Dermatology Pathway (curriculum as of Class of 2026) Introduction Sites and Personnel Description of Pathway Dermatology Requirement Strongly Recommended Courses Suggested Electives Free Electives Textbooks and Learning Resources Evaluations Other Faculty Curriculum Committee of Department

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REVIEW FOR PATHWAY 2025-2026:

Introduction

To assist students interested in a career in dermatology with planning their fourth-year rotations and to better meet their educational needs and career goals, a discipline-based pathway in dermatology was developed. The pathway, or set of recommendations regarding the selection of rotations, should be front-loaded. The electives in dermatology should occur as early in the fourth year as possible in order to reconfirm the student's interest in dermatology and to acquire letters of recommendation from dermatology faculty at DUCOM and/or other institutions. The primary goal is to familiarize the student with the broad scope of dermatology training and practice to allow for a realistic career decision. In addition, it is expected that each student will learn to diagnose and treat a wide variety of common dermatologic disorders.

In general, this pathway contains a minimum of required electives since only the dermatology elective is necessary to attain the primary goals. The student should have wide discretion in filling out the remainder of his/her schedule in many areas of medicine.

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Sites and Personnel

Pathway Director
Erum Ilyas, M.D, M.B.E, F.A.A.D
ek36@drexel.edu

Student Coordinator
Marie Hartman
215-991-8503 Phone
215-843-7738
mh37@drexel.edu

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Required Courses

Emergency Medicine Subinternship
Emergency Medicine Subinternship is required by the University as a senior year course. During this course we would expect that the student will learn the principles of rapid assessment and stabilization of critically ill and injured patients; learn the initial evaluation and management of the wide range of undifferentiated patient complaints in the Emergency Department; gain skills, specialized examination technique and real-time interpretation of diagnostic studies; participate in common and more advanced procedures.

Required Subinternship Objectives: Dermatology Pathway students must complete the required Medicine Subinternship.
By the end of the rotation learners will be able to:

1. Take ownership of their patients and be the primary point person regarding their care.
2. Demonstrate the ability to care for patients with increasing independence while seeking help when appropriate
3. Handle the daily tasks of an intern including preparing for rounds, presenting on rounds, interprofessional knowledge and communication skills, and patient interactions, histories and physicals, note writing of all varieties, and sign-out in a proficient and efficient manner.
4. Apply their knowledge towards diagnosis and management of common acute complaints and chronic conditions, creating care plans and communicating with consultants as necessary.
5. Perform general procedures through demonstration of the necessary preparation and key issues required for the performance of procedures, including understanding patient-specific factors, indications, contraindications, risks, benefits, and alternatives. 
6. Demonstrate reliable mechanical skills in performing procedures in most situations and knows when to seek help for procedures or situations beyond the learner’s abilities.
7. Perform safe transitions of care, coordination of care, and discharge planning.

A. Dermatology Requirement

Students in the dermatology pathway will be required to take one rotation in Dermatology (see details below).

The Goals and Objectives of the Dermatology rotation are as follows:

1. To learn to diagnose and treat the common dermatologic disorders
2. To learn to recognize more complicated skin problems.
3. Recognize cutaneous manifestations of systemic disease and their relationship to that disease.
4. To become familiar with the wide variety of advanced dermatologic surgery procedures and their correct indications and usage.
5. To understand site selection for biopsies and to become familiar with correlating the histologic findings to the clinical findings.

During the fourth year all students, regardless of pathway, will be required to meet certain medical school requirements as outlined in the Student Handbook.

B. Strongly Recommended Courses

Strongly Recommended: Dermatology - 1- 3 additional Dermatology Away rotations. At least two Away Dermatology rotations are strongly recommended for Dermatology applicants.

Dermatology electives in a University setting:
At least two Dermatology electives in a University setting are strongly recommended for Dermatology applicants. This will expose the student to new areas of subspecialty interest and additional faculty members at another university. The option of taking a home based rotation in a community based dermatology office (i.e., Reading Hospital) may also be chosen if an exposure to a non-university setting is desired.

C. Suggested Electives

1. Dermatopathology, Pediatric Dermatology, Research in Dermatology
2. Plastic Surgery or Infectious Disease, Rheumatology or Hematology/Oncology. A plastic surgery experience will provide an intensive exposure to larger cutaneous surgical cases. A rheumatology or infectious disease elective will provide exposure to a spectrum of diseases, which can affect the skin as well as the many side effects from the drugs used to treat such diseases.
3. Emergency Medicine or Ambulatory Pediatric Outpatient Rotation. This rotation would provide a broad clinical experience in treating any type of emergency. As physicians, whatever the specialty, a knowledge of emergency care is necessary.

D. Free Electives

The student may choose free electives based on schedule availability and according to his/her interests.

Required Dermatology Rotation
During the four-week elective, the student will be exposed to a wide variety of common dermatologic disorders. These exposures will occur both during patient sessions and through a clinical series of didactic sessions. At a minimum, it is expected that each student will learn to diagnose and treat the following dermatologic disorders: 

1. Acne and its variants
2. Atopic Dermatitis and other eczema variants
3. Common Viral Infections
   1. verruca
   2. herpes simplex
   3. herpes zoster
   4. molluscum contagiosum
4. Common Bacterial Infections
   1. impetigo
   2. folliculitis
   3. cellulitis
5. Common Fungal Infections
   1. dermatophyte (tinea)
   2. candidiasis
6. Common Parasitic Infections
   1. scabies
7. Common Benign Tumors:
   1. seborrheic keratosis
   2. melanocytic nevi
   3. acrochordons
   4. keloids
   5. hemangiomas
   6. cysts
   7. dermatofibromas
   8. lentigines
8. Common Precancerous or Malignant Tumors:
   1. actinic keratosis
   2. basal cell carcinoma
   3. squamous cell carcinoma
   4. melanoma
9. Seborrheic Dermatitis
10. Psoriasis Vulgaris
11. Rosacea

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Recommended Reading:
Principles of Dermatology by Lookingbill and Marks. The reading corresponds to the lecture series. Copies of this text are available in the medical school library and the bookstore.
Week 1: Chapters 2 and 4
Week 2: Chapters 9 and 10
Week 3: Chapter 13
Week 4: Chapters 6, 7, and 8

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Evaluation of the Student
The student's performance in each rotation will be evaluated by supervising physicians, and residents when appropriate, using the standard Drexel University College of Medicine clinical evaluation form. Students not receiving a grade of satisfactory or higher will be counseled and provided with remediation.

Evaluation of 4th year Courses
Upon completion of each rotation, students are encouraged to complete the end-of-rotation evaluation form in DOCSS. Students have the opportunity to provide feedback on the rotation as well as on specific faculty (and residents) with whom they worked in DOCSS. All feedback is de-identified.

Evaluation of the Pathway
Students are encouraged to complete an end-of-year Pathway evaluation for the Pathway. The feedback from this evaluation will help in advising future students more effectively.

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