Letter to Applicants | Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

Letter to Applicants

Dermatology Residency Applications for 2025 

Dear Applicant,

Thank you for your interest in the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Dermatology residency training program. For the 2025 ERAS® cycle, our program will be participating in the supplemental ERAS application offered through the AAMC’s ERAS program. Applicants will be required to complete the MyERAS application, and participation in the supplemental ERAS application is optional. We typically receive around 450 applications annually, of which approximately 30 are selected for interviews. All of the applicants who have been accepted in the past 10 years have come from schools accredited by the LCME, and most were in the top quartile of their medical school class. We will consider applications from candidates who have already had advanced training in specialties, such as internal medicine or pediatrics, unlike some programs that do not consider such applicants due to policies that cut funding for second residencies. TTUHSC residents are paid; therefore, we do not accept residents who volunteer to work in unsalaried positions. No research positions are available for candidates hoping to begin a dermatology residency at a later date. All applicants must pass Part I of the USMLE/COMLEX examination within three (3) attempts prior to acceptance. We strongly encourage applicants to take USMLE/COMLEX Step II before the interview process. However, PGY I residents must present written proof to the Program Director and the GME Office of 1) having taken USMLE/COMLEX Step III, and 2) having taken and passed USMLE Step II CK, or their equivalents for Foreign Medical graduates, within the number of attempts permitted for Texas licensure.

Prior to entering the TTUHSC three-year Dermatology residency program, trainees must complete at least a one-year PGY-I internship in one of the following disciplines: pediatrics, internal medicine, family medicine, surgery, transitional, or some other broad-based discipline acceptable to the American Board of Dermatology. A total of nine residents comprise the TTUHSC Dermatology residency program, and all positions which are to begin July 2025 are already filled. The deadline to apply for one of the three PGY-II Dermatology positions to begin July 2026 is October 31, 2024, and the national match will occur March 2025. Applicants may apply for the PGY-II Dermatology slot alone, or may also apply through the internal medicine or surgery department for one of their departments PGY-I positions here at Texas Tech to begin in July 2025. Although the TTUHSC Department of Internal Medicine and Surgery have  PGY-I positions set to begin July 2025, their internship positions and Dermatology programs are not linked. Therefore, the PGY-I internship may be completed at TTUHSC or some other program. Interviews will be conducted for all programs from December 2024 through January 2025 virtually. TTUHSC adheres to the rules of the AAMC Matching program, and all applications must be submitted electronically through the national ERAS program (www.aamc.org/eras).

While the focus of the TTUHSC Dermatology residency program lies in training competent clinical dermatologists, we also encourage academic development through participation in clinical studies, clinical research projects, and laboratory research. We are proud of the fact that the majority of residents publish studies or case reports, and present their work at state and national meetings. In the past, several residents have gone on to complete fellowships in Mohs surgery, dermatopathology and pediatrics. Although most ultimately pursue private practice, six residents have pursued academic careers in recent years.

In addition to staffing the university clinic with approximately 15,000 outpatient visits per year, residents are also involved, in Telemedicine and the VA Outpatient Clinic. Major strengths of the program include dermatologic surgery, cosmetic dermatology, and dermatopathology. Each resident performs far more Mohs cases than the average number for other dermatology programs. Also, residents may spend time in the private offices of local dermatologists. An optional one-week elective outside of Lubbock is available in the third year for residents that are in good academic standing. Weekly conferences include: General Dermatology (based on Dermatology by Bolognia), Grand Rounds, Dermpath (based on Rapini and Elston’s Textbooks), Clinicopathologic Conference (photos providing clinical for pathology based on Elston’s Textbook), Journal Club (JAAD, Archives, General literature), and a Potpourri conference. Residents attend state and national meetings, which their annual stipend helps to support with most expenses.

Located on the 1839-acre campus of Texas Tech University, the Health Sciences Center consists of the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Allied Health, Pharmacy, and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. The TTUHSC School of Medicine has an entering class of 180. The various area medical clinics serve as a major referral center for a vast region between Dallas and Albuquerque. TTUHSC- Lubbock School of Medicine is the only medical school that offers Dermatology in the western half of Texas. Lubbock has a population of almost 264,000, with a student population over 38,000 and the usual amenities of a university town. The climate, pleasant year round, is moderately dry due to the city’s 3200-foot elevation on the plains of Texas. On average, there are 260 days of sunshine per year. We look forward to receiving your application.

See Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center for more information on TTUHSC residents, faculty, publications, and presentations.

Cordially,

Michelle Tarbox, MD
Associate Professor & Chair