Editors



Current Editors: Fareen Momin and Jane Onyemachi

(Please email editors if there is blog-worthy news that you would like to see shared)

Past Editors: Andrea Francis, Renat Ahatov, Michael Phan, Elise Weisert, Michael Ryan, Keith Wagner, Tim Allen, Kristyna Gleghorn, Dung Mac, Alex Acosta, William Tausend, Sheila Jalalat, Rebecca Philips, Chelsea Altinger, Lindsey Hunter, Alison Wiesenthal, Leslie Scroggins, Mara Dacso, Ashley Group, Fadi Constantine, Emily Fridlington, Joslyn Witherspoon, Tasneem Poonawalla.

Monday, January 31, 2005

SYM 301 Gross & Microscopic Dermatology Symposium at the AAD

UTMB will be represented in the SYM 301:

in the Genodermatoses section at 9:20 AM on Saturday 2/19/05:
Angiokeratoma Corporis Diffusum in a Patient with Normal Enzyme Function & No Systemic Abnormalities
Brent Kelly, MD; Erica Kelly, MD; University of Texas Medical
Branch, Galveston, TX.

in the Infectious Disease section at 1:44 PM on Saturday 2/19/05:
Cryptococcal Cellulitis in a Patient on Prednisone Monotherapy
for Myasthenia Gravis

Stacy R. Beaty, MD; Department of Dermatology, University of
Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX; A. Dearl Dotson, MD;
Department of Dermatology, University of Texas, San Antonio,
TX; Laci LaFleur, MD; Department of Internal Medicine,
Louisiana State University, New Orleans, LA;
Maria I. Colome-Grimmer, MD; Department of Dermatology,
University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX.

SYM 301 Gross & Microscopic
Dermatology Symposium
Room 345
DIRECTOR Robert G. Phelps, MD
LEARNING OBJECTIVE
This symposium provides attendees with an open forum for the presentation of a wide variety of brief papers with clinical and pathologic correlation.
DESCRIPTION
Approximately 240 papers of a four-minute duration will be presented during this session. Presentations will be separated into several broad categories including: neoplasms; granulomatous disease; deposition diseases; histiocytosis; new therapies; bullous disease; inflammatory skin disease; surgery; genodermatoses; diseases of the extracellular matrix; rheumatologic diseases; infectious diseases; and drug reactions.
14 hours category 1 CME credit.

Monday, January 24, 2005

DIGA Kickoff

DIGA now has 15 member schools, and they want to get
things rolling!

1. DIGA wants to promote awareness and use of the Forum
on the website, especially the Ask A Program Director feature. Students can ask questions anonymously to
program directors so they can get accurate information
about the application process.

Program Directors on the Faculty Panel include:

Raymond Cornelison Jr., MD University of Oklahoma HSC
Ponciano D. Cruz Jr., MD UT Southwestern
Thomas Horn, MD, MBA University of Arkansas
Joseph C. Kvedar, MD Harvard Medical School
Amy S. Paller, MD Northwestern

The school with the most posts to the forum in the
weeks leading up to our first meeting will win a $100 lunch for their DIG.
To be considered for the award, we must submit the number of
posts made by students at UTMB by February 16, 2005. Students do not have to identify
themselves in their posts, but they should put the
name of their school so that it can be counted.

The winner will be announced at the AAD.

2. The upcoming DIGA meeting will be at Academy on Saturday
at 5:15, location TBA. Any students
from UTMB who will be at Academy are welcome to
attend. DIGA will be approving the constitution and
officers and discussing upcoming service and
educational projects. There is a lot to do, and DIGA
encourages everyone to get involved. Another post will
follow describing the available leadership positions
and the process for applying for them.

Friday, January 21, 2005

DIG Meeting

When: January 31, 2005 4:30-5:30
Where: Dermatology Conference Room 4.112 McCullough
Agenda:
4:30-5:00 Q&A session with dermatology residents Dr. Kelso, Dr. Perri, and Dr. Spencer
5:00-5:30 Dates and Plans for Upcoming Community Service Projects

I really hope everyone can make it since the residents have so generously offered to spend time with us answering questions.

Thursday, January 20, 2005

DIG@UTMB Joins DIGA

We have joined a national association of dermatology interest groups! The first meeting will be at the AAD this year.

Check out DIGA.

Tuesday, January 18, 2005

Congratulations to those presenting at NSRF!

Congratulations Sarah!

Dunn S and Wagner RF. “Drug-induced phototoxicity at Galveston Island beaches.”

Sunday, January 16, 2005

Commit to Fit--Skin Cancer Education

DIG is going to the UTMB Commit to Fit Expo to educate about Skin Cancer Prevention

When: 1/19/05 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m
Where: Levin Hall Foyer & Dining

All DIG members are invited to attend and teach--a GREAT addition to your CV!

Honors Thesis Presentation Announcement

Honors Thesis Presentation on Survey of Antibiotic Prescription Use for Inflamed Epidermal Inclusion Cysts

Who: Presented by Tasneem Poonawalla, MSIV
When: 1/28/05 1:30 to 3:00pm
Where: 4.112 McCullough (Dermatology Conference Room)

First Impressions

It's interview season! Here's a book recommended by Dr. Wagner that might help...

First Impressions

by Ann Demarais, Ph.D., and Valerie White, Ph.D.



What kind of first impression do you make? This is a critical question as we do our residency interviews - whether we match as a dermatologist or not can ultimately hinge on this all-important first encounter.

Drs. Demarais and White talk about "social generosity," carefully helping others feel good about themselves, whether through "appreciation," "connection," "elevation" (good spirits) or "enlightenment" (new information). Each chapter covers one of "Seven Fundamentals of a First Impression" (including the need for self-disclosure and for fluency in conversational dynamics); each ends with a checklist of "positive topic behaviors" and "common miscommunications" (e.g., if you focus on one topic, you may think you're passionate but you come off as self-absorbed).

This book is best used with a friend to practice interviewing and then using the checklists to obtain objective feedback on your performance. It is difficult to be objective about yourself, and the checklist from this book help you to acheive that. Another way to be objective is to videotape yourself interviewing and then fine tune from there. The book also has a companion website where you can print and download the checklists.

If you have read the book, please let us all know what you thought by leaving a comment on this post.

(updated 1/16/05 with review)

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

Superficial Fungal Infections

Dr. Edgar B. Smith, former chair at UTMB and current professor at UNM will be lecturing at the UTMB Dermatology Department's conference room at noon this Friday 1/14/05.

Who: All students and anyone interested in dermatology are invited to attend
What: Superficial Fungal Infections
When: 1/14/05 at 12 pm
Where: 4.112 McCullough Dermatology Conference room