A research track that provides trainees an early start in establishing their scientific career by replacing the majority of the PGY4 year of clinical training with postdoctoral laboratory work.
Program Structure
- PGY2-3: Full time clinical dermatology training
- PGY4: Participants will have 75 percent protected research time and will spend 25 percent effort on clinical dermatology (weekly resident clinic, grand rounds, and lectures). Residents will be encouraged to develop a clinical area of expertise that is complementary to their research interests. At the end of their PGY4 year, trainees will be board-eligible.
After completion of residency, trainees will join Penn Dermatology’s clinical faculty and be promoted to Clinical Instructor and receive a competitive salary (as opposed to PGY-5 funding). At the end of the combined program, trainees will have generated preliminary data to be used towards applying for junior faculty grants, such as the Dermatology Foundation Career Development Awards and NIH K08, K23, K99/R00, or other grant mechanisms. The program is designed to be flexible to support trainees until they obtain a tenure-track or comparable faculty position in an academic medical center, typically reflecting a total of four to six years in the program.
Research Training
Research training may be completed within the Department of Dermatology or in other clinical or basic science departments at Penn (Penn Research). Together, this offers a broad range of opportunities for developing a career in cutting-edge scientific topics relevant to skin biology. Applicants interested in clinically oriented research may also receive additional formal instruction in research methods with the goal of this training leading to an advanced degree, such as an MSCE. In addition to the vast research resources available throughout the university, trainees are supported by numerous departmental resources, including:
- NIH/NIAMS Skin Biology and Diseases Resource-Based Center, which provides IRB protocol assistance, biostatistics analysis, and research resources
- NIH/NIAMS T32 training grant, which provides two years of salary support
- A mentoring program with both assigned and informal advisors, including individualized career development plans
- Weekly dermatology research-in-progress meetings to keep apprised of latest research in the department
- Twice monthly trainee happy hours to have fun while encouraging peer mentoring networks
Professional Career Development
At Penn Dermatology, we recognize the challenges in transitioning from trainee to junior faculty. To prepare trainees for a seamless transition, we provide comprehensive scientific and professional career development, including advising on choice of research mentor and scientific areas of focus, tips on grant writing, guidance on appropriate grant mechanisms, and accessible faculty and peer mentoring networks. Our advising structure includes a team of junior, mid-career, and senior faculty who can provide a broad overview of the challenges and rewards of a career in research dermatology.
Penn Dermatology trainees have a strong track record of success in obtaining NIH funding, research awards, and tenure-track research faculty positions.
Application and Interview Requirements
Applicants should have at least one year of research experience and a history of research publication to be considered for this position. Interest in this program should be declared at the time of application. In addition to the general dermatology interview, qualified applicants will be invited to stay an extra day to give a 15-minute talk on their own original research, to meet Penn’s current research residency trainees, and to interview with the Dermatology research faculty.
If you are interested in our research track, please apply through ERAS, and indicate your interest in the Combined Clinical and Research Training Program on the Supplemental Questionnaire