DIG Officer Elections and Last Meeting of the School Year

We will be holding elections for the 2013-2014 UTMB DIG Officers during our last meeting of the year on Thursday, May 23^rd at 5:30 PM in the Dermatology Conference Room (4.112 McCullough).

We will also be distributing certificates of appreciation for current DIG officers- so all current officers please try to attend!

The list of available officer positions, including the number of positions available, is below:

Junior Vice President (1)

Candidate must be a MS-2 or MS-3 during the 2013-2014 school year

Fundraising/AIM for a Cure Melanoma Walk Chairs (2)

Community Outreach:

Contact Dermatitis Awareness Chair (1)

Psoriasis Awareness Chair (1)

Austin DIG officer positions

President (1)

Vice President (1)

Community Outreach (1)

Upcoming DIG events to discuss during meeting:

Baked goods + sensitive-skin hand sanitizer sale: Week of May 27^th

(Specifics to be discussed at the meeting)

AIM for a Cure Melanoma Walk: June 8^th

(Sign up at http://www.aimatmelanoma.org/en/aim-for-action/1158/1159/galveston-2013.html)

If you are interested in running for a position, but unable to attend the meeting or if you have any questions, please contact Sheila Jalalat at szjalala@utmb.edu

See you all next week!

Dr. Mara Dacso Honored

Dr. Mara Dacso, a PGY4 UTMB dermatology resident, will be honored during the 2013 UTMB Outstanding Residents Award Ceremony to be held on May 30, 2013. Congratulations from the UTMB DIG for this recognition of professional excellence by UTMB!

2013 UTMB Department of Dermatology Medical Student Award Winners

History of Dermatology Award: Michael Lindsey (“The Baghdad Boil: A Brief History of Leishmaniasis in the Military”)

Dermatology in Cinema Award: Joseph Stafford (“The Twlight of Modern Skin Complexion”)

Edgar B. Smith Scholarship: Elizabeth Drone

Thomas Freese Award: Alison Lowe

The UTMB Department of Dermatology congratulates you for your great work in dermatology this academic year!

Act Now! Tell Governor Perry to support SB 329!

Protect Minors from the Dangers of Indoor Tanning Support SB 329 Contact Governor Perry Today! SB 329 would prohibit the use of UV indoor tanning devices by minors under the age of 18. This bill has been sent to Governor Perry’s desk and could be signed or vetoed as early as today! Act Now!  Tell Governor Perry to support SB 329! Your voice and time will directly impact the ability of this bill to become law.  It is essential that you let Governor Perry know how important hissupport for SB 329 is to you and your patients. Please contact Governor Perry’s office today to share your support for SB 329 via phone at (512) 463-2000 or via the Governor’s website!  Your message to Governor Perry: Melanoma is the most common form of cancer for young adults 25-29 years old. There is a 75 percent increase in the risk of melanoma in those who have been exposed to UV radiation from indoor tanning, and the risk increases with each use. Melanoma is increasing in young women and one American dies every hour from this disease. Evidence demonstrates that ever-use of indoor tanning beds is associated with a 69% increased risk of early-onset basal cell carcinoma (BCC), the most common form of skin cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, the estimated total direct cost associated with the treatment of melanoma in 2010 was $2.36 billion. Oversight of the indoor tanning industry is critical to prevent future skin cancers.  Survey data indicate use of these devices increases with each year of adolescence. I urge your support of SB 329 to protect minors from the dangers of indoor tanning. Please take action today!  For technical support with the DAN website, please contact Blake McDonald, at bmcdonald@aad.org. American Academy of Dermatology Association

Tanning Bill - URGENT ACTION NEEDED - SB 329 on behalf of Dr. Wilkerson

Late Sunday night it was announced that the Texas House of Representatives will vote on SB 329 by Sen. Joan Huffman\Rep. John Zerwas, MD as early as Monday afternoon. 

As you know, the Texas Dermatological Society is helping to lead the effort to ban minors under 18 from using indoor tanning devices. We can make Texas the next state to protect its youth from these dangerous devices. However, we can't do it without your help. 

The tanning industry is mounting an all-out effort to stop this bill. They have been spreading misinformation about the benefits of indoor tanning. If we do not respond to their barrage of misinformation and calls, our bill will die on the House floor. 

In 2013, there will be over 76,600 new melanoma cases diagnosed in the U.S. of which 3,930 of those melanoma cases will be reported in TX. The state will have the 4th highest number of new melanoma cases in the United States. 

Please take a few minutes of your time to email or call members of the Texas House and ask them to please support SB 329. 

Below is a link that will allow you to find your State Representative and their contact information: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/

Also, you do not need to contact Rep. John Zerwas, MD the House sponsor. 

Thank you, 
Michael Wilkerson, MD President, 
Texas Dermatological Society

UTMB MS3 Publishes Review Article About Erythema Nodosum During Pregnancy

Congratulations to UTMB MS3 Alex Acosta, for her publication entitled, “Etiology and Therapeutic Management of Erythema Nodosum During Pregancy: An Update.” The article was published in the American Journal of Clinical Dermatology (2013). Her coauthors were Drs. Mary Haver (UTMB Department of OB/GYN) and Brent Kelly (UTMB Department of Dermatology).

Dr. Brent Kelly Lectures at UTMB HIV Conference

Dr. Brent Kelly, Associate Professor of Dermatology, Director of the UTMB Dermatopathology Laboratory, and holder of the A. Dearl Dotson Professorship of Dermatology at UTMB, presented his invited lecture, "Cutaneous Mainifestions of HIV" at the UTMB HIV Conference on May 6, 2013 at Moody Gardens. 

Monday, May 6th-SPOT Skin Cancer Awareness Day-Wear Your Orange!

SPOT Skin Cancer "Melanoma Monday" was started by the American Academy of Dermatology to increase awareness and understanding of skin cancer in our society today. Wear orange to help spread awareness!

As per American Academy of Dermatology Website:

"Current estimates are that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer.

More than 3.5 million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year.

Of these cases, it is estimated that about 131,810 are melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, which claims an estimated 9,180 lives annually.

One American dies of melanoma almost every hour.

The five-year survival rate for people whose melanoma is detected and treated before it spreads to the lymph nodes is 98%."

Further information on SPOT Orange and ways you can contribute at http://www.aad.org/spot-skin-cancer/about-spot#.UYeZUSvSO1J

Congratulations Shailee Patel

The UTMB DIG congratulates University of Miami medical student Shailee Patel for her recent awards at the 54th National Student Research Forum (NSRF) that is held annually at UTMB each spring. She was awarded the Dermatology Poster Award and the Best Overall Poster for her work, “Predictive Biomarkers: Changing the Treatment Paradigm of Diabetic Foot Ulcers” last week in Galveston, Texas.

Melanoma Public Health Message for Teens

UTMB DIG members and others interested in communicating the public health risk for melanoma and its prevention to teens may be interested in this material that is available on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4jgUcxMezM

Programs That Offered 2012-2013 UTMB Dermatology Applicants an Interview

DIG polled most of the 2012-2013 UTMB Dermatology applicants to see which programs they were offered an invitation for an interview.

UTMB MS3s might find this list helpful when considering where to apply for away dermatology rotations during fourth year.

Albert Einstein

Baylor University Medical Center

Baylor College of Medicine

Chicago Stroger Cook County

Cornell University

Drexel University

Duke University

Henry Ford

Louisiana State University 

Loma Linda University

Miami Miller School of Medicine

Mayo Arizona

Medical University of South Carolina

New York University

Oregon Health Sciences University

St. Louis University School of Medicine-Missouri

SUNY Stony Brook

Texas A&M University-Scott & White

Texas Tech University Health Science Center 

Tulane University-Louisiana

University of California Medical Center-Los Angeles

University of Chicago-Illinois

University of Colorado

University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago

University of Florida-Gainesville

University of Michigan

University of Missouri-Columbia

University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

University of Pennsylvania

University of Rochester

University of South Florida

University of Texas-Houston

University of Texas Medical Branch (automatic interview offered to home students)

University of Texas-San Antonio

University of Texas Southwestern-Austin

Wake Forest University

Note: At least eight interviews were cancelled due to schedule conflicts