University of Southern California-Los Angeles General Medical Center USC-LA General Program

Program Identity & Fit

USC/LA General Medical Center is a large, academic, safety-net-anchored dermatology program built around one of the highest-volume county hospitals in the country, supplemented by pediatric (CHLA), oncologic (USC Norris), VA, and private Keck sites, producing exposure to advanced, neglected, and tropical dermatologic disease rarely seen in typical training. The program has a strong health equity and skin-of-color orientation, evidenced by its dedicated Skin of Color and Pigmentary Research Fellowship, Hansen's Disease and HIV/tropical medicine clinics, and DermRISES/Dermmunity outreach work. Training is procedurally rich and progressively autonomous, moving residents from foundational biopsy skills to independent Mohs, complex reconstructive surgery, and one-on-one dermatopathology sign-out by the third year. Beyond clinical volume, the program emphasizes teaching (residents run medical student courses and workshops) and community engagement (Camp Wonder, SunSmart), suggesting it values residents drawn to underserved, high-acuity populations and comfortable balancing heavy clinical service with teaching and outreach responsibilities.