How To Become A Dermatologist?: A Career Roadmap To Becoming A Dermatologist
by Shahnawaz Alam Job & Career 02 January 2024
How to become a dermatologist?
Dermatologists are doctors people go to when facing any issues with their skin, nails, hair, etc. It is an excellent career path for students interested in this particular area.
What’s more, the job growth projection for dermatologists is 7% between 2018-2028. In the next decade, there will be more than 55,400 new jobs created in the dermatology field. So, if you want to proceed with your career in this direction, the future does look bright. Read this blog post to learn how to be a dermatologist.
What is a Dermatologist?
Dermatologists are the healthcare professionals who take care of the largest organ in your body – the skin. In addition, dermatologists also treat other conditions related to your hair, nails, mucus membranes, and more. The skin, which shields the entire human body from cold, heat, germs, and viruses, may often need medical attention.
They are also skincare specialists. The well-being of your skin is critical for your overall health. Thanks to dermatologists, we have a way to treat any skin diseases or conditions that discomfort us. Sometimes, prescribing surgeries or checking skin abnormalities can also be part of what a dermatologist does.
How To Become A Dermatologist?
Dermatologists play one of the key roles in the medical field, and the preparation process is also lengthy. Most aspirants spend decades getting the right knowledge and education to become a dermatologist finally. So, if you have already completed your GED or high school, you can follow the path below to build your career in dermatology.
Step 1: Earn Your Necessary Coursework
Before you get admitted to medical school, you must complete the course work necessary in this field.
In most cases, the subjects and the prerequisites you have to follow are physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, anatomy, organic chemistry, and English. If you want to be successful, it is necessary to get at least a B or a higher grade in all the subjects. A higher grade gives you higher chances of competitive advantages.
Many schools often ask students for a bachelor’s degree for matriculation. But good grades are not the end of the story. You also have to display expertise in her areas like volunteering, taking leadership roles, running research, etc. Admissions specialists also take all of these into account. The majority of medical schools do not require pre-med or healthcare-related degrees.
Step 2: Take The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)
How to become a dermatologist? This step in your roadmap to becoming a dermatologist is essential. You must take the MCAT exam if you are to get admission into one of the medical schools in the U.S. MCAT is a computer-based examination, and it is eight hours long. However, this requirement was waived by some schools during the pandemic.
It is essential to score well on the MCAT exam if you want your medical school applications to get accepted. Many of the universities in the U.S. use a computer algorithm to filter out applications that do not meet the scores and the standards of the MCAT exam.
Step 3: Get Accepted Into A Medical School
If you have met the undergraduate prerequisites, you are eligible to apply to an Osteopathic or Allopathic medical school. However, you must know that the medical schools are very competitive. It would seem almost impossible to get an admission if you do not have high MCAT scores or similar. Most schools have computer-based algorithms to check out the student’s grades. So, ensure that you have a high average score.
Medical schools and the different lessons learned here are broken down into two different parts. The first two years of someone’s career include classwork and theoretical learning about medicine and general medical science. The final two years are all spent teaching students in hospitals. They learn clinical practices and get first-hand experience in dealing with patients.
While in Medical schools, students have to complete two national board exams. Allopathy students have to go through USMLE exams (in two steps). But if you are a D.O. student, there is a similar board exam for you called the COMLEX test.
The final year of a medical career is pretty busy. Students submit their applications and take interviews for many residency programs in their careers of choice. Yes, this is where you can choose a Dermatology residency. First, you have to go through the interview. Once that is over, a computer-based algorithm will get you matched into a residency training program. Finally, you can go forward and complete your education and get ready to start residency. This phase makes you ready to become a dermatologist.
Step 4: Complete Your Residency
So, once you have passed medical school and completed two parts of your USMLE, you are ready to complete a four-year career in dermatology residency. If you are asking how to be a dermatologist, then the first year of your residency is a critical phase for you.
Students aiming to be a dermatologist have to spend the first year as an intern for an institution’s general surgery or medicine program. Following that, you have to take a three-year clinical residency.
Once the residency is over, the aspirants have to pass the final part of USMLE. It is an essential part of your career because it will help you earn the license to practice dermatology.
Step 5: Get Your Dermatology License
The final phase in starting your career as a dermatologist includes submitting the license to the state where you want to work. This phase comes after you have completed the education, passed the residency, and the testing prerequisites.
However, you must check the state’s regulations as to how long your license will last. The licensing checklist will also include how to renew it. You can also get the ABOD certification and prove your commitment to this field of healthcare.
Final Words
Not just the role of a dermatologist, aiming for the role of a doctor itself is a lengthy process. It can take you almost a decade to become a dermatologist. Aside from education and the years of practical lessons, one must have soft skills in communication, organization, and problem-solving skills to excel in their career.
Hopefully, you have found the answer to your queries. Please let us know if you have any similar queries..
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