First of all—congrats! It is very exciting to be at this stage of your career. You have put in so much time, effort, and energy and should feel very proud of yourself (we’re proud of you!). The next rung in your career ladder is to start looking for dermatology positions—this can be both exciting and nerve-wracking.
Looking for a dermatology position is much different than applying to residency. There is no match process involved and you can actually advocate for yourself. YOU are a hot commodity. Here are a few tips to help you during this journey:
APPLY TO MORE THAN ONE POSITION
This is different than the “apply broadly” advice that is often given to medical students for residency applications. For a dermatology position, you will likely be able to get most (if not all) positions, you apply for. However, the benefit of applying to more than one position is to learn what is even in the realm of possibility for a position. Maybe one practice offers you something that you were not even aware of. Maybe you get to the end of a contract negotiation to find out the practice does not run as smoothly as you would have hoped for but now you feel “stuck.” There are many recent graduates who have stated that they wished they would have weighed more options. There are also many that thought they would definitely sign with one practice in one location to then only sign another. This does not mean that if you do have your heart set on a practice that it will not come to fruition, but is just a way to expand your options and know you are choosing what is best for you.
APPLY TO DIFFERENT TYPES OF PRACTICES
Similarly to the above, it can be helpful to apply to different types of practices, even if you are set that you will work in one practice setting upon graduation. This means applying to academic positions, small and large group private practices, private equity. This will help you really be able to find your fit. Perhaps there is an academic position that has a private feel that you enjoy. Perhaps the private practice allows residents to rotate through so you can still teach if you desire. A lot of the different practice types can still turn into a “build your own adventure,” but you may not even know what you enjoy until you have seen it. Applying to different practices expands your horizons from what you have been able to experience as a resident.
SPEND THE TIME TO VISIT IN PERSON
It can be very difficult to balance interviewing with residency, especially as you may be traveling out of state to interview; however, this is very important to really get a sense for the practice and the people. Discuss time-off for interviews with your residency program and figure out how you can make this possible. Scheduling interviews in the same city during the same few days can be helpful to be resourceful. The plus is practices will pay for your travel and accommodations for interviews, which is necessary on a residency budget.
REACH OUT TO THOSE WORKING IN THE PRACTICE
While you have likely met your potential future colleagues at your in-person visit, it is helpful to obtain their contact information. It can be helpful to chat with the providers “offline” from the interview setting, especially those who do not have a stake in the office (not a partner or owner). Most people will be very honest and are willing to share the good and the bad while you are trying to find your best fit. This can be extremely helpful.
IF YOU ARE UNSURE — CONSIDER LOCUMS
If you are unsure about a practice—whether it be the location, the setting, or the practice itself, you can see if you can have a “trial” with the practice through locums. Another option is to locums at many different practices to try and find out what you like and don’t like in a practice. This is best for those who are okay with more continual change (and potentially learning new EMRs), but some dermatologists note it can be helpful. However, if this is not for you that is okay—another difference between residency and dermatology positions is that you can control the contract length. You do not have to sign on for three years (and the standard contracts are year-long).
You’ve got this! Try to focus on yourself and your timeline rather than the timeline of those around you (or the timelines of the practices). Just know ClubDerm is here to support you in any way you need!
