. This track is open to all residency applicants.
2. Research track: a 4-year track from PGY2-5 that begins with a 1-year post-doctorate and is followed by the traditional 3-year track. Research residents have additional dedicated time, particularly during their PGY2 and PGY5 years, for research activities. This track is open only to M.D./Ph.D. applicants.
3. Disparities in Medicine and Community Health Track: a 3-year track from PGY2-4 identical to the Traditional track but with a research and quality improvement focus dedicated to volunteerism and improving health disparities in the community. This track is open to all residency applicants.

Resident Scholarship and Research

The program believes that participation in scholarship and discovery is critical for residents' medical training and to best prepare them for the future practice of medicine. The program has a research requirement that requires residents to engage in research activities that lead to tangible outcomes, such as:

• Work on original basic science, epidemiologic, or clinical research
• Presentations at institutional, local, national, and international meetings
• Peer-reviewed publications

Minimal research activities requirements must be met by each resident 4 months prior to graduation. To help ensure success, residents must:

• Identify a research topic and project with a mentor during the first 6 months of their training
• Meet with the Residents Research Committee composed of faculty members, which meets at 6-month intervals to review progress with each resident.

Community Service and Volunteerism

The department and institution are strongly committed to the well-being of the local and global community. Medical students, residents, and faculty volunteer at various venues, including:

• Student-run health fairs throughout South Florida
• Medical clinics at homeless shelters
• Street medicine runs for unsheltered persons experiencing homelessness
• Fundraising events for philanthropy

International opportunities are available in Haiti, Jamaica, Brazil, Rwanda, and Ecuador.

Information for Dermatology Residency Applicants

1. Important Dates: Interview release dates and in-person interview dates are as follows:

• Internal Candidates: November 13th, 2024
• Research Track Candidates: December 11th, 2024
• Traditional Track Applicants: January 8th & 22nd, 2025

2. Guidance for applicants:

• The program is open to eligible US and foreign medical graduates.
• The program participates in the ERAS signaling program and limits application review only to those who signaled Silver or Gold. Signals are used to help identify potential applicants for interview and are not used in the rank process. UM students and rotating students are encouraged to give a Silver signal.
• Candidates may apply to one or more of the clinical tracks. In this case, only 1 signal is necessary. Please designate it to the preferred track.

Research Track FAQ

• How do I indicate my interest in being considered for this special track?: Submit an application through ERAS to the Research Track.
• What is the Screening process for the research residency position?: Candidates will be asked to complete a short survey regarding their research interests and goals of training in the program. These responses will be holistically reviewed by the research residency committee along with the complete ERAS application. Interview invitations will be released on November 4, 2024.
• What is the Interview process for the research residency position?: The dedicated research residency track interview day will take place in person on Wednesday, December 11th, 2024. The interview will include a pre-interview dinner, short research presentations by candidates, interviews with both clinical and research faculty, and tours of select labs/core resource facilities.
• What is the Match process for this spot?: The program has a separate NRMP program code for the research residency program. This position will have its own rank list of research resident candidates. After completing the interview stage, it is possible to be considered and ranked for both tracks. The NRMP Match result would indicate which track the candidate matches into.
• What is the process for choosing a research mentor?: This process begins during the application process when the program first learns about the candidate's research interests. As part of the interview process, candidates will be connected with mentors in their areas of interest to explore options and opportunities in more detail. During the intern year, the program will work with the candidate to finalize their mentor selection.
• Does my research mentor need to be a Dermatology faculty member?: The primary research mentor must be from UM Dermatology; however, the program encourages collaboration and formation of a mentoring team that capitalizes on the University of Miami faculty expertise.
• Will I participate in clinical dermatology residency activities during my research year?: Yes, the program encourages first-year research residents to participate in clinical activities, including Management Conference, Grand Rounds, Miami Dermatologic Society meetings, etc., as their research schedules permit. There is also ample opportunity to interact with dermatology residents both formally and informally.
• Can I be considered for this track if I am an MD with a strong research interest?: At this time, the research residency track is only considering applications from candidates with PhD training. This is in alignment with the program's goal to produce dermatologist-scientists fully prepared for a career with research independence at the conclusion of the training program, which typically requires the foundation of a PhD degree. MD-only candidates may consider applying to the PhD-to-Residency track.