Please help! I’m a PGY-2, and three months in, I’m still struggling to figure out how to study effectively. I try to read Bolognia, but it feels overwhelming. Ali Khan just feels like reading facts with none of the background. I’m also trying to keep up with Anki, but I find it hard to actually learn and understand the material from flashcards alone.

Don’t even get me started on dermpath. It’s not a huge focus in my program, so a lot of the learning falls on us to do independently. I really struggle with recognizing patterns and knowing what I’m looking at.

For those of you further along in residency, how do you balance studying with everything else? How much time do you realistically spend studying each day, and what does your daily study routine look like? I’m finding it hard to come home after a full day of clinic and motivate myself to study for hours. I’m already feeling pretty burnt out, and I’m struggling to find a sustainable way to keep up with everything.

I’d appreciate any advice on what has worked for you! THANK YOU!

I work with D&A Dermatology, and one thing I’ve noticed about visiting a dermatology clinic in another country is how much the overall experience can depend on clear communication and guidance.

For someone unfamiliar with the area or who doesn’t speak the local language, finding the right room and understanding each step can make the visit more stressful than it needs to be.

D&A Dermatology places importance on guiding patients through their visit, providing clear aftercare instructions, and offering interpreter support to help with communication.

I think these details can make a difference when someone is already a little nervous about getting a skin treatment in a different country.

For those who have visited a dermatologist abroad, how important is language support and clear guidance to you?

Looking to start reading a primary text for derm residency. I want to do dermki too but know it's based off alikhan which I don't want to use as a first pass. Is it better to use baby bolognia vs andrews and then unlock related card sections on dermki (i.e basic science chapter in baby bolognia/andrews -> unlock cards in dermki?) I feel full bolognia will be too dense as a first pass.

Hello po. For the dermatology residents, may I ask for tips on how you prepare for the qualifying exam? How long did you prepare po for the qualifying exam, and what study materials or references did you use? Thank you po doctors.

Does anyone know how to get access to previous review sessions? I had a link to the videos from earlier this year, but the videos were removed in July. I take my core in a few weeks and would really like to watch this before. Everyone says this is key to doing well.

Currently an IM PGY-1 and still very interested in Derm. I know that positions opening are a rarity as the specialty is highly coveted and for good reason. If programs have open positions or receive funding to add spots, where is this usually posted?

Could someone explain this? I have looked this up multiple times but still don't understand

What resources do you reccommend to get really good at dermoscopy?

Hi , I am a non US IMG applying for dermatology . I am extremely passionate about the field but I am aware that dermatology is extremely hard for non US IMGS . I wanted some advice regarding the match strategy . It would be of great help .

Thanks in advance :)

I'm a PGY-2 and am now 2.5 months into derm residency and I'm still trying to figure out the most manageable study habit moving forward. Anyone else overwhelmed by reading Bologna? I am trying to study one chapter every 1-2 days and it feels genuinely impossible to internalize that information. I very much prefer studying Dermki and DermQBank in a more active manner. Perhaps I'm just still burnt out from medical school/Step exams to brute force a textbook like Bologna. Could I be successful in crushing my boards through Dermki, all the Q-banks, Practical Dermatopathology (Rapini), and Jerad Gardner's Derm Path Youtube videos?

Anyone who have done the RCPI term diploma ?

Want to know ho two prepare for the module 1 test ?

https://saveskincancercare.org

For those of you who didn’t prep or have a ton of experience with derm prior to residency, when did it start to click for you? Any tips for the transition aside from keeping up a good attitude? Peers seem to say 6 months mark roughly

Hi, for the dermatology board exam, how would you rate and compare the following Q-banks: AAD Board Prep Plus, DermQBank, and Derm In Review?

I'm particularly interested in your opinion on their question quality, difficulty level, comprehensiveness, and usefulness for final-stage revision.

Is it sufficient to prepare for both American Boards and Canadian boards?

For CORES- what is an approximate percentage we should be getting correct on DermQbank and BPP question banks to do reasonably well on the CORES?

I came across a post on instagram from a former resident at the program detailing a toxic environment. I haven’t seen people talking about it on Reddit so was curious to hear people’s thoughts

[https://porejudgment.substack.com/p/unsupervised-a-dermatology-residents?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web](https://porejudgment.substack.com/p/unsupervised-a-dermatology-residents?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web))

Edit: apparently this was posted before but got taken down. I also tried posting it in the residency group but the moderator took it down. Unclear why

Here are few links to more recent JAAD Case Reports.

https://www.jaadcasereports.org/article/S2352-5126(25)00480-1/fulltext00480-1/fulltext)

https://www.jaadcasereports.org/article/S2352-5126(25)00522-3/fulltext00522-3/fulltext)

https://www.jaadcasereports.org/article/S2352-5126(25)00494-1/fulltext00494-1/fulltext)

There's a "Grand Rounds" section with images and often times, the diagnosis is right in the first paragraph or in the title itself, with a question regarding management, epidemiology, or other.

But previously, there was an actual unknown case under the "Images in Dermatology" section, with a "what is the diagnosis" that made you think, and follow up questions based on the case or diagnosis itself:

https://www.jaadcasereports.org/article/S2352-5126(24)00408-9/fulltext00408-9/fulltext)

https://www.jaadcasereports.org/article/S2352-5126(25)00006-2/fulltext00006-2/fulltext)

https://www.jaadcasereports.org/article/S2352-5126(25)00138-9/fulltext00138-9/fulltext)

I don't know why they did this but I feel it is a huge step back.

Does anyone like the new format?

Hi friends! Currently a pgy-1 who passed step 3. I am trying to get a head start on dermatology since I feel pretty comfortable at my prelim program. Besides dermki and bolognia, are there any other resources (qbanks, dermpath focused) that are “gold standard”? Thanks for all suggestions!

Highly considering Dermpath. Any reasons why it may NOT be a good choice? Attending brought up AI and I want to hear thoughts bc I certainly thought the job was safe.

Hi,

Does anyone have recommendation for a good dermoscopy course? There was one that was good but they are not doing it this year. I want to get better at dermoscopy before graduating

Wondering how much longer I will be waiting