Need larger text?

Skip subpage navigation

Dermatology

At A Glance

Program Type: Military Medical Center

Location: Bethesda, MD

Accredited: Yes, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)

Program Length: 3 years

Required Pre-Requisite Training: Medical School Graduation, completed PGY-1

Categorical Year in Specialty Required: No

Total Approved Complement: 18

Approved per Year (if applicable): 6

Dedicated Research Year Offered: No

Medical Student Rotation Availability: 4th Year, limited 3rd year and 2nd year students

Additional Degree Concurrent with Training (e.g. MPH): No

Program Description

The National Capital Consortium Dermatology Residency Program is located at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) and is one of the largest joint training sites for military physicians. The program trains a combined total of 4 - 6 Army and Navy residents each year. The core faculty to resident ratio is 1:1.5. In addition to the core faculty stationed at Walter Reed, several academic/clinical faculty members from the neighboring Uniformed Services University (with over 120 years of combined experience in the specialty) teach our residents. The Dermatology Clinic is housed in a state-of-the-art outpatient facility featuring a spacious, sunlit office space for the dermatology residents. Numerous laser and light-based device platforms are available to trainees.

Strengths of the program include an in-depth and well-rounded didactic and clinical rotation schedule as well as numerous faculty who are fellowship-trained in Dermatopathology and Mohs Surgery. High yield outside rotations includes the National Institutes of Health (which hosts Dermatology Grand Rounds and medical dermatology rotations); inpatient dermatology at Washington Hospital Center; pediatric dermatology at Children’s National Hospital. Residents attend clinical conferences hosted by the Washington, D.C. Dermatological Society; are co-location with the only military Dermatopathology Fellowship; enjoy frequent clinical and academic interactions with dermatology residents and pediatric dermatology fellows from local civilian programs (Georgetown, Howard University, George Washington, and Children’s Hospital), and have the opportunity to rotate at the Joint Pathology Center. The proximity to Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences allows for academic and clinical education and mentorship of medical students.

Mission, Vision and Aims

Mission

The mission of the NCC Dermatology Residency Program is to produce clinically excellent and resilient military dermatologists who are dedicated to achieving expertise in their field and to their role as leaders in military medicine.

Vision

A program that fosters the personal and professional development of its residents and faculty through the establishment of a supportive learning climate, growth mindset culture, stimulating academic curriculum, and breadth of hands-on clinical, procedural and leadership experiences.

Aims

To recruit residents from diverse backgrounds with the desire and potential to become exceptional dermatologists, advocates, and leaders within the military health care system.
To cultivate a supportive and safe learning environment that encourages personal and professional growth of residents and faculty.
To provide leadership development to prepare residents for their role as both a military dermatologists and medical officers, caring for our Service Members, Retirees, and their families in clinic and austere settings.
To guide residents towards expertise in the six ACGME core competencies through a robust academic curriculum and breadth of clinical, inpatient, and procedural experiences.
To train residents to provide evidence based, safe, patient-centered care to treat routine and complex skin conditions in a diverse patient population in both outpatient and inpatient settings.
To educate trainees in the principles of clinical and basic research in normal and diseased skin.
To create a culture that values a growth mindset that encourages meaningful and timely feedback for residents and faculty.

Curriculum and Schedules

There are eight hours of scheduled didactics offered each week. Grand Rounds are held Thursday mornings from 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. The remainder of didactic time includes lectures from 7:30 - 8:30 a.m. (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday). Residents receive one hour of dermatopathology didactic/scope-based training each week. Residents are also provided with training time (4 hours) every other Tuesday afternoon to complete military training, hospital-based training, or in-service procedure training (e.g., lasers, Botox, photodynamic therapy, fillers, wound care).

1st Year	2nd Year	3rd Year
Outpatient Clinic - 10 months Multiple Specialties Clinic - 1 month Pediatric Dermatology - 1 month (Children's Hospital)	Outpatient Clinic - 6 months Multiple Specialties Clinic -1 month Dermatopathology - 1 month Mohs Surgery/Advanced procedural dermatology- 1 month Elective - 1 month Inpatient Dermatology - 1 month (Washington Hospital) Pediatric Dermatology - 1 month	Senior/Chief Resident - 2-3 months Outpatient Clinic - 3-4 months Dermatopathology - 1 month Mohs Surgery - 2 months Outpatient Clinic - 1 month (National Institutes of Health) Elective - 2 months

There are numerous options available at WRNMMC and within the D.C. area for elective rotations including:

Washington Hospital Center
Children’s Hospital
Joint Pathology Center
Wound Care, Wounded Warrior / Amputee Care at WRNMMC
Local civilian Dermatopathology / Cosmetic / Mohs Surgery practices

The Senior / Chief Resident (PGY-4) takes call Monday - Friday for 2-3 months. A PGY-2 resident also assists with call Monday - Friday from 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. for one week per month.
Weekend call runs from 4:30 p.m. on Friday to 7:30 a.m. on Monday and is rotated amongst residents from all year groups. This amounts to approximately one weekend of call every three months. The on-call attending is immediately available in-person during the workdays and is available via phone in the evenings or on the weekends.

Our Military Unique Curriculum includes lectures and discussions with the Army Consultant to the Surgeon General and the Navy Specialty Leader, lectures from alumni who are in their first assignments as military dermatologists, as well as daily military-relevant commentary from the faculty members who are present at the morning lectures. A Transition to Practice Conference is offered for all PGY4 residents.

We currently do not have any required courses.

The NCC Dermatology Residency hosts an annual Surgical Symposium that spans two days and draws in Mohs Surgeons and Procedural Dermatologists from across the United States. Residents perform simulated surgical excisions, repairs, flaps, and grafts on state-of-the-art human head mannequins with realistic anatomy. Observed Structured Clinical Evaluations at the USUHS Simulation Center or WRNMMC may be offered soon.

Leadership and Professional Development Lectures offered through the Defense Health Agency
Residents are encouraged to apply for Professional Military Education (Captains Career Course)
Residents are encouraged to apply for the Military Female Physician Leadership Course
Chief Resident Course preceding time as Senior Residents / Chief Residents
LEAD 2.0 Curriculum through the Internal Medicine Residency (10 hours offered annually)

Scholarly and Professional Development Opportunities

Residents are encouraged to participate in research projects and academic endeavors of all types. Every resident must complete a research project as a part of their residency. This can include anything from a case report to serving as an investigator in an Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved study. Residents can choose to utilize one of their elective rotations during the PGY-2/3 years for research. Many residents have their research projects accepted for presentation on a national level at the annual American Academy of Dermatology, American Society of Dermatopathology, and American College of Mohs Surgeon meetings.

Residents participate in one or more quality or process improvement project during their three years of training. The Dermatology Service Chief and Program Director are dedicated to ongoing process improvement initiatives. Completion of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) modules is encouraged.

Tropical Medicine Course through USUHS
Army Professional Military Education (BOLC, CCC)
Navy Professional Military Education (AROC)
Chief Resident
Academic Chief
3 Elective Rotations available to use toward research
LEAD 2.0 Leadership Curriculum
Round Robin Skills Lab with USUHS Students

Participating Sites

Clinical Center at the National Institutes of Health
Washington Hospital Center
Children’s National Hospital – Pediatric Dermatology

Applicant Information, Rotation and Interview Opportunities

Medical Students, interns and General Medical Officers in the Navy and Army who are interested in applying for a military dermatology residency are encouraged to complete a rotation at WRNMMC. This rotation can be anywhere from a few days to four weeks in length. This allows the applicant to work with current residents and faculty in both a clinical and academic setting. From July - October the rotation slots are reserved for applicants during that GMESB cycle. Rotators who are not actively applying for dermatology residency will be afforded opportunities to rotate from November - June. Please reach out to Graduate Medical Education Office who will work with the Dermatology Rotation Coordinator (Faculty) to determine availability and to schedule a rotation.

Interviews will generally be conducted every year from July 1st – October 15th. If you are interested in applying that year for Dermatology Residency at WRNMMC, please contact the Program Administrator for in-person or virtual interview scheduling. Those interviewing in person are encouraged to also attend Grand Rounds and/or clinical activities the morning of the interview. Please be prepared to provide the following:

Current CV
Personal Statement
Best contact phone number and email
Uniform: Navy - Service Dress Blue or Summer Whites, Army – ASU or AGSU

Program graduates take the American Board of Dermatology board certification exam (also known as the APPLIED exam). This exam is offered annually in July. To be eligible to take specialty board exams, graduates must complete all pre-requisites required by the American Board of Dermatology by 1 July of the year the exam is taken. Under special conditions candidates completing additional (make-up) training before October 1 may also be eligible to apply to take the APPLIED Exam. Candidates must pass all 4 modules of the CORE Exam to be eligible to apply for the APPLIED Exam. Additional pre-requisites can be found at the following link: Dermatology Applied Exam Requirements. The window of opportunity to take the APPLIED Exam is during a five-year period of eligibility that begins at the date of the completion of residency training.

Teaching Opportunities

NCC Dermatology residents share their clinical knowledge and procedural skills on a near-daily basis with rotating medical students, interns, and off-service residents. They also deliver 8-10 in-house academic lectures per year. Many residents also provide in-services, skills labs, and academic lectures to other departments (pediatrics, internal medicine, infectious disease). The residents assist in running stations during a round robin skills lab and 2-hour didactic session offered to approximately 150 medical students from USUHS.

Residents also assist in teaching a Dermatology Technician Course to corpsmen, medics, health techs, LPNs and RNs working in the dermatology clinic.

Faculty and Mentorship

Faculty Subspecialty Training:

Five general dermatologists
Two Mohs surgeons
Two dermatopathologists
Three dermatologists and one dermatologist/dermatopathologist from USUHS

Every dermatology resident is assigned a faculty mentor. Residents are also highly encouraged to self-select additional clinical, research and military mentors both at WRNMMC and across the civilian and military medicine. Residents also have multiple opportunities to serve as a mentor for a high volume of assigned corpsmen, medics, nurses, and health techs, as well as medical students and intern physicians.

Well-Being

The NCC Dermatology Residency Program is committed to resident physician well-being, particularly as it relates to the academic and clinical learning environment. The program and NCC GME provide support and tools to help residents thrive personally and professionally. Residents and faculty participate in 4-5 “Wellness Afternoons” (equivalent to 20 hours) each year, in addition to a resident retreat. Prior activities have included: ropes courses, escape rooms, ninja courses, and a military medical museum tour. The program also ensures that resident well-being is addressed in discussions, didactics, and program director sensing sessions on a regular basis. Wellness topics such as physician burnout, depression, sleep, and substance abuse are addressed during orientation for PGY-2 residents and then at least annually thereafter.