Post Graduate Dermatology Fellowships

Post-graduate trained dermatology nurse practitioner programs are becoming more frequently seen in advanced nursing practice. Post-graduate training is not required to practice or become licensed as a dermatology nurse practitioner but is an opportunity to gain high-quality, evidence-based dermatology knowledge and clinical practice. Fellowship programs in dermatology for nurse practitioners are a common opportunity to gain high-quality post-graduate training. A fellowship program typically accepts a small number of nurse practitioners or physician assistants or both on a yearly or biannual basis. Fellowship programs provide intense training in dermatology nurse practitioner scope of practice, standards of practice, and evidence-based dermatology approaches to diagnosis and treatment. The fellowship program consists of didactic and precepted clinical experiences in a general dermatology clinic setting. Specialty opportunities are often also included in the curriculum such as pediatric dermatology, women’s health dermatology, dermatology surgery, cutaneous lymphoma, hair loss, advanced melanoma treatment, cosmetic dermatology, and often more.

The following is a list of fellowship programs known to date. *SDNP Endorsed Program

Advanced Practice Provider Dermatology Fellowship Programs 

*Regis University
  • One of the few post-graduate programs in the country specifically created to meet the requirements for national certification as a Dermatology Nurse Practitioner through the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification (ABSNC)
  • Rolling applications
  • Location: Denver, CO
  • Program:
    • Over the course of the fellowship, students complete 630 of the required 3,000 clinical hours needed for certification
    • Instructed by faculty who have been recognized as experts in the field of dermatology
  • More information:
Penn State Health Milton Hershey Medical Center
  • A postgraduate APP Dermatology Fellowship is designed for board-certified nurse practitioners and physician assistants who have recently graduated or who have limited experience in dermatology
  • Fellows are hired as full-time employees with benefits and continuing medication allowance
  • Applications are typically open from October through December each year
  • Location: Hershey, Camp Hill, and Harrisburg, PA
  • Program:
    • Length: 1 year, from June through May
    • Didactic and clinical curriculum with a focus on medical dermatology
    • 6 weeks of clinical elective rotations including Mohs, Complex Medical Dermatology, Surgery, Pediatric Dermatology, and General Dermatology 
    • Attending physicians within the department provide formal oversight and guidance throughout each patient care visit
  • More information:

Lahey Hospital and Medical Center
  • The oldest Nurse Practitioner training program in the country, and the first Dermatology NP training program to receive accreditation 
  • Fellows are hired as full-time employees with benefits
  • Applications generally open January 1st of even-numbered years (2026, 2028, etc.).
  • Location: Burlington (main campus), Lexington, Lynnfield and Peabody, MA
  • Program:
    • Length: 2 years, beginning July 1 of even-numbered years (2026, 2028, etc.)
    • 40-hour per week residency-style training program
    • Didactic and clinical curriculum with a focus on medical dermatology and includes shadowing opportunities in subspecialties including Mohs surgery, pediatrics, women’s health, cosmetics, and others
    • All department physicians and nurse practitioners participate as preceptors in the program
  • More information:

University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center

Medical College of Wisconsin Pediatric Dermatology Fellowship
  • Pediatric Dermatology Fellowship
  • Applications due August 1st of each year
  • Location: Milwaukee, WI
  • Program:
    • Length: 1 year
    • The fellow will participate in the research endeavors within the department and may develop their own project(s) based on their research interests
    • Provides experience in laser therapy of cutaneous vascular lesions, surgical procedures in children under local anesthesia and general anesthesia, and involvement in several multidisciplinary programs
  • More information:
 
University of Rochester Medical Center NP Fellowship Program in Dermatology

  • This is an intensive clinical and academic program that prepares NPs to practice general medical dermatology among culturally diverse and clinically complex patient populations

  • Fellows are hired as full-time employees with benefits

  • Applications open in November and are due in December each year 
  • Program: 
    • Length: 2 years, beginning June 1st
    • FNP or PNP certification is required
    • Accepting one general dermatology and one pediatrics dermatology applicant each year
    • The program fulfills the 3,000-hour requirement to be eligible to sit for the DCNP exam
    • The program is approximately 80% clinical and 20% didactic with a core program of general medical dermatology and clinical rotations in subspecialties

UC Davis
  • For new graduate advanced practice clinicians including NPs and PAs
  • Fellows are paid employees without benefits 
  • Applications are open September 1st the year before
  • Location: Sacramento, CA
  • This is a paid position, no benefits
  • Program:
    • Length: 1 year 
    • Includes didactic lectures, clinical care, dermatopathology sessions, surgical skills, and Grand Rounds
    • Sees patients with board-certified dermatologists who will direct the fellow in the care of dermatology patients
  • More information:

  

Post Graduate Certificate Program

Another avenue for furthering education in the field of dermatology is a post master’s training course, in which the end result is a certificate of completion. A post master’s training course enables nurses with a master's degree in nursing to pursue certification in an additional specialty area or seek a program of study that may lead to a change in role.  The program is designed to strengthen or broaden the clinical, or management capabilities of master’s-prepared nurses who are planning a role expansion or role change. At this time, the SDNP is aware of the following accredited post master’s training course.

Florida Atlantic University
  • A program for master and doctorate prepared NPs to develop entry level core competencies in dermatology
  • Applications open in May and are due in July each year
  • Location: Boca Raton, FL with hybrid format
  • Program:
    • Length: 1 year (3 semesters) and starts in January
    • Includes 120 contact hours 
    • Focuses on general dermatology to care for patients across the life span
    • Taught by Certified Dermatology Nurse Practitioners and Board-Certified Dermatologists
    • Includes online coursework, on-campus clinical intensive, “hands-on” skills workshops, clinical residency hours with approved preceptors
      • Students will be responsible for identifying and securing qualified clinical sites and preceptors.
  • More information:

 

Fellowship Testimonials:

“Attending a fellowship helped me start on the path to achieve my career goals by giving me the gold-standard knowledge base available to dermatology nurse practitioners. I decided to do a dermatology fellowship program because I wanted to help patients with skin disease, and I felt confident that the hands-on and didactic components of a fellowship would give me the foundation to do that. I loved many things about the fellowship program, but my favorite feature was the interprofessional learning environment and experience. Every day in the clinic we were made a part of the dermatology team and worked alongside attending and resident physicians, nurses, and other staff. My advice to NPs applying to fellowship programs is to prepare well. If possible, do an elective rotation in dermatology in NP school to get exposure to a dermatology clinic. Before your interview, it is very important to think deeply and critically about why you want to go into dermatology before the interview. The beginning of dermatology fellowship presents a steep learning curve, and it is important to be able to articulate why you want to go into dermatology. Make sure that your resume is polished, easy to read and also, write a cover letter! Fellowship programs are highly competitive and applications with a cover letter help us to get to know you better on paper and help your application stand out. Lastly, I recommend for students to join professional dermatology nursing organizations to learn more about dermatology opportunities and to network.”

 “While in nurse practitioner school I learned that I loved the field of dermatology but did not get as much exposure to caring for patients with dermatological concerns. I am really glad I completed a nurse practitioner fellowship in dermatology because it helped me to gain the knowledge to provide excellent care to patients with dermatological concerns. It also provided me with a great network and resources to make sure my patients are receiving the best dermatological care possible.”