University of California San Diego Medical Center Program

Dermatology Analyst Verified · Aug 31, 2026

University of California San Diego Medical Center Program

University of California San Diego Medical Center Program is a residency program specializing in Dermatology, located in La Jolla, California, directed by Taraneh Paravar, MD and coordinated by Carisse Gaude. The program accepts applications through October 1, 2027. International Medical Graduates interested in this program may contact the program coordinator directly at [email protected] or (858) 657-1675. IMGPrep analysts have verified and compiled this program’s IMG acceptance rate, USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 score requirements, Visa Sponsorship Policy, graduation year cutoff, and ECFMG certificate requirements — available to IMGPrep subscribers.

Program Identity & Fit

UC San Diego Dermatology is an academic, university-affiliated three-year program anchored by a nationally prominent basic-science research enterprise (immunology, wound repair, developmental biology) with over 50 postdoctoral scholars and NIH-funded faculty labs led by investigators such as Gallo and Sen. Clinical training spans the La Jolla VAMC, UC San Diego Health outpatient and inpatient sites, and Rady Children's Hospital, giving residents exposure to general, autoimmune, pigmented-lesion, cutaneous lymphoma, patch-testing, pediatric, surgical, and inpatient complex dermatology. The program offers a distinct ABD-approved Research Track (one position) with six months of protected PGY4 basic-science time explicitly designed to train future independent-laboratory physician-scientists, separate from the standard four-position clinical track. Given its emphasis on scholarship, leadership, and the scale of its basic-science infrastructure, the program clearly values residents who will contribute meaningfully to the specialty through research as well as clinical excellence.

Who it fits

The program aligns most naturally with an MD/PhD or research-intensive applicant with a demonstrated basic-science publication record and articulated goals of running an independent dermatology research laboratory, alongside applicants seeking broad clinical exposure across VA, tertiary, and pediatric settings without an explicit research focus.

Research intensity

Central - research is core to program identity, with a dedicated Research Track, protected lab time, and a large NIH-funded basic-science infrastructure integrated into training.

Career orientation

Mixed - Physician-Scientist, Academic Medicine

Important

The Research Track requires a letter of recommendation from a research mentor addressing the applicant's potential as a physician-scientist, plus a supplemental NIH Biosketch-style application and research presentation during interview; the program states preference signaling will be used in determining interview offers.

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