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 guaranteed competitive salary (higher than 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). 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 university resources, 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 encourage peer mentoring networks.
Professional Career Development
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 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.
Our alumni 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.
Faculty Leads
Thomas H. Leung, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Dermatology
Email: thl@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Aimee S. Payne, MD, PhD
Professor of Dermatology
Email: paynea@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
David Margolis, MD, PhD
Professor of Dermatology
Email: margo@pennmedicine.upenn.edu