Fourth-year medical student Anna Wanzenberg has matched into a rural dermatology residency at the University of Mississippi, where she will train to care for the unique needs of patients living and working in rural communities.

This unique three-year program is open to just one resident per year nationwide. After an initial internship year in general medicine, Wanzenberg will spend the next three years training in dermatology. Each year, she will spend nine months training in clinics in Jackson, Mississippi, and then care for patients at a rural satellite clinic in Louisville, Kentucky, 90 miles outside the city for three months.

Rural communities are often medically underserved. Very few physicians live and work in such communities, and specialists, especially for complicated medical conditions, may be hours away.

“With rural medicine you see a lot more complex medical dermatology, rheumatologic dermatology and surgery,” Wanzenberg says. “You often don’t have the ability to refer out to a surgeon or pediatric dermatologist for complex issues.”

Wanzenberg grew up in Boca Raton, Florida, loving to ride horses and planning to become an equine veterinarian. Before high school, she moved to Gainesville, Florida, and became involved in its surrounding rural communities, working with the Future Farmers of America to learn more about animals and agriculture. But after volunteering at a neonatal ICU unit, she became more interested in having people as patients.

“When I was volunteering, I loved making that connection with patients and seeing the impact that a physician had on their lives,” she says. “So while I will always have my dogs and cats and horses, I knew that my impact should be on people.”

Wanzenberg’s grandfather had a bout with melanoma and her mother had multiple skin cancers and rosacea, fostering her interest in skin.

“Growing up, I was surrounded by several family members with different skin conditions like skin cancer, rosacea, and psoriasis. I’ve always had this keen interest in skin,” she says. “Then, in medical school, I loved working with patients of all ages, working with my hands, and caring for a diverse pathology and I found that dermatology gave me everything I was looking for.”

Wanzenberg completed an away rotation at the University of Mississippi during her fourth year, gaining experience at both the Jackson and Louisville clinics. She admired the program’s strong sense of community, the close bond among residents, and the supportive, compassionate faculty.

Traditionally students learn where they will do residency training on national Match Day in March. But University of Mississippi’s rural track foregoes the traditional residency match process.

“The reason the University of Mississippi chooses their candidate for the rural track outside of the match is because they want someone who really wants to be there,” says Naveed Sami, a dermatologist at UCF Health Faculty Physician Practice, professor of medicine at the College of Medicine and Wanzenberg’s mentor. “Anna has all the pieces. She has southern roots and she wants to be very clinically based so this is a very good program for her.”

When medical students decide what specialty to pursue, they often do elective rotations with a physician in that field. Wanzenberg extended her rotation with Sami, learning the intricacies of dermatology, examining patients and conducting research.

““Anna is a prime example of finding success through her own commitment and hard work,” Sami says. “She’s a very sincere and committed person, always looking for improvement. She has all the qualities of someone who’s going to be a great physician.”