Bridge Year Program in Wellesley, Massachusetts (minutes from Boston)
Learn. Excel. Succeed.
Dermatology and Skin Care Associates (DSCA) is proud to offer an elite, paid program for top students to “bridge” the time from completing college to applying and enrolling in medical school. Going beyond a traditional “gap year” program, our bridge year program offers a unique opportunity to work closely on a daily basis alongside caring, highly educated doctors and gain clinical knowledge while transitioning to medical school. Strengths of our bridge program include the development of many skills essential to delivering outstanding, longitudinal medical care in an out-patient/office-based setting, such as:
– unparalleled hands-on in person patient care interactions (typically averaging 10-12 daily) that go far beyond scribing to include mastery of patient history taking and discussing diagnoses, laboratory results, and prescriptions with patients
– individualized coaching on interacting with patients of diverse ages and backgrounds
– learning the fundamentals of diagnosing and treating many dermatologic diseases
– recording information efficiently and usefully into the medical record
– learning to deliver personalized and compassionate patient care including experience discussing pathology results with patients
– gaining criticial experience in patient advocacy such as obtaining prior authorizations for medications such as systemic biologics
If you are an outstanding student, apply today!
Email Danielle@dermandskincare.com to learn more.
At DSCA, we are proud of our collegial and collaborative work environment which includes not only supportive staff but also a cohort of like-minded bridge-year colleagues at the same stage of training. During their one- to two- years at DSCA, our bridge-year students have the opportunity to attend monthly educational seminars, get certified in Basic Life Support, and participate in instructional suture labs. They form warm bonds with each other that typically last far beyond the bridge year program. We love keeping in touch with our bridge-year students and hearing about how their experience at DSCA helped them excel in medical school and their chosen residency programs!
Working at DSCA has been an incredibly profound and influential experience. I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to gain clinical exposure, to learn how a medical practice operates, and to play a role in patient care. While applying to and interviewing at medical schools, my experience at DSCA has often been a key part of my application because many schools are excited to see applicants who have hands-on experience with medicine. DSCA has been an instrumental part in shaping my identity and how I see myself in the future as a provider. As I prepare to enter medical school, I feel confident that many of the experiences I had at DSCA, such as taking a patient history, communi- cating information to patients, and just being a source of compassion for patients, will carry over to the next step.
– Harry C, MD, Class of 2022 Yale School of Medicine
Participate in our on-site suture lab and receive CPR and AED certification.
Learn to safely and confidently handle liquid nitrogen.
Practice sterile techniques in preparation for surgery.
Prepare pathology reports, submit records to labs, and communicate with patients.
Scribe daily for doctors using electronic records.
Learn to prep rooms for procedures and surgeries.
Dermatology and Skin Care Associates (DSCA) located minutes from Boston in Wellesley, Massachusetts offers an elite, paid Gap-Year Program for top students who have completed college and are applying to medical school. This one- to two-year fast-paced environ- ment delivers a unique opportunity to work closely alongside caring Ivy-League educated doctors and gain clinical knowledge before transitioning to medical school. Students learn patient history taking, fundamentals of diagnosis and treatment of many dermatologic diseases, and hands-on opportunity.
Students learn to use lasers as training progresses through the program, gaining more opportunities for patient contact including laser treatment delivery.
“Dr. LaRaia taught me an incredible amount about dermatology and taking care of patients during my gap year at DSCA. Being from Illinois and having gone to undergrad in Rhode Island, I was excited to stay on the east coast for one more year before starting medical school, and could not have asked for a better mentor and teacher than Dr. L. Also, with so many encouraging coworkers there to support me through the medical school application process, I was able to really lean into my gap year opportunity to become the best clinical assistant that I could. The lessons I learned during my time at DSCA have already carried into my first two years of medical school at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and I know they will stay with me as I begin my third year rotations.”
– Abigail Cuevas
University of Illinois Chicago School of Medicine
‘I was fortunate to spend my year with the program working with Dr. Wolpowitz. After graduating from college in Chicago in 2020 , it was exciting (albeit nerve-wracking) to become immersed into the clinical setting. I feel so lucky to have spent the year learning with the excellent team at Dermatology & Skin Care Associates, and I truly feel as though the experience has set me up with a unique perspective and insight into the practice of medicine. I have been extraordinarily well-prepared for all of my clinical interactions in medical school, and as I head into my next few yeast of clinical rotations at UIC, I look forward to continuing to apply the communication skills as well as practical knowledge of what medical practice looks like that I learned during my time with the program.”
Isabel Scharf
University of Illinois Chicago School of Medicine
During my third year of medical school, I have received honors in internal medicine, surgery, neurology, family medicine, OB/GYN, and pediatrics. I believe what allowed me to stand out amongst my peers were the cognitive and non-cognitive skills that I acquired while working at DSCA. Cognitive skills include writing concise HPIs, having appropriate sterile technique, and having a foundational knowledge in dermatology. Non-cognitive skills include being proactive, having a positive attitude, and being professional. Thank you for providing me and others with this great opportunity. The benefits of the experience will continue well beyond medical school
– Gordon R, MD, Class of 2018
Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
Working with my doctor mentor has been a great experience for me in building clinical experience and confidence for a future in medicine. This position has allowed me to learn so much about dermatology and the practicalities of medicine, from the clinical side of assisting in life-saving procedures, to the administrative side of charting patients’ medical records. It is an intense, fast-paced learning environment, but
it has only strengthened my desire to be a physician.
– Jennifer C, Current Student
One of my introductory classes was, “Patient Interviewing.” Talking with patients at the hospital each week, I appreciated how truly prepared I was to take a good medical history and how comfortable I am now talking to patients.
– Lucien R, MD, Class of 2019
Tufts Medical School
This experience is a unique opportunity to work one-on-one with a doctor and gain clinical knowledge before medical school. I am very glad I was able to have a year to develop my interpersonal skills and medical knowledge before entering medical school, as I felt more than prepared to tackle every clinical encounter I was presented during medical school. Several students took positions in other offices in the area during their gap year, but I strongly believe DSCA provides the best balance of work responsibilities and medical learning. Working at DSCA was the best use of my gap year I believe I could have made.
– Jesse C, DO, Class of 2018
I’ve been able to directly interact with patients and see how our work has impacted them over time. Working closely with one physician mentor has also given me insight into how clinical considerations and decisions are made. I am very grateful to learn in-depth about clinic operations and what it would be like to be a physician myself.
– Theresa Y, Current Student
“My gap year experience at DSCA has been beneficial to not only my confidence and preparedness when applying to and interviewing for medical school, but also my knowledge and skills now that I am a medical student. In particular, I am able to excel in our clinical skills course and during patient interaction practice. While most students are hearing terms like “Chief Complaint” and “History of Present Illness” for the first time during class, these are concepts that I have been practicing and applying for the past two years. Furthermore, during our mock patient interaction sessions, I feel extremely comfortable interviewing the patient. I know exactly what questions to ask, how to behave in a professional manner, and how to respond appropriately in difficult situations. During my review sessions, I have had fourth year students state that I am able to obtain a better patient history as a first year student than they are able to obtain as a fourth year student! I owe my skills and confidence entirely to the experience, guidance, and mentorship that I was given during my time in DSCA’s gap year program. I highly recommend this program to any aspiring medical students!“
– Christine L, Class of 2020
Albany Medical College
