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.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Looking for Volunteers!!

Next Saturday, March 8, is the Galveston County Health Fair. The DIG will be staffing a booth to provide information on sunburn prevention and skin cancer awareness. We are looking for volunteers to help! We will be setting up from 8:30-9:00 am, and the fair lasts from 9:00 - 1:00 pm. If you are able to volunteer some of your time, please email Leslie Scroggins (lkscrogg@utmb.edu) to let her know what time you will be available to help.

Meeting Date Change

The upcoming DIG meeting on March 3 is rescheduled for Monday, March 24 at 5:00 pm. Dr. Mancuso had a last minute scheduling conflict and asked to come on March 24 instead. I apologize if this is an inconvenience for anyone! I hope to see you all there.

Ashley Group

Monday, February 25, 2008

Upcoming DIG Meeting

Hello Everyone!

Our next DIG meeting will be held next Monday, March 3 at 5:00 pm in the Dermatology Conference Room (4th floor McCollough Building). Dr. Mel Mancuso will be our guest speaker to talk with us about the psychological impact of skin disease on patients. We will also be discussing upcoming volunteer events, such as the Galveston County Health Fair on March 8. I look forward to seeing all of you there!

Ashley Group

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Date Change - Next Meeting

On the previous post, please note that the next meeting will be held Monday, March 3, not May 3. Details to follow closer to that time.

Monday, February 11, 2008 UTMB DIG Meeting Summary

There was a good student showing at last night's UTMB DIG meeting, where Dr. Brent Kelly presented an interactive introduction to dermatopathology and inflammatory reaction patterns. After the presentation, members discussed the following upcoming service projects:

Miles for Melanoma Walk: Julie Cummings, MSIV, who is our Miles for Melanoma Service Chair, has been working on organizing this event. It is still in the planning stages, but it will most likely be held on Saturday, May 3, at the Fieldhouse track. We will announce when sign up sheets are available. We will be looking for volunteers to help advertise prior to the walk, and we encourage everyone to participate!

Sunburn and Skin Cancer Awareness Program/Sun Smart: In the past, the UTMB DIG has talked to area high schools, elementary schools, and Galveston County Beach Patrol about the risks of sun exposure and skin cancer. We plan to continue with these outreach efforts this spring. Alison Wiesenthal, MSII, was recently named the DIGA's National Community Service Director. She will be working with medical schools throughout the country to direct a project called Sun Smart. At our meeting last night, we discussed the idea of Alison working with our current Community Service Outreach Chair, Leslie Scroggins, MSIII, about combining/updating last year's Sunburn and Skin Cancer Awareness presentation to combine some of the ideas of Sun Smart.

Thank you to Dr. Kelly and all of the students who participated in last night's meeting.

Our next meeting will be held Monday, March 3. Please mark this off on your calendars! A formal announcement will be made closer to that time.

Monday, February 11, 2008

Newly Approved Dermatology Honors Research Program Projects

Two 3rd year UTMB medical students have had their Dermatology Honors Program Research Proposals approved by Dr. Simon Lewis and the UTMB Honors Program Committee.

Mara Dasco: "Evaluation of multi-drug therapy for leprosy using daily rifampin," (Erica Kelly, MD, faculty advisor)

Leslie Scroggins: "The Role of Matrix Metalloproteinases and TIMP-1 in Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis," (Brent Kelly, MD, faculty advisor)

This non-degree research program is available to all UTMB medical students who do not hold a PhD or who are in the joint MD-PhD degree program. The due date for research proposals is December of the 3rd year of medical school, but occasionally the University Honors Program Committee will approve research plans made past that deadline if there is enough time to complete the research. A written thesis is required and an oral defense must be made to Dr. Lewis and the ad hoc thesis committee by April 1 of the 4th year of medical school. Drs. Wagner and Lewis co-authored a summary of the UTMB Dermatology Honors Research Program that is available to medical students who are interested in this innovative educational program at Dermatology Online Journal: http://dermatology.cdlib.org/124/commentary/student/wagner.html

Congratulations to Mara and Leslie!

Sunday, February 03, 2008

Upcoming DIG Meeting

The next meeting of the Dermatology Interest Group will be held on Monday, February 11 at 5:00 pm in the Dermatology Conference Room (4th floor McCollough building). Dr. Brent Kelly will be presenting "An Introduction to Dermatopathology." Dr. Kelly is triple boarded in dermatopathology, dermatology, and internal medicine, and is currently the Director of Dermatopathology at UTMB. Please contact Ashley Group or Fadi Constantine if you have any questions. We look forward to seeing you at the meeting!