Dermatology Has 32% More Applicants Than Four Years Ago

That is a 32% increase, comparing the same day of each cycle. Of the 20 specialties with at least 300 applicants, 17 grew; dermatology had the fourth-largest increase. Over full seasons, the change from ERAS 2023 to 2026 was +30%. By applicant type, the same-day change since ERAS 2023 was +30% for MDs, +61% for DOs and +14% for international graduates.

Below are five seasons of AAMC ERAS data for dermatology: who applies, how many applications they send, how signals are used and how often programs interviewed applicants who did and didn’t signal them, split by MD, DO and international medical graduate.

In ERAS 2026, 1,393 people applied to dermatology. The pool was 72% MD, 15.2% DO and 12.8% international graduates. 15.2% applied to no other specialty, a count that treats required preliminary and transitional years as another specialty.

By type in ERAS 2026: MDs 29, DOs 28.5, international graduates 23.5. The middle half of applicants sent between 28 and 34. The overall median is the seventh lowest of 23 specialties covered here.

On the programs’ side, the median dermatology program received 214 applications in ERAS 2026, against 363 in ERAS 2023.

In ERAS 2027, 99% of dermatology applicants used gold signals, and the median signaling applicant used 3 gold and 25 silver.

At the median program, 82% of applicants had signaled it, up from 72% in ERAS 2026. The median program received 237 signals; the busiest tenth received 340 or more.

Signals per applicant by season: 2024: 3 (gold), 25 (silver) · 2025: 3 (gold), 25 (silver) · 2026: 3 (gold), 25 (silver) · 2027: 3 (gold), 25 (silver).

See which dermatology programs a signal moves most.

82% of dermatology programs interviewed no one who hadn’t signaled them. At 98% of programs, signaled applicants were interviewed at a higher rate than those who didn’t signal. With rates this low, applications beyond an applicant’s signals rarely turn into interviews.

These are last season’s rates. Track who is sending dermatology interview invites this season.

An MD who signaled a dermatology program was interviewed at 61% of the median program, the 11th lowest of 21 specialties with interview data. For DOs, dermatology ranks the fourth least DO-friendly of 16.

An international graduate who signaled and an MD who didn’t were both interviewed at essentially zero.

These are outcomes by group, not the effect of belonging to one. The groups differ in exam timing, visa needs and U.S. clinical experience, and none of that is controlled here.