Dermatopathology Fellowship

The Dermatopathology Fellowship program is planned as preparation for a career in dermatopathology, either in an academic setting or in practice, with an academic orientation. Our fellowship is a 2 year program the first year is ACGME accredited and the second year being non-ACGME. Our philosophy is that a second year of training is desirable for almost all applicants, with the goal of developing advanced skills in diagnostic dermatopathology and developing an academic curriculum vita.

Training in diagnostic dermatopathology is founded on our volume of over 140,000 accessions per year, of which 30,000 are consultations on previously prepared slides from all over the country and internationally, and thus contain a high proportion of challenging material.

Fellows see and construct reports on a proportion of cases prior to their being signed out by an attending. Ancillary diagnostic training occurs in immunoperoxidase techniques, immunofluorescence and molecular diagnostics. Research opportunities include clinicopathologic studies, immunoperoxidase, ultra structural and molecular investigation of various aspects of skin disease, in collaboration with laboratories in the departments of Pathology and Dermatology, and the UCSF Cancer Center.

Special interests of the faculty include molecular cytogenetics of melanoma, cutaneous lymphomas, vascular neoplasms, and inflammatory skin disease.

Requirements

To qualify candidates must have successfully completed an ACGME-accredited residency in dermatology, anatomic pathology (AP-3), or anatomic and clinical pathology (APCP-4), or an equivalent program located in Canada and accredited by the RCPSC. 
Non-U.S. citizens must possess a Permanent Resident Card or an appropriate educational visa prior to starting a postgraduate medical education program. The Department of Pathology may sponsor J1 visas.

Candidates must have an unrestricted California medical license before they begin their clinical duties.

ACGME Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education

Medical Board of California

Salary

• 1st year Fellows will be appointed as a PGY-5.
• 2nd year Fellows will be appointed as a PGY-6.

UCSF GME Trainee Financial Resources

Application

Our Dermatopathology fellowship program will not be participating in the ASDP Dermatopathology Fellowship Application Cycle because the minimum participation to ensure an agreed-upon unified timeline for applications was not met. Therefore, we have established our own timeline similar to past ASDP application cycle dates; see important dates below.

Applications for the 2027-2028 academic year are now closed. Please check back in Spring 2026 for information on how to apply for the 2028-2029 cycle.

Important Dates

The program does not discriminate with regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender expression, gender identity, gender transition status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic characteristics), genetic information (including family medical history), ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, or service in the uniformed services, including protected veterans.