Cooling Research Fever in Dermatology —The Role of Community Service

To the Editor We read with interest the recent Viewpoint by Gandelman et al that highlighted research fever in dermatology, which refers to the field ’s growing overemphasis on research output and the concurrent rise in the average number of abstracts, presentations, and publications of applicants matched into dermatology. We agree with the authors that research fever is a complex, multifactorial problem for which there may not be a simple, sin gular quick fix. However, one solution mentioned in mere passing, but which we believe deserves greater consideration and emphasis, is increasing the importance of community service in the evaluation of dermatology residency applicants. Overwhelmingly, the US dermatology workforce consists of physic ians working in the community in private practices rather than research or academia. A 2020 study found that only 15% of dermatologists practice in academic settings, whereas 79% practice within community settings as either solo practitioners or members of a single-specialty or multispecialty group. This misalignment between the overemphasis placed on research and the realities of current-day practice is to the detriment of patients and trainees alike, as research fever may not necessarily equip future generations of dermatologists with the knowledge, experience, and skill sets needed to serve patients within the community.

Source: JAMA Dermatology - February 21, 2024 Category: Dermatology Source Type: research