Gap Year Mentorship
Learn. Excel. Succeed.
An elite, paid gap year program for top students to “bridge” the time from completing college to applying and enrolling in medical school — working closely on a daily basis alongside caring, highly educated doctors.
Daily, in person.
Beyond scribing — real clinical engagement.
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 mentorship 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.
At DSCA, we are proud of our collegial and collaborative work environment, including a cohort of like-minded colleagues at the same stage of training. During their one- to two-year experience, students attend monthly educational seminars, get certified in Basic Life Support, and participate in instructional suture labs.
Gap year skills essential to outstanding longitudinal care
Hands-on patient care
Unparalleled 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.
Suture lab + CPR/AED
Participate in our on-site suture lab and receive CPR and AED certification. Practice sterile techniques in preparation for surgery.
Liquid nitrogen + sterile technique
Learn to safely and confidently handle liquid nitrogen. Prep rooms for procedures and surgeries while learning to deliver personalized, compassionate patient care.
Scribing + pathology
Scribe daily for doctors using electronic records. Prepare pathology reports, submit records to labs, and communicate pathology results directly with patients.
Patient advocacy
Gain critical experience in patient advocacy such as obtaining prior authorizations for medications including systemic biologics.
Laser training
Students learn to use lasers as training progresses through the program, gaining more opportunities for patient contact including laser treatment delivery.
In their own words
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, communicating information to patients, and just being a source of compassion for patients, will carry over to the next step.
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.
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 years 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.
Our students form bonds that last far beyond the program
We love keeping in touch with our students and hearing about how their experience at DSCA helped them excel in medical school and their chosen residency programs.
DSCA is located minutes from Boston in Wellesley, Massachusetts — a one- to two-year fast-paced environment delivering a unique opportunity to work closely alongside caring, Ivy-League-educated doctors.
If you're an outstanding student,
we'd love to hear from you.
To learn more, contact our office manager Danielle.
See what our patients say online
Reviews from real patients across Wellesley, Newton, and the Greater Boston area — pulled directly from Google and other public sources.