Applicant sentiment — from 150 anonymous posts, 2016–2027
4.2 / 10
What anonymous posters said
Anonymous posters frequently described the program as favoring its own research fellows and internal candidates in the match, with several questioning how many spots go to outside applicants. Posts also debated its reputation, with some ranking it highly and others disputing that, and several noted interview invitations tend to arrive later than usual.
Match termsicahnicahn sinaiismmsmount sinaimt sinaimt. sinaisinaisinai derm
Fame & Shame
2026-2027 Derm
2 entries
❌1. almost pointless to apply here if you aren't a research fellow or have a strong connection. nepotism is worth more than anything else here
❌2. I was offered an away in June and had to decline it because in their offer email they stated that because of the "number of attendings we would be rotating with" we should not expect letters of recommendation nor ask for them.
2025–2026 Derm
3 entries
❌1. almost pointless to apply here if you aren't a research fellow or have a strong connection. nepotism is worth more than anything else here
❌2. I was offered an away in June and had to decline it because in their offer email they stated that because of the "number of attendings we would be rotating with" we should not expect letters of recommendation nor ask for them.
💬1. seriously, why would ANYONE waste a signal here if you didnt do a RY with the department? 90-100% of their spots go to their own fellows.
My guess: Mt. Sinai, Wake, Howard, UCSF, Harvard, U penn, NYU
Mar 23
0
< you forgot UTAH
Mar 23
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NYU??? x2
Mar 23
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absolutely NYU << dang one would think that best skin of color training would occur in places with high % skin of color pop (Detroit, Birmingham, Baltimore, etc)
Mar 23
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really UTAH?
Mar 23
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I think sarcasm
Mar 23
0
What about Henry Ford, Emory, UNC, NW? Henry Ford PD actually felt the need to reassure us during the interview presentation that they get to see skin cancer at community clinics because the main hospital is so heavily just skin of color
Mar 23
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<I rotated at UNC and felt it was very diverse - agreed, very pleasantly surprised
Mar 23
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Another vote for Wake Forest! Amy McMichael is an amazing doctor and person!
Mar 23
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<- WF faculty seems diverse, but their patient population is still pretty rural and not as diverse
Mar 23
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yes, but Dr. McMichael has an interest in SOC so tailors her teaching/clinic to that. She gave a talk to our program a few years ago, hence the fangirling.
Mar 23
0
Also, Hopkins has a specific initiative to support underrepresented minority faculty and residents.
You must be religious, an ethnic minority and toothless << And baptised before the age of 3 << And you must have survived childhood holoprosencephaly << bruh
Mar 23
0
I've noticed that some programs (St. John's Episcopal Hospital, Still OPTI, OPTI West, Orange Park, NYMC, Lehigh, Larkin, Larkin Palm Springs, Icahn, HCA, Campbell, Bay Area) do not have "NRMP Program Code"s listed on ERAS. Anyone know why this is? I presume they are all participating in the match?
is this the only date? <only date available in my email
Mar 23
0
I got 1/31
Mar 23
0
so how many spots are available for externals/ non Sinai research fellows
Mar 23
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I mean for the actual match in the end
Mar 23
0
great question
Mar 23
0
why do you guys ask? Is Sinai usually known for just taking internals? <Yes
Mar 23
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based on what? <it's not just internals, but they usually do show preference to their research fellows for a portion of positions (which is not really unique to just Sinai)
Mar 23
0
<< Congrats!!!
Mar 23
0
anyone else rotate and not get an invite? <sorry no
Mar 23
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Top tier: UPenn Harvard UCSF NYU Mayo Michigan, Emory, Henry Ford?) and Michigan and Mayo are not top tier. Would add Stanford, Hopkins, and UCLA instead)
would also add UTSW https://www.mdedge.com/dermatology/article/157864/practice-management/us-dermatology-residency-program-rankings-based/page/0/1 <<what is the difference between this article and the doximity rankings? Is there more validity to one vs the other? << lol, someone put UCLA in top tier (UCLA isn't even a Department, it's a Division) >> lol UCLA low tier for sure << realistically, probably middle to low, great overall health system but will always have hands tied and no real ability to grow
Mar 23
0
UCLA is a solid program, strong surgical training, lacks the super complex patients of some more intense programs but it depends on what you are looking for in your training << I don't think anyone's saying it's a bad program, just not a top tier, that's kind of silly
Mar 23
0
UCLA is the perfect example of a low-to-mid tier program that is nonetheless quite competitive given it's in California. Again, there's often a disconnect between prestige/quality of training and competitiveness. Location, location, location.
Mar 23
0
No way that Hopkins and UCLA would be top tier over Michigan and Mayo
Mar 23
0
Mid-tier: OHSU, Iowa, Minnesota, UPMC >> Would probably put MN as low tier? >> Thoughts? Why? >> Minnesota would probably be in same tier as OHSU, Iowa, UPMC. Iowa has great faculty, but I think it does suffer from being in a relatively non-diverse, predominately white, smallish-city in Iowa. Minnesota, OHSU, and UPMC are in more urban environments with at least UPMC and Minnesota having more ethnic / racial diversity, (Portland is super white as well). Also, no one should trust that MDedge nonsense x5
Mar 23
0
To be fair they tried to make an objective measure. Many of the opinions here leave out some good programs and add in top medical schools that are not top derm programs
Mar 23
0
MN, Iowa as med-high tier? Would drop UPMC to low tier (just feel like no residents really enjoy it there but maybe that's just me lol)? And Iowa usually as a top 20 program on almost all ranking systems (though you cant always trust these things so who knows). I think its one of those places that suffers in many peoples minds because they have a not-so great med school and its in the mid west, but the derm program is actually extremely well-respected independednt of those facts
<-What is this list based on? Its totally inaccurate. Hopkins and Vanderbilt are mid tier programs at best. No Yale? No UW? No Wisconsin? No Miami? No Sinai? Cornell over Columbia? UPMC is definitely mid to top tier. Also, tiers maybe, but I dont understand how you can possibly rank 1 vs. 3 vs. 8 off the cuff << yeah, 1-3 is pretty standard, gets messy with next 5 I was about to post how accurate this list is. Some of the programs listed above are no way in the conversation. You can maybe disagree with Wash U/Cornell to the left tho. I'd agree Vanderbilt too high too
Mar 23
0
<Yale for sure. x4 . Think that list is pretty accurate for top 20 minus Wash U, Cornell, and Vanderbilt. Would replace with Yale and Columbia. And Cleveland Clinic maybe. <<I question the order of some of these too. Hopkins is not a top 10 (but it is a top 20 probably). I agree that Sinai, miami, Columbia would also be top 20. Vandy should not be on that list and neither should a few others.
Mar 23
0
<How good are the following programs: UPMC, Hopkins, UCSD, Miami.
Mar 23
0
I think those are all decent programs (mid-top tier?). I would say that I typically view Hopkins as a mid-tier program (they don't have a lot of diversity in terms of training sites, though Hopkins itself is a great hospital). Miami is typically considered a Top 10 program - but they also are quite disorganized, old facilities, longer hours (Saturday clinics). UPMC takes a lot of MD/PhDs and has great Mohs training, though I never found their program actually attracts people who want to be there. UCSD is solid, somewhat basic-science focused. It's outshined by other programs in California (e.g. Stanford, UCSF, USC) and San Diego has great weather / beaches, though admittedly isn't the most exciting place to live / lacks a lot of arts / culture compared to most bigger cities in the United States.
Mar 23
0
name me a state with better Mexican food tho
Mar 23
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UCLA sent externals very late in the past. A few of the others wait until this week...and a few are very very late compared to the past haha
calm before the storm << The middle of the week is usually slow. This will be a big week though if it is at all like last year -SD
Mar 23
0
^ doximity believes Icahn is a top 5 program... that should tell you everything about doximity rankings
Mar 23
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<< why is there even a spot reserved for Saudi Arabia... We have so many american medical students whos parents paid american taxes that goes into Medicare-funded residency spots. It doesn't seem right to reserve a spot to someone from Saudi Arabia. Where does this funding come from? Does their government pay Tufts for this? -- Not sure the details, but supposedly along those lines <-- they are not the only program that does this, there is at least one other program that does this and everyone at the institution knows about it << If it's funded by SA, then does it matter about CMS funding? << its still a position that could go to an American, who would likely stay in the US and practice. Derm's experiencing a huge shortage and not enough residency spots for US grads. I'm sure they could get CMS funding for that spot instead of Saudi funding.
CMS funding is not easy to get! many institutions self-fund spots once they get approved to have more residents bc CMS funding is very behind
Mar 23
0
its obvious either they skrewed up their match list, or some saudi dad paid the PD/Chair $1m to hold the spot for their kid because they have oil coming out of their shower heads
Mar 23
0
If true, fuck Tufts
Mar 23
0
Yeah I think Mt. Sinai has a couple of these spots? As a rotator, I found our that they only had funding for a certain number of spots and considered taking an extra resident in the past through these sponsored spots. They didn't end up taking one last year or this year now based on the results so maybe they are moving away from it? Not sure on that part though... <-- I believe that spot has always historically been taken by an SA applicant
Mar 23
0
fuck tufts and mt sinai. two terrible programs. Hope everyone gets coronavirus in that program
Mar 23
0
extreme and slightly terrifying
Mar 23
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wow congrats! --- jealous <congrats, suprised anyone dropped Sinai given no other top program conflicts<---no other "top program" lol mt sinai is over blown folks <each entitled to our own opinions on here
I think trickles have just started and will continue through January!!
Mar 23
0
can anyone comment on Sinai program? have heard they take a lot of foreign graduates and research fellows but don't know anything else about program?
Mar 23
0
people say residents arent friends with each other?
Mar 23
0
>30 min commute to most sites. Residents barely know one another. Attendings are famous (which makes the program strong) but they barely play a role in resident learning. Very little autonomy as a resident. Still worth an interview and if you enjoy NY and the program go for it!
Mar 23
0
Lots of resources ability to be as engaged as you want. Residents are collegial they’re not babysitting each other’s puppies but they hangout, exercise together, and are overall friendly. They got a bad rep back in the day when their program combined with st Luke’s and there were mismanaged expectations ie Residents who wanted a sal program like st Luke’s were now in a huge hospital system - but they are not malignant.
Mar 23
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I do not give a shit about tiers. I just want to match. X4
yeah that's dandy and all but pretty non-sequitur; also people who say "I don't care about tiers" can't really say "we should delete it" since by wanting it gone you clearly care << OP of this cell and I did not say anything about deleting anything and whatever you're referencing seems to be gone now so I have no clue what you're talking about.
Mar 23
0
Whoever put Mt. Sinai as tip top tier probably deleted it. I am not at all sad it was deleted though--it was stupid and a cluster
Mar 23
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<agreed
Mar 23
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Johns Hopkins and Penn are both overdue for interview invites this year. Hopefully, Vanderbilt sends its regular ones out today << Mayo AZ is also pretty overdue << Also, to the neurotics among us, just know that Penn, Vanderbilt, and Johns Hopkins have historically sent out their invitations in batches
<Hopkins and penn - both of these places so far out of my reach it doesn't affect me << Try not to feel this way. I was on 0 for a long time and got 2 interviews at top 10 programs. My app is so regular that I assumed it was a mistake. The point is, you never know and no program is a reach.
Mar 23
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<haha, Mt. Sinai practically sends after Christmas, but I like the wishful thinking!
Mar 23
0
12/6 in 2017, but yes, probs too early.
Mar 23
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<< Not sure how true it is, but I have heard from multiple attendings (not at Sinai) that this is the case
My guess: Mt. Sinai, Wake, Howard, UCSF, Harvard, U penn, NYU