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U Southern California

USC

Los Angeles, CA

NRMP
1033080A0
ACGME
0800511015

Sentiment score: 5.2 / 10

Applicants discuss USC dermatology as a competitive program with mixed reputation. Key concerns include institutional scandals and probation status affecting program culture, though some praise clinical diversity and faculty quality. Practical discussions cover interview logistics, housing stipends, and comparisons to peer California programs like UCLA and UCSD.

Match terms
keckkeck usclac+uscsouthern californiasouthern california dermu southern californiau southern california dermuniversity of southern californiauscusc derm

Fame & Shame

2025–2026 Derm

5 entries

1. offered financial assistance to anyone who felt they needed it since the interview was in person!

2. This interview was in person and it was very well run and enjoyable felt like all the faculty really wanted to get to know me and the residents were very friendly! seemed like they were all friends with each other and were very supportive of and kind to me and the other applicants during "breaks"/downtime between interviews. I really liked the PDs and chair too. this dept comes off like they are very invested in each of their residents so if I end up matching here I get the sense they will really value me

1. Maybe not a shame but as a reminder doing an away here does NOT guarantee you an interview you truly need to shine and standout to get one and at least 5 other MS4s are rotating with you

the comment regarding nepotism needs to be deleted as this is not true. please check facts before you make accusations and defame the currently matched students.

1. in person interview and did not offer financial assistance to those in need

2. Insane nepotism Just matched the daughter of one of the Keck affiliated dermatologists. Such a joke of a program

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Which programs are known rotation mills?

#742026-2027 DermApr 2

Harvard

Apr 2
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USC

Apr 2
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Even more important than rotation mills are programs that only take their own research fellows. While rotation mills will still interview and match a percentage of their rotators (with variability between programs), programs that only take their research fellows will rotate and interview many of their rotators, but ultimately offer little to no chance of matching for those outside their fellows.

Apr 2
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what programs do this besides sinai

Apr 2
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what programs do this besides sinai, Mayo AZ

Apr 2
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Rotating, signaling, and interviewing at these programs is a waste of time and is performative; they already know who they plan to take for the upcoming cycle

Apr 2
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WashU

Apr 3
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very true. Do NOT waste your time at Mayo AZ or Sinai. UConn also (at least this year). CWRU as well is a major rotation mill people need to talk more about

Apr 3
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UCONN

Apr 3
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Penn

6d ago
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Wake

6d ago
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CWRU

5d ago
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northwestern

4d ago
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Can someone explain what a "rotation mill" is/means?

#302026-2027 DermMar 22

take a bunch of students for away roations and rarely offer those rotators interviews

Mar 22
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Why do programs do this? Seems like a waste of time for everyone involved

Mar 22
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Free Labor

Mar 22
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What schools are known as "rotation mills"

Mar 22
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you don't want to do any research yourself huh

Mar 22
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WashU, USC

Mar 22
1

barely free labor if most of these schools don't let students do much anyways. i think they may not have the bandwidth or a good system in place to thoroughly vet students prior to offering aways but may later realize they are not competitive for their program

Mar 22
1

Not OP, but the purpose of this sheet is to spread the word... let's not gatekeep (if possible!). No hate!

Mar 22
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WashU, USC()

Mar 22
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WashU, USC() F*ck USC. Look at last years spreadsheet

Mar 23
3

its ok ur not missing out the training is skewed to obscure med derm u would need training outside of residency to feel comfortable as non academic/private practice gen derm

Mar 23
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Hello all, passing along an advertisement for a position as a research fellow/sub-investigator in a Southern California community research site and busy dermatology office. Research fellow gains exposure to clinical trials for various dermatologic diseases including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and hidradenitis suppurativa. Includes exposure to clinical dermatology, dermatologic surgery, and dermatopathology as well. Full-time, paid position (40 hrs/week). MD and intern year experience preferred but not required. 1-year position is available to start July 2026. If interested, please contact with CV to Dr. Howard Sofen at hsofen@ucla.edu.

#762026-2027 DermApr 2
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can we please make a shit list for ppl we hated during our application journey? toxic attendings, residents, and "co-authors" included

#35922025–2026 DermApr 3

catty resident at Stanford who treated me like sh** during my away and then was fake af during my interview

Apr 3
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Two certain Harvard PIs who employ an army of research fellows and leave them hanging, also they play favorites...

Apr 3
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weird Case resident that made tiktoks talking shit about the rotating med students

Apr 3
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name and shame!!

Apr 3
1

not OP but sounds like Vinod Naubidiri or Steven Chen

Apr 3
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Was this a PGY3??> lol i wish i could shame one place so much but it's too small >:( i think i've done enough shaming to the right people though

Apr 3
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Someone drop the tea on Case lol they matched only home students

Apr 3
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not OP but sounds like Vinod Naubidiri or Steven Chen >> Adena Rosenblatt at UChicago is a damn weirdo, and she has a passive aggressive MA that is rude to all the medical students.

Apr 3
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super rude PGY3 at USC Derm I hated working with her

Apr 3
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lol i wish i could shame one place so much but it's too small >:( i think i've done enough shaming to the right people though

Apr 3
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how do Nambudiri and Chen play favorites?

Apr 3
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yesss harvard is super bad institution nobody apply yall

Apr 3
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Harvard RYs have good match though, why not apply? I see RYs who did research with Chen matched Harvard... like?

Apr 3
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sounds like some salty people here this year

Apr 3
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every year there are, always happens after match :P

Apr 3
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i can't edit my comment but was being sarcastic w/ the nobody apply comment. the OP sounds a bit salty - not trying to invalidate the stress of RYs especially at a top institution that attracts great students

Apr 3
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super rude PGY3 I hated working with her

Apr 5
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Agree some oft the PGY3s at Case are so toxic

Apr 6
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was the stanford resident a pgy-2?

Apr 6
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so to summarize, if the rumor mill is true, at least some ppl get calls from ucsf, harvard, yale, ucsd, usc, penn?

#32712025–2026 DermMar 12

I don't think this is true. The PD at Penn is VERY clear they DO NOT do post II communication. he feels very strongly about it

Mar 14
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same with UCSF's PD..> the whole thing strikes me as BS especially with the earlier link to an article with a paid mentoring service

Mar 14
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I know people who got rtm calls from penn pd

Mar 14
4

sure buddy

Mar 14
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I heard people who got Pen was for tracks and not by PD

Mar 14
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100% serious that I know schools that do post-ii communications/rtm calls when they tell everyone that they are hellbent on no post-ii communication. Just beacuse a PD says it does not mean they won't do it experiencing this gave me trust issues tbh lol

Mar 14
1

PD's will do anything to get the best of the best, RTM calls happen because programs are selfish

Mar 14
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well at least i know i'm not the best of the best yeee

Mar 14
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I matched at one of the programs listed above, no RTM call. This rtm thing was absolute bs

Mar 21
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anyone else know attendings/residents who go around telling med students about other students' step scores? glad i ranked that place dead last.

#32472025–2026 DermMar 11

elaborate lol

Mar 14
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USC did that when I was there

Mar 14
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whet lol.

Mar 14
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the place i was talking about is NOT USC

Mar 14
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so spil…

Mar 14
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Still stuck on UC Davis vs UCLA vs USC. Any thoughts?

#31192025–2026 DermFeb 26

UC Davis!

Mar 7
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why?> More protected time/chill than others, more personalized mentorship, less commuting between sites

Mar 7
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don't listen to this wild advice 😂😂😂 southern Cali >>>>>> Sacramento

Mar 7
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lol yeah this is an odd take unless you have fam/connections out in sacramento.

Mar 7
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this is 100% someone trying to get you to rank the LA programs lower lmao. UC davis def does not have more 'protected time' and does have quite a bit commuting between sites?

Mar 7
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yea Davis and Sac sucks ass

Mar 7
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Torn, Southern California vs NYC?

#29362025–2026 DermFeb 21

do you want culture or weather?

Feb 21
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dude SoCal alllll the way, do you love freezing and hate good food??

Feb 21
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walkability is important but i love warm weather. ahhhhh

Feb 21
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which of those two would impact your QoL more?

Feb 21
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yall crazy if u choose nyc over socal

Feb 21
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as a resident in nyc i so disagree but choose whatever makes you happy :) i couldn't be happier myself. quality of life is amazing and i am having so much fun > Agree. I'm a NYC stan through and through and I grew up in SoCal.

Feb 21
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I'd rather be in the middle of nowhere, Kentucky than brace the cold in NYC

Feb 21
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it's fine fr! and so worth it!

Feb 21
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went to NYC for med school then socal for residency: i think NYC more fun to live in, socal better to do residency/work in

Feb 21
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socal x 1000>> It's all preference, I prefer NYC to Cali for the social aspect >look at ur astrocartography chart

Feb 21
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lived in both, socal is more relaxed and the people are nice/less in a rush

Feb 21
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dude SoCal alllll the way, do you love freezing and hate good food??

Mar 7
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walkability is important but i love warm weather. ahhhhh

Mar 7
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which of those two would impact your QoL more?

Mar 7
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as a resident in nyc i so disagree but choose whatever makes you happy :) i couldn't be happier myself. quality of life is amazing and i am having so much fun > Agree. I'm a NYC stan through and through and I grew up in SoCal.

Mar 7
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I'd rather be in the middle of nowhere, Kentucky than brace the cold in NYC

Mar 7
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it's fine fr! and so worth it!

Mar 7
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went to NYC for med school then socal for residency: i think NYC more fun to live in, socal better to do residency/work in

Mar 7
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socal x 1000>> It's all preference, I prefer NYC to Cali for the social aspect >look at ur astrocartography chart

Mar 7
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anyone who interviewed at Keck (USC) transitonal year program remember how many weeks of electives we get?

#29352025–2026 DermFeb 21

18 weeks

Feb 21
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how'd you liek the interview? Kinda nervous bc it's a band new program

Feb 21
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nervous about prelim is wild. were only nervous about derm here

Feb 21
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not true lmao. It's valid to be nervous for new program. It's not like you can talk to any residents. Since it's USC I'm sure that they aren't starting from scratch so see if it's worth it in terms of elective vs wards vs night/icu vs perks liek you usually would from other prelim ty

Feb 21
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hellooo same person that said that they had insider info re: need for us to drive far away to diff sites - same insider info, seems it will be high workload. no i'm not trying to sabotage anyone's rank list u gunners lol. the admin seem nice though and seem like they would be receptive to feedback as new program

Feb 21
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high workload? I feel like it's just normal ward work. 1 week of nights on icu. It's 9 weeks of wards, 6 weeks of micu, 3 weeks of ER , 18 weeks elective, 12 weeks of ambulatory and 4 weeks vacation. Seems as cush as it gets

Feb 21
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the person was talking about amount of patients not the weeks.

Feb 21
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holy smokes, is it really 18 weeks? like 6 blocks of 3 weeks?> yea I listed more info to the left

Feb 21
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Quick question — as an M3 applying for aways, does anyone know how programs usually select students? Is it merit-based, random, or a mix?

#28602025–2026 DermFeb 21

I'd say majority of programs are actually first come first serve! So it's really important to make sure to apply soon after VSLO opens for the program, connections matter more for the programs that more intensively review away apps (ex., the ones that interview you during or guarantee interviews after)

Feb 21
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Thank you!!

Feb 21
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some require a personal statement, so I would get one done, doesn't have to be a great one! also get your vaccinations updated and some require urine drug screens so check program requiremennts

Feb 21
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Any insight into what the personal statement for this would entail? Any suggestions on the overall format/content/focus we should include?

Feb 21
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basic format is why derm, why specific program, what qualifications you have, there are some examples online for away personal statements that may not be about derm specific, but you can use it to tailor to derm

Feb 21
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Connections

Feb 21
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How would I go about getting these said connections or is it too late?

Feb 21
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do not apply to USC

Feb 21
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Connections usually mean people you've worked with from M1-M3 that you've become close with, sometimes these mentors are willing to reach out to programs you are doing aways at to help you get a spot

Feb 21
1

agreed that connections should be from earlier in med school, would not recommend trying to meet a new mentor in the next few months and immediately asking them for help w away spots - I think that would be offputting for most people

Feb 21
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what about people without a home program?

Feb 21
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How would I go about getting these said connections or is it too late?

Mar 7
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do not apply to USC

Mar 7
0

Connections usually mean people you've worked with from M1-M3 that you've become close with, sometimes these mentors are willing to reach out to programs you are doing aways at to help you get a spot

Mar 7
0

agreed that connections should be from earlier in med school, would not recommend trying to meet a new mentor in the next few months and immediately asking them for help w away spots - I think that would be offputting for most people

Mar 7
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what about people without a home program?

Mar 7
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0

did anyone get an inappropriate question at USC?

#27012025–2026 DermFeb 21

what was the question?

Feb 21
1

idr getting an obviously inappropriate question, but what's an example of an inappropriate Q?

Feb 21
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no, loved the interview day

Feb 21
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In person social at usc was totally fine! Nice to see yall there tbh

#26592025–2026 DermFeb 21

If you saw me there then you know what to do next time you see me

Feb 21
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every co-applicant I spoke to was great no clue how they're gonna rank everyone

Feb 21
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thoughts on USC?? < felt intense, i liked ucla bettter < questions were definitely hard. <very positive experience, awesome culture ?

#26272025–2026 DermFeb 21

great school with great residents! I'll be ranking them high!!

Feb 21
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there were a couple interactions that had me legitimately laughing like quoting them to my friends afterwards. culture is great (from what I saw) and it seems that USC faculty have a knack of finding a great group of applicants personality-wise. seemed to vibe well with most. Harvard and USC are very good at picking cool people.

Feb 21
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my classmate interviewed there and said it was all women applicants

Feb 21
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facts

Feb 21
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slayyyyy queens

Feb 21
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where is a program to ensure I only have male applicants/residents?

Feb 21
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Has anyone interviewed at the new USC TY year program? theres zero info on it online

#23252025–2026 DermFeb 21

all the interview slots start next week, so no one's interviewed for it yet i think

Feb 21
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recently got interview for keck USC TY. anyone have info on this new program by chance?

#22922025–2026 DermFeb 21

it's new *shrug* and in LA..best bet is to talk to USC IM residents lol nm i think that's new too?> you'll be mainly at keck usc hospital (in boyle heights) and arcadia hospital (about 30 min away)

Feb 21
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you couldnt pay me double salary to work near DTLA

Feb 21
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it's a little stressful yuh

Feb 21
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it's a little stressful yuh

Mar 7
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