Costs estimated for applying to dermatology residency

(HealthDay)—The total cost for all U.S. medical school seniors applying to dermatology residency is estimated at almost $5 million, according to a research letter published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Bobbak Mansouri, M.D., from Baylor Scott and White in Temple, Texas, and colleagues performed an updated estimation of the costs for U.S. medical school students applying for dermatology residency. The overall costs were calculated for matched and unmatched U.S. applications in 2014. Costs included the fees from the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS), National Resident Matching Program, U.S. Medical Licensing Exam reporting, and the costs of away rotations and interviews.

Four hundred sixty-three U.S. seniors applied to dermatology positions in 2014 (352 matched and 111 unmatched). The researchers found that the total cost was $11,324 per matched applicant and $9,058 per non-matched applicant, based on a median of 72 and 81 ERAS applications submitted, respectively. For all U.S. medical school seniors applying to dermatology residency, the total cost was estimated at almost $5 million. The estimated per applicant cost for a month-long away rotation was $2,142. Matched and unmatched U.S. seniors had an average of 15 and 10 interviews, respectively, with an estimated per-interview cost of $500.

"To ease this cost burden, we suggest multi-institutional or video-conferenced interviews and coordination of interview dates for various regions across the United States," the authors write.

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