Drug firms to fund residency slots in dermatology pilot program

Ethicists express concerns about inherent conflicts of interest in such a relationship.

By Myrle Croasdale, AMNews staff. July 18, 2005.

Faced with a work-force shortage and no new federal funding for resident training, the American Academy of Dermatology is expanding residency slots by using pharmaceutical company donations.

AAD leaders say enough safeguards are in place to prevent conflicts of interest that could arise from the relationship, but critics say such funding compromises the medical profession and leaves it beholden to for-profit corporations.

The academy's goal is to increase dermatology resident positions by up to 10% -- about 30 new slots -- per year. A pilot program will fund an initial 10 slots at $60,000 per slot per year for three years starting in July 2006.

Corporate sponsors contributing to the $1.8 million needed to fund the pilot are 3M Pharmaceuticals, Amgen and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Delasco Dermatologic Lab and Supply Inc., Galderma Laboratories and OrthoNeutrogena. The AAD also committed to contributing $1 million annually to the fund if pharmaceutical gifts fall short but declined to say how much of its own funds, if any, were being invested in the pilot.

David Pariser, MD, an AAD board member and chair of the pilot task force, detailed the measures the academy is taking to nip possible conflicts of interest in the bud. Members of the Assn. of Professors of Dermatology vetted the pilot and helped draw up guidelines. Corporate contributions are combined in a general fund, and the grants are assigned to specific programs to avoid having individual residents singled out as beneficiaries.