Philadelphia, PA
Applicant sentiment — from 150 anonymous posts, 2016–2027
7.0 / 10
What anonymous posters said
Anonymous posters frequently grouped this program among a small set of highly regarded dermatology programs, citing strong research output and academic focus. Several commenters described procedural/reconstructive training positively and characterized the culture as supportive with happy residents, while some posts suggested connections or away rotations may help with interview chances.
AI-generated summary of opinions expressed in anonymous, unverified posts. It describes what posters wrote, not verified facts about this program. Based on these 150 posts · Updated Aug 2026 · Contest or respond to this entry · Takedown & right of reply
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For the Penn interview, did they ask app-based questions or mostly standardized?
were the questions pretty difficult or standard?
very standard
ty :)
i would not be stressed, i enjoyed it overall and it was clear they read my app very carefullyand were actually interested
that is so sweet love that of them
i thought it was pretty tough
so glad someone ed me, i was worried it was just me :((
ya that felt rough, feeling sad af rn
so many people keep saying Harvard is suboptimal training because more inpatient time and more call... do we have facts/stats on this? what are the inpatient consult time and call responsibilities, objectively speaking?
Yes the Harvard program probably has more inpatient time compared to other programs, but it amounts to 16 weeks (4 months) of inpatient consult time and call across MGH, Brigham, BI. People are just exaggerating the inpatient time, likely to dissuade others from ranking highly/#1
they have up to 6 months more inpatient time than similarly ranked programs
they do not scribe or cover attending inbox! program really tries to minimize admin (also no prior auths). inpatient and call can be tough, but residents seem happy with the balance because many blocks have great hours and alternate with inpatient. I believe it is 12 weeks of call?
according to Harvard's recruitment handbook, there is 6 to 8 months of inpatient and 12 weeks of call (not including 2 months at boston children's which is both inpt/outpt)
how does this compare with Penn (since everyone is always putting these two up against each other for #1 rank)?
lol anyone else w/ Harvard interview who literally isn't even a top applicant (no Penn/Stanford/Hopkins/UCSF) it feels so weird
By comparison, UCSF has 2 months of inpatient (one in PGY2, one in PGY3)
they have up to 6 months more inpatient time than similarly ranked programs
according to Harvard's recruitment handbook, there is 6 to 8 months of inpatient and 12 weeks of call (not including 2 months at boston children's which is both inpt/outpt)
how does this compare with Penn (since everyone is always putting these two up against each other for #1 rank)?
lol anyone else w/ Harvard interview who literally isn't even a top applicant (no Penn/Stanford/Hopkins/UCSF) it feels so weird
thoughts on penn interview
someone below said the interviewers seemed bored
asked/answered by a few people if you scroll
personally thought it was tough
ya same.. why did you think tough
1 room waas friendly/chill (as someone said below) but rest felt not chill lol
mine was chill as someone said, seems like a mix?
or maybe we're just bad at self-assessing chill-ness lol
I also interviewed yesterday and agree 1 room was friendlier than others but thought it was chill overall
curious if we think the same room was friendly
O+J
that's so funny and not who I was thinking - that felt like my worst room
who were you thinking? so interesting the experiences were mixed!
at least they made it clear they had read my app and had some interest in me
oh yes, very clear they read app
1 room waas friendly/chill (as someone said below) but rest felt not chill lol
mine was chill as someone said, seems like a mix?
or maybe we're just bad at self-assessing chill-ness lol
I also interviewed yesterday and agree 1 room was friendlier than others but thought it was chill overall
curious if we think the same room was friendly
O+J
that's so funny and not who I was thinking - that felt like my worst room
who were you thinking? so interesting the experiences were mixed!
oh yes, very clear they read app
thoughts on WashU today? think i tanked it </3
remember two WashU residents said during the social, they thought WashU interview went poorly for them. As long as you were yourself I am sure you did great :) you got this
It's okay, I think I bombed Penn rip.
I bombed a diff interview in dec if that makes you feel better! I cried after my interview with the chair lol
i bombed a program this week and cried after
> i think some of the penn people seemed bored HHAHHAHAHA
ruminating on the chaos of this week lol
some seemed bored
I bombed a diff interview in dec if that makes you feel better! I cried after my interview with the chair lol
i bombed a program this week and cried after
ruminating on the chaos of this week lol
some seemed bored
why so few people on penn 2day
how many were there
like 7? lol but they said they were intervieweing 70
how was the interview
very small, very relaxed
where did they say 70.. online they say 48-60
in presentation intro
are the other interview days just huge then lol ... there are only 2 more
I was in the PM group and they did not give a number interviewing in the presentation
in presentation intro
are the other interview days just huge then lol ... there are only 2 more
anyone know what penn interview is like
I would also love to know
super chill
in every room they talked about reading my app which was nice
I agree it was very chill and standard questions
people who interviewed at Penn Doylestown TY, how far in advance did you get interview day information? (pls don't delete again!)
Iike a couple days maybe? idk they seem chill just email nicely if you're worried.
girl idk
Best program in NYC? All around, not just prestige?
on a similar note: what's the best program in a major city?
Harvard or Penn (if you consider Boston and Philly decent sized cities)
NYC Power Rankings: Mount Sinai
Columbia = NYU
Cornell
Albert Einstein
Rochester
SUNY Downstate = Stony Brook
Northwell
NYMC
St. John's Episcopal
St. Barnabas
I'd say it goes: NYU
Montefiore = SUNY Downstate
Sinai = Columbia = Cornell
Northwell
NYMC. (Rochester and Stony Brook are not NYC, and idk anything about St John's/St. Barnabas)
Really?? What makes montefiore above Sinai /columbia?
NYU
Sinai >= Columbia = Cornell
Columbia = NYU
Cornell
Albert Einstein
Rochester
SUNY Downstate = Stony Brook
Northwell
NYMC
St. John's Episcopal
St. Barnabas
Montefiore = SUNY Downstate
Sinai = Columbia = Cornell
NYMC. (Rochester and Stony Brook are not NYC, and idk anything about St John's/St. Barnabas)
Sinai >= Columbia = Cornell
Anyone know how many people Penn interviews for the cutaneous onc track?
70>120 >180
Thanks!
should we make a list of places that assign interview dates for next year's applicants? like someone mentioned below that's an easy way to get a conflict
UVA, Penn, UConn, USC, lake granbury, northwestern peds derm, yale
Feels like so many more people are canceling interviews/having conflicts this year? Why?
they are putting a lot of same-tier programs on the same days. I had a Yale/NW/Penn conflict, for example, could only make 2 out of the 3
that's whack sorry you had to cancel when you worked so hard :(
thanks am also v sad :( but hopefully someone who really wants the one i canceled gets it! It was in my top 5, but i think it could be someone's #1!
this happens every year; it's especially tough when programs assign your interview date
if you're able to have a "top 5" and that's not all of your schools, you're in a good spot. Drop your act, and the drop the II's
lol what act? OP dropped an interview and was sad about it and i would be too
I wish programs were more accomodating of dates, I think it's very unfortunate OP had to drop one of those programs, they're clearly a great applicant and deserve to interview at all the programs they got if possible
luck is factor in this process. Would you want an unlucky dermatologist??
OP here, i laughed
luck is factor in this process. Would you want an unlucky dermatologist??
OP here, i laughed
Just received Upenn rejection @11.40am
I was refreshing for the email and then realized I didn’t even apply to Penn. I'm simply in a fever dream
did anyone from Penn hear which tracks they're interviewing for? like the peds track for example
I heard I'm interviewing for Community Engagem
when did you find out
It was included in my invite letter
my invite letter also specified research track
POOP
hi this is the super secret message board, if anyone sees this I will come check periodically and reply (12/3) <12/15
Looks like there has been very little movement on the II date swap. At what point are people considering cancelling the conflicting interview?
im going to email the program coordinators and ask them the latest time i can cancel
giving it another week or two, although I have low hopes since I haven't heard from anyone so far
I had to call program coordinators (Cornell, Penn) to get responses and both said they don't do swaps even if you have someone willin :/
how close to interviews are people thinking of dropping then for conflicts or are we just reaching out to PCs to see per program?
reaching out per program
POOP
Just understand that this spreadsheet attracts/selects for the most neuro-divergent autists that all of medicine has to offer; there is a heavy selection bias (re: X vs Y sheet to see it really is the top applicants that browse this sheet). The average interviews still being 6.6 from that pool likely means to match you probably need 3-5, being realistic. Everyone on this sheet is disillusioned T40 applicants gunning for Penn, Harvard, etc.
why assume that people who are smart/well accomplished are autistic
based on this spreadsheet behavior, they are
what's wrong with being autistic lol
Derm departments can't keep subsidizing the amount of model trains it takes to keep wellness high
POOP
Some posts are shown because their comments mention this program.
combination of both
were the questions pretty difficult or standard?
very standard
ty :)
i would not be stressed, i enjoyed it overall and it was clear they read my app very carefullyand were actually interested
that is so sweet love that of them
i thought it was pretty tough
so glad someone ed me, i was worried it was just me :((
ya that felt rough, feeling sad af rn