Pediatric Dermatology

What does a Pediatric Dermatologist do?
What are the career opportunities?
What Board, if any, certifies a Pediatric Dermatologist?
What is the lifestyle of a Pediatric Dermatologist?
What is the compensation of a Pediatric Dermatologist?
How do I become a Pediatric Dermatologist?
Where do I find out about available programs?
When do I apply?
Why should I choose to become a Pediatric Dermatologist?
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Proposed Electives

What does a Pediatric Dermatologist do?
A pediatric dermatologist cares for children (newborns-adolescents) with skin disorders. Pediatric dermatologists primarily provide care or children in the outpatient clinic setting, but may also care for hospitalized patients. Many perform surgical procedures such as laser therapy and cutaneous surgery. Pediatric dermatologists diagnose and manage a wide variety of skin disorders including birthmarks (hemangiomas, vascular malformations, and pigmented lesions), skin infections, dermatitis (such as atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis), melanocytic nevi (moles), genodermatoses (inherited skin disorders), pediatric skin cancer, cutaneous drug eruptions, viral exanthems, and collagen vascular disorders (such as morphea and cutaneuous lupus). The majority of pediatric dermatologists also help teach and train dermatology and pediatrics residents.

What are the career opportunities?
Pediatric dermatology is a small, yet growing field. The majority of pediatric dermatologists work in a university/academic setting. Increasingly, more pediatric dermatologists are entering private practice.

What Board, if any, certifies a Pediatric Dermatologist?
The subspecialty of pediatric dermatology is certified by the American Board of Dermatology. In order to become a board certified pediatric dermatologist you must also be a board eligible dermatologist.

What is the lifestyle of a Pediatric Dermatologist?
Lifestyles of pediatric dermatologists vary dependent on whether you work part time or full time, whether you work in a group or solo practice, or if you are in academics versus private practice. Pediatric dermatologists usually do not have to spend the night in the hospital; however, they may be called emergently in the evening or the weekend to evaluate a rash in an ill patient in the emergency room or inpatient hospital setting. Pediatric dermatologists usually see a high volume of patients in the outpatient setting. If a pediatric dermatologist practices in a university/academic setting, he/she may also be involved in clinical research and teaching of medical students, residents, and fellows.

What is the compensation of a Pediatric Dermatologist?
Compensation for a pediatric dermatologist may be dependent upon the level of experience of the individual practitioner and upon their individual productivity, such as the number of patients seen and procedures performed. Salaries vary, but are similar to that of other pediatric subspecialists. Academic pediatric dermatologist salaries are usually less than those of academic adult/general dermatologists.

How do I become a Pediatric Dermatologist?
In contrast to other pediatric subspecialties, a pediatric dermatologist is board certified through the American Board of Dermatology and the subspecialty requirements are different than the requirements of most other pediatric subspecialties. In order to become a board eligible pediatric dermatologist, you must be a board eligible dermatologist and have completed a 3 year dermatology residency. An internship in pediatrics is not required prior to dermatology residency (you may complete an internship in internal medicine), however, it is desirable. Dermatology residency positions are highly competitive to match in and often require excellent grades/clinical evaluations, and research experience in dermatology while in medical school. After completing dermatology residency, a one year fellowship at an ACGME-accredited pediatric dermatology fellowship program is required. After completing fellowship, you need to pass a certifying examination in pediatric dermatology prior to obtaining full board certification in pediatric dermatology. If you have completed only a pediatrics residency, you are not eligible to be board certified in pediatric dermatology. Some pediatric dermatology programs offer pediatric dermatology clinical research fellowships to board-eligible or board-certified pediatricians (who are hoping to match in dermatology); however, completing a pediatric dermatology research fellowship alone does not qualify you for board-certification in pediatric dermatology.

Dermatology residency programs participate in ERAS and pediatric dermatology fellowship programs participate in the SF Match program.

Where do I find out about available programs?
The Society for Pediatric Dermatology (SPD), which is the main academic society for pediatric dermatologists, has more information about available pediatric dermatology fellowship programs.

When do I apply?
Pediatric dermatology fellowships match for positions that commence 1 year later. Currently, the SF match is open from mid-January to early November. The final match results are posted in mid-November for positions to begin the following July.

Why should I choose to become a Pediatric Dermatologist?
If you enjoy caring for children of all age groups, are interested in specializing in a pediatric field, enjoy the visual aspect of dermatology, prefer mainly outpatient clinic work, enjoy teaching, are facile at performing procedures, are intrigued by the variety of cutaneous findings that may signify underlying medical disorders, enjoy making significant impacts on patient's quality of life, and are interested in both acute and chronic management of diseases then pediatric dermatology may be a subspecialty for you.

For more information about Pediatric Dermatology, visit these websites:

Society for Pediatric Dermatology
American Board of Dermatology
SF Match

Subspecialty Journals:
Pediatric Dermatology