Overview
Dermatology trains 4 years (1 intern + 3 derm residency) and lands near $500K. Nearly 90% of dermatologists practice outside PSLF-qualifying settings, so the strategy math is simple: refinance and pay off fast.
Physician salary & compensation
Median salary
$500K
Range
$430K – $650K
Source
MGMA 2025 / Doximity 2025
Residency training timeline
Training years
4y
PGY-1 salary
$65K
Annual growth
2.0%
Fellowship
Optional
Not baked into training
Most dermatology trainees follow a 4-year track. PGY-1 pay starts around $65K with roughly 2.0% annual raises.
PSLF & forgiveness strategy
Private-practice and cosmetic dermatology are the dominant paths. Academic dermatology is tiny and highly competitive.
Our pick · Refinance + aggressive payoff
Repayment recommendation
At $500K income, typical $230K debt pays off in 2–4 years. Refinancing to 4% saves $40K–$70K in interest vs. federal standard plan.
Run your numbers for DermatologyKey takeaways
- Mohs surgery fellowship (1 year) adds $100K+ to salary but is not PSLF-relevant
- Cosmetic-heavy practices often exceed $600K+ attending income
- Fastest payoff timelines of any specialty in the calculator
Ready to model your debt strategy?
Compare PSLF, refinancing, and aggressive payoff for your Dermatology scenario — pre-filled with the salary and training defaults from this page.
Open the calculator