Medical student dermatology research in the United States

The development of academic researchers is important for the future success of dermatology, but few dermatology trainees are entering academic practice in the United States. Because many successful researchers begin to focus on research skills during medical school, an electronic survey was conducted to evaluate dermatology research opportunities and benchmarks for U.S. medical students. First- and second-year medical students participated in case studies, clinical research projects, and laboratory benchwork, but participation significantly increased during the third and fourth years. Funded programs had higher student participation than nonfunded programs and were also more likely to have medical students present their research at meetings. A wide variety of research opportunities are currently offered to U.S. medical students, so a lack of research opportunities in medical school does not explain the dwindling supply of academic dermatologists in the United States. Because funding appears to be an important factor for successful medical student research, new mechanisms of funding should be identified and developed.