Is dermatology a tough field to get into now?

Yes, it is currently one of the more competitive fields to enter after medical school. It requires good grades in medical school as well as very high scores on the board exams that medical students have to take. Hope this helps! Dr. B. Come to Canada! We could use a lot more in Dermatology. If you want to remain in the U.S., then look at other options. One part of the Medical system (doctors are short in this) is Geriatrics (working with the elderly) because many med students don't feel it's a challenging enough job and we have a famous doctor in Canada who is teaching students that want to become doctors that indeed it's not only a great job, but rewarding. The idea of the elderly is that some of the young going into be a doctor will think "Oh well, they're just dying anyway." Ask any Coroner and they can tell you that you can learn more from the dead than the living. You could perhaps go into the scientific studies of Dermatology. Ask around and find out what your options are.