Information for Students Applying to Dermatology

APD Statement on 2024-2025 Application Cycle

Important Dates

Coordinated Interview Release Date:  November 18, 2024

Interview Dates: January 9-10, 2025

ERAS application

Applications for residency positions are accepted only through Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).  It is critical that all applications to our program be filed via ERAS in a timely manner.  It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure that all components of the application, to include Dean’s letters and all other letters of recommendation, have been received by ERAS.

The changes previously included in the AAMC Supplemental ERAS Application have now been fully integrated into the MyERAS application.  Importantly, applicants will be limited to 10 activities/experiences and will again be asked to provide additional context for a limited number of meaningful experiences.  This information is an important part of holistic application review, and helps us to understand applicants’ path to medicine, prior experiences, and activities, and what is meaningful to each applicant.  Please be honest in your responses, as this will help us and you gauge whether our program can fully appreciate your contributions and prior experiences and support your goals and unique learning style.

A minimum of three letters of recommendation is required.  The maximum is 4 letters of recommendation.

USMLE Step 2 scores are required.

Preference signaling

Preference signaling is an option for an applicant to signal interest in our program. We will be using program signalling again this year during our application review process. Applicants will distribute 3 gold and 25 silver signals. Home and away rotation programs are not excluded as they were in previous years.  Regardless of whether you are a UNC medical student or if you have completed an in-person away rotation with us, if our program is one of your top 28 programs, please signal us.  Similar to last year, we will use signals in making determinations about our inteview invite list, but will not use them for ranking.

We do not filter applications based on metrics or attributes, and strive to perform holistic review on all applications. However, given the sheer volume of applications, if you have a specific interest in our program, a signal will ensure your application receives an in-depth review by program leadership, and could differentiate your application from others with similar listed goals, experiences, and/or metrics.

Pre- and post-interview communication

Because we are participating in preference signaling, we will not consider other informal mechanisms of showing interest including emails from you or an advocate, letters of intent, or thank you notes. Please do not send this type of communication either pre- or post-interview. We will communicate with you via email regarding interview information and status of your application. We will not provide additional information about your position on our rank list or likelihood of matching with us.  If you have specific questions about the program, these can be directed to Cherie Norton, our program cooridnator, or to your assigned resident ambassador.  For general inquiries about the program, please refer to our website and our social media accounts.

Interviews

All interviews will be virtual. We understand that applicants have strong and varying opinions about in-person and virtual interviews. While we want to give applicants the opportunity to get to know our program, residents, faculty, and city in person, we are cognizant of the financial costs of in-person interviews, the impact of travel on our environment, and the potential to lead to inequity and lack of sustainability in the process. Each interviewee will be assigned a ‘resident ambassador’ who will connect with you to relate their training and living experiences with our program before, during and after the interview process. We will host a virtual social event on the evening prior to your interview.