Louisiana State University School of Medicine Program

Program Identity & Fit

LSUHSC New Orleans is a longstanding, multi-site academic dermatology program (first class graduated 1934) that rotates residents through a wide network of clinical environments—university medical center, VA, a large community hospital in Baton Rouge, a children's hospital, and Ochsner—exposing trainees to high-volume medical, surgical, pediatric, and cosmetic/laser dermatology across urban and semi-rural Louisiana populations. Scholarly activity is structured but not identity-defining: every resident must publish a PubMed-indexed article, present a first-year topic talk, and complete a third-year "Peterkin Project" for the Louisiana Dermatological Society, reflecting an expectation of routine academic productivity rather than a research-first culture. The program's stated mission is explicitly access-oriented—improving dermatologic care in underserved regions of Louisiana—while its alumni outcomes show consistent, steady placement into competitive fellowships (Mohs, dermpath, pediatric derm, laser/cosmetic), indicating a program built to produce well-rounded clinician-proceduralists rather than physician-scientists. Distinctive structural features include fixed multi-site rotation blocks, dedicated dermpath scope sessions, resident-run didactics, and a strong regional/community identity centered on New Orleans and Baton Rouge.