ERAS Application for UTMB Dermatology Residency Due November 1

The UTMB Department of Dermatology will accept ERAS dermatology applications through its November 1, 2008 deadline. It is hoped that interview offers will be made via email by November 30th for 2009 NRMP applicants who are not UTMB senior medical students. In 2009 UTMB will offer two dates for its one day interview (Thursday, January 22th or Friday the 23rd) at UTMB in Galveston.

Combined UTMB Dermatology/Pediatrics Residency No Longer Accepting Applicants

The combined dermatology/pediatric residency program that was initiated in 2003 is being phased out at UTMB and will not be offering any new first year positions in the upcoming 2009 NRMP. Vicki Carr, MD was the first physician to complete this 5 year long program at UTMB in 2008. The remaining residents in the combined dermatology/pediatrics training program at UTMB are Cameron Coury, MD and John Stephens, MD.

UTMB Austin Names First Dermatology Resident

The new dermatology residency program in Austin has selected Clifton Hall, MD as their first dermatology resident. Dr. Hall is currently the clinical dermatology fellow. He graduated from the University of Utah School of Medicine. Plans are in place to facilitate educational interactions with the UTMB Galveston Dermatology Residency Program via joint conferencing. Congratulations to Dr. Hall and the new Austin Dermatology Residency Program!

AAD Diversity Mentorship Program Applications due January 31, 2009

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) is sponsoring this well-regarded program for medical students at all levels. Previous UTMB medical students have participated and found it very worthwhile. For more information about this successful program and an application please go to http://www.aad.org/education/students/students.html

UTMB Poster Presentation Awarded Honorable Mention at the 2008 American Society of Dermatopathology Annual Meeting

Congratulations to senior UTMB medical student Leslie Scroggins for receiving Honorable Mention for her original dermatopathology poster, "The role of matrix metalloproteinases and their inhibitors in neprhogenic systemic fibrosis" that was presented in San Francisco last week at the 2008 American Society of Dermatopathology Annual Meeting. Ms. Scroggins was on an away dermatology rotation at UCSF during the meeting and was active in the poster presentation. Her co-authors were Dr. Catherine McNeese (former UTMB dermatopathology fellow) and her UTMB faculty mentor, Dr. Brent Kelly.

"Dermatainment" Poster Accepted for 2009 American Academy of Dermatology Meeting (San Francisco)

Congratulations to Conner Chan, MD (former UTMB DIG member) and Richard Wagner, MD, UTMB Professor of Dermatology, for their poster acceptance to the upcoming 2009 meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in San Francisco. The title of their poster is, "'Dermatainment': Teaching Medical Students About Skin Diseases Using Depictions in Modern Films." It will be displayed in the "Education and Community Service" category (P1803)

Dermatology Film Class Featured in UTMB Magazine

The 2008 Summer/Fall issue of UTMB Magazine has published an article by Jim Kelly entitled, "Film school" about UTMB's new Skin Diseases Depicted in Cinema course on page 3. The course director, Dr. Richard Wagner, is quoted as saying this course "reaches medical students who have little previous exposure to the wide spectrum of skin diseases and who might otherwise tend to view skin diseases as trivial and unimportant. Through cinema, students vicariously experience the profound impact that different skin diseases have on people and society. Viewing the films and discussing them with classmates and faculty helps them develop deeper knowledge, insight and empathy, all of which enrich their medical education."

After a brief class interruption during Period 4 due to Hurricane Ike, this popular UTMB class will resume again on Monday, October 20th (Period 5).

McCullough Building Reopens Monday, October 13, 2008

The Department of Dermatology has learned that its administrative offices in the McCullough Building will reopen on Monday, 10/13/08. This is great timing for the two "Skin Diseases Depicted in Cinema" courses (BSHS selective DERU-4051 and elective DERU-4007) that will meet in the 4th floor McCullough dermatology conference room for the first class of Period 5 on October 20 from 10 a.m. to noon. The UTMB dermatopathology lab located in McCullough could reopen soon. It is possible that the UHC (campus dermatology clinical operations) could reopen in two more weeks, although it is still not known if the elevators will be working by then. This is all great news because the UTMB dermatology residency program could restart using UTMB educational and clinical facilities as soon as November.

100%!

All four former UTMB residents who completed dermatology or dermatology/pediatrics training passed the 2008 American Board of Dermatology Certifying Examination and are now Diplomates of the American Board of Dermatology. In addition, our UTMB dermatopathology fellow, Alma C. Berlingeri-Ramos, MD, who previously completed dermatology training at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine (San Juan) in 2008 also passed. This is the 8th consecutive year that UTMB Dermatology residency graduates have all passed their boards on their first attempt. Congratulations to everyone for this excellent academic and personal achievement!

Dermatology

Andy Perri, MD (private practice, Conroe, Texas and Clinical Assistant Professor and Director, Hair Transplantation Clinic, The University of Texas Medical Branch)

Mark Ramirez, MD (private practice, San Angelo, Texas)

Karan Sra, MD (private practice, Houston, Texas)

Pediatric Dermatology

Vicki Carr, MD (private practice, Tomball, Texas)

Austin Approved for Dermatology Residency

The Dermatology Residency Review Committee has approved a new dermatology residency in Austin, Texas for one position each year. It will probably accept the first PGY-2 dermatology resident for training beginning in
July 2009. Congratulations to Drs. Reichenberg, Diven and Raimer for having the vision that made this possible!

Skin Disease Depicted in Cinema back for Period 5 (Monday, October 20, 2008 through Friday, November 14, 2008).

Third and fourth year UTMB medical students will be able to take either DERU-4007 (elective) or DERU-4051 (senior BSHS selective) following the recent academic schedule disruption at UTMB due to Hurricane Ike. Please schedule either class through Dr. J. Rowen. Students planning on taking either of these courses should also contact Dr. Wagner ( rfwagner@utmb.edu ) directly through email prior to Monday, October 20, 2008, the first day of class to find out the location of the first class meeting .