SSM Health-Saint Louis University School of Medicine Program

Program Identity & Fit

SSM Health/Saint Louis University is a university-based, Jesuit-affiliated dermatology program with four categorical positions per year, offering broad exposure across medical, surgical, cosmetic, pediatric and dermatopathology services at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital and Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital. Research is mandatory but structured as a clinical/QI exercise rather than a bench-science pursuit: every resident completes an IRB-approved second-year project and a third-year quality-improvement project, with drug-company-sponsored and investigator-initiated studies available and statistical support provided. The program's most distinctive feature is the Kansas Access Track, a rural/underserved pathway built with Heartland Dermatology in which one resident annually spends three months per year in Wichita and commits to two years of post-residency practice in underserved Kansas, reflecting a broader institutional emphasis on skin-of-color education, community engagement, and cura personalis-driven service. The program explicitly values applicants who articulate personal journeys, overcome challenges, and demonstrate interest through gold/silver ERAS signaling rather than pure numerical metrics.