To the Editor.——
The letter of Janet Prystowsky, MD, PhD,1 raises a very important question that is critical to the development of young dermatological investigators. Our residency programs are currently filled with the best and brightest graduates of the finest medical schools. As the survey of Dr Prystowsky shows, 3% or 27 out of 854 dermatology residents have combined degrees. These individuals have already undergone vigorous scientific training that was then interrupted by 3 years of clinical training. How can we fund these individuals so that they can continue to maintain their clinical expertise and reestablish a laboratory that will be productive and capable of becoming funded? Dr Prystowsky points out that no National Institutes of Health funding exists for this type of individual.The Dermatology Foundation has instituted a new program that should help the transition of individuals described in Dr Prystowsky's letter. This year the Dermatology Foundation