Dermatology Residency

As a private practice, we are honored to host a dermatology residency and a Mohs surgery fellowship, two of the most prestigious and sought-after programs in medicine. Since its founding in 2012, our program has provided thorough clinical and didactic training to our residents, who consistently perform well on the national level, including a 100% board exam pass rate.

• Top score in the country for the in-service Peds Module. (2020)
• Combined board exam scores in the 71st percentile among all 144 dermatology residencies in the country (2020)

Additionally, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has awarded our program the highest level of continued accreditation, with a 10-year inspection cycle. It’s a testament to our commitment to nurture future dermatology leaders, as well as to the exceptional faculty that help us carry out that mission every year.

As an academic institution, patients in Silver Falls’ Willamette Valley locations may be seen by a combination of providers, similar to a teaching hospital but in our unique community-based environment. Residents interact with our entire medical team, as well as other community physicians for a broad knowledge base and exposure to tertiary specialties. Graduates of our program are given the tools to become future dermatology leaders with a strong clinical and ethical foundation.

Resident Training

Dermatology residents are primarily trained in our community-based clinics located in Oregon's Willamette Valley. Our office in Salem is home base, where each month, residents complete unique rotations in general dermatology, surgery or dermatopathology.  Residents can also choose local optional rotations in cosmetics, plastic surgery, oculoplastic surgery; or an immersive pediatric rotation with the University of Utah Department of Pediatric Dermatology.

While in our clinics, residents see their own panel of patients. Weekly academics sessions are scheduled in blocks to accommodate the in-clinic patient schedule. This is an excellent reflection of real-world, community dermatology.

IN CLINIC, residents have their own panel of patients from Day 1 and staff each patient with an attending physician. Residents gain more autonomy for driving treatment plans as they progress through the program.

DERMATOPATHOLOGY training includes weekly readings, unknowns and scope teaching with one of our faculty dermatopathologists. Residents will also rotate with a large dermpath group, CTA, for specific alopecia teaching.

VENOUS AND LYMPHATIC MEDICINE training is performed in our Salem Vein Center, under the direction of Rick Pittman, MD. Dr. Pittman provides exposure to varicose and spider vein treatments, venous ablation and complicated wound care.

MONTHLY CONFERENCES include Oregon Dermatologic Society; Frontier Grand Rounds/Morbidity and Mortality and Tumor Board with Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center while on Mohs rotation.

WEEKLY ACADEMICS SESSIONS are scheduled in blocks to accommodate your in-clinic patient schedule.

Mohs Fellowship

In Salem, Oregon, we host one of only 78 Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology fellowship programs in the United States. The
program is accredited by the ACGME.

The Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology (MSDO) program is a one-year fellowship program, accepting one fellow per year, who must have successfully completed a dermatology residency program prior to starting the fellowship. The program affords the fellow the opportunity to work with two fellowship-trained Mohs surgeons and to interact with medical oncology, radiation oncology, surgical oncology, plastic surgery and oculoplastic surgery.

The fellowship includes a rigorous didactics program of weekly lectures based on the American College of Mohs Surgery (ACMS) curriculum and enhanced with readings suggested by the staff. The fellow also attends monthly tumor board (at which they are expected to present quarterly), M&M rounds and journal club. The fellow is also expected to teach dermatologic surgery to residents and to present at Grand Rounds.

The fellow will gain broad exposure to cutaneous malignancy management including working with medical and surgical oncology for complex cases. Our Mohs surgeons typically perform 2000-3000 Mohs surgeries per year; of which over 95% are reconstructed by the surgeon and fellow. There are also opportunities to perform other dermatologic surgery procedures (e.g. excisions, C&D, loop cautery, scar revision).

The fellow is expected to participate in research, which has been a particular strength of the program since its inception.

Application Process

Applicants interested in completing an audition rotation must submit a copy of their CV, board scores and class rank along with their request. Board scores can be self-admitted in an e-mail but an official transcript will be required for interviews.

All application material should be submitted through ERAS or email the residency coordinator at residency@silverfallsderm.net for additional contact info.

Requests for audition rotations will be reviewed and approved at the discretion of the program director and the residency review committee.

Due to the overwhelming number of applications we receive, we cannot offer an audition rotation to everyone that applies.

Interviews for incoming dermatology residents will be held in November and priority will be given to those who have rotated through the program.

We recruit 1-2 trainees per cycle.