NIH Funding and Research Output of Dermatology Applicants Before and After STEP 1 Pass/Fail Transition
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Keywords
STEP 1, research productivity, NIH funding, Dermatology Residency Applicants, STEP 1 pass/fail
Abstract
Dermatology is one of the most competitive specialties in the current residency match. Following the USMLE STEP 1 transition to pass/fail in January 2022, greater emphasis has been placed on medical students’ research productivity (Whiteside, 2025). While institutional funding through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has been linked to greater research output among medical students, little is known about how this relationship evolved following the STEP 1 transition. The objective of this study was to characterize the impact of level of institutional funding on research productivity of successful dermatology applicants before and after the STEP 1 transition. Research metrics of residents from the classes of 2026 (pre-transition) and 2028 (post-transition) across 93 U.S. MD and DO dermatology programs were reviewed. PubMed was sourced to quantify total number of publications, first authorships, and dermatology-related publications. Medical schools were grouped into high, moderate, or low NIH funding levels based on 2024 Blue Ridge Institute rankings. Overall, total number PubMed publications (3.47 vs 4.45, p < 0.004), first-authorships (1.78 vs 2.20, p< 0.054), and dermatology-related publications (2.35 vs 3.27, p < 0.01) increased significantly post-transition. Notably, post-transition increases were only significant amongst applicants from high NIH-funded medical schools (4.63 to 5.87, p= 0.025). These findings suggest that medical students from highly funded research institutions are better equipped to adapt to changes in residency selection.
References
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