Along the Interview Trail

Calling all seniors!

Dr. Wagner has suggested we can help next year's students with their interviews and offer invaluable advice from "home." Let us know what questions you are getting on your dermatology interviews. We will compile a list to prepare our medical students for the upcoming application season.

Where are you interviewing? Help guide our future students about places to consider for their away rotations.

Thank you for your help with this project and best of luck to you all on your own interviews. Please e-mail responses to Alison Wiesenthal at acwiesen@utmb.edu.

DIGA Leadership Opportunities for 2010-2011

Applications for next year's Dermatology Interest Group Association (DIGA) officers are now being accepted. The application process will be open until midnight on Jan. 15th, 2010. The application and instructions can be found on our website under "Public Announcement" at: http://www.derminterest.org/

Available DIGA Positions:

-President

-Vice President

-Webmaster

-Treasurer

-Secretary

-Community Service Director

DIGA leadership is a wonderful opportunity. Serving as National Community Service Director this year, I interacted with DIG groups across the country helping promote Stay Shady! and other community service projects.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.

Alison Wiesenthal
DIGA National Community Service Director
UTMB DIG Co-President
acwiesen@utmb.edu

Automatic Interviews Extended to Visiting Dermatology Elective Students

The UTMB Dermatology Residency Program has historically extended informal interviews to all UTMB MS4 medical students applying and to other applicants on campus, typically those in different residency or fellowship programs. Starting Period 6, 2009 (ended Friday, 12/11) these interview offers are also being given to visiting dermatology elective students from other institutions. Similar to the interviews given to UTMB MS4s, these dermatology interviews are informal and must be completed during the 4 week rotation. If possible, visiting students should schedule times to meet all of the UTMB dermatology residents and faculty, especially if they have not interacted with them in any of the UTMB clinics, lectures or conferences. As is the case for UTMB MS4s, dermatology residents and faculty may waive the informal interview request because of familiarity with the applicant during the rotation. These informal interviews are not the same as the formal February interviews that UTMB offers students from outside institutions (UTMB MS4s are excluded from these formal interviews as well). In the future, visiting students, similar to UTMB MS4s, may not receive any email interview communications through ERAS about their pending dermatology applications to UTMB, although UTMB may invite some of these visiting students back to campus for a formal interview, especially if the rotation was in the early part of the academic year.

UTMB Dermatology Resident Melanoma Research Published In Leading Journal

Second year dermatology resident, Dr. Matt Petitt, published his original research entitled, "Lymphatic invasion detected by D2-40/S-100 dual immunohistochemistry does not predict sentinel lymph node status in melanoma" in the November 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (pages 819-828). His coauthors on this study were Drs. Ashley Allison, Sharon Raimer and Brent Kelly from the UTMB Department of Dermatology, along with Tally Shimoni (UTMB School of Medicine) and Tatsuo Uchida (Office of Biostatistics). This project satisfied Dr. Petitt's UTMB dermatology residency program graduation requirement. It was a great experience hearing Dr. Petitt explain his study at the weekly Friday dermatology journal club meeting today, with Drs. Brent Kelly and Sharon Raimer in attendance, along will other dermatology faculty, residents and medical students.

New Enrollment Record for UTMB Dermatology Film Courses

Period 13 begins on Monday, December 14th and has set a new record enrollment for dermatology: Twenty-seven medical students are now enrolled in this popular UTMB class that offers a teleconferencing option to students who are not currently in Galveston (15 students in DERU-4051 and 12 students in DERU-4007, the elective version that is open for MS3 and visiting medical students).

Planning Ahead for 2010 Dermatology Applications

Matching into a dermatology residency program continues to be very difficult because there are so few positions available nationally and lots of applicants. What are the trends in dermatology applications, and what can be done to improve an application for next year?

Step 1: The average dermatology applicant score for those who match into a dermatology residency is above 240. Some residency programs use the Step 1 score as a cutoff to decrease the overwhelming number of applications to review.

Step 2: Currently, most dermatology programs do not expect to have Step 2 scores, but some do. Step 2 scores are usually higher than Step 1. Applicants should consider taking Step 2 in June, at the end of their core MS3 rotations in order to be considered at every program.

AOA: Half of dermatology matches are AOA members. It is a big advantage to be in AOA for dermatology applicants, because some programs use AOA membership as a screen for applicants.

School: Yes, it matters. Some schools never interview applicants from XYZ. Some programs have regional or state preferences. Students from medical schools without dermatology residency programs seem to be a a disadvantage in this process.

Multiple applicants from the same school: Yes, programs will compare students from the same school during the application process. Higher Step 1 scores and AOA membership are advantages, as are a PhD. An outstanding away rotation may also result in an invitation to interview.

Advanced degrees: A PhD will help at a handful of programs that do bench research, but there are not many of these (although they tend to be the larger programs). Other graduate higher education (MS, MA, MBA, MPH, JD, etc may also interest some programs especially if there are academic publications).

Away rotations: Statistics seem to indicate this can help some applicants. However, at many programs, an interview is not automatic. Some away rotations require an application far in advance of the elective date, so planning is required. Applicants who are not AOA or have below average Step 1 scores for dermatology applicants have the opportunity to make a positive impression during aways, especially at smaller programs with fewer visiting students.

Research: Almost every applicant has dermatology research now. High quality research takes time (IRB, data collection, data analysis, manuscript preparation, etc), and usually cannot be completed in the first half of the MS4 academic year (June to November 1), when most applications are due. The earlier substantive research is started, the better is the chance it will be completed by the application deadline. UTMB sponsors the Dermatology Honors Research Program, in which the participating medical student acts as the PI on an original investigation. It can be started as early as the MS1 year and may be completed before the ERAS application is due. Number of publications count, because it is rare for MS4 applicants to have more than 5 peer-reviewed publications (but those in their 2nd year of post-internship dermatology fellowship frequently do).

Awards: Always adds to an application. UTMB students sponsors many campus activities that may lead to student award, such as the MSSRP (Medical Student Summer Research Program between the first and second year of medical school) and the annual Forum on Aging. In addition, UTMB sponsors The National Student Research Forum each year, that awards for medical students and residents for dermatology in the categories of poster and presentation. Getting a dermatology award as an MS3 or earlier will get on your ERAS application. Included in this is the American Academy of Dermatology Diversity Medical Student Mentorship Awardees (about a quarter of them have been successful in obtaining dermatology residencies, including some UTMB students).

Letters: The sooner dermatology faculty at your school know about your dermatology career interest and become involved in your academic program, the better. Programs will look for letters from the dermatology chair at your school and your research project faculty. Your research mentor's letter is very important because this faculty has great insight into student academic potential and productivity, areas of interest to many dermatology residency programs.

Essay: Not too short or longer than one page. Try to make it interesting. Avoid spelling or grammatical errors. If you have any ties to the geographical location of the program, this is a chance to make it known.

Delayed graduation to do research: This can improve application quality if the additional research year has been productive with national presentations, publications and a strong faculty letter of recommendation.

Previous residency: Limits residency positions available for a dermatology match, but can be very desirable to programs if special clinical skills are involved (dermatopathology, plastic surgery, ent, internal medicine, pediatrics, rheumatology, allergy, infectious diseases, psychiatry) and a strong academic publication record was established during the prior residency. It also helps if there if a dermatology job is waiting for you at your previous residency institution or if a sponsoring institution is willing to provide funding.

Switching residencies: Often viewed skeptically by programs, because they may be next. Essay should have a very good reason for not completing the residency that was started, and letters from former chair and program director should support new professional goal.

Internship (PGY1): For those not matching into dermatology while a MS4, the quality of the PGY1 year will be considered by many programs. A strong preliminary internal medicine internship at a University Hospital with strong support letters from the Chair and Program Director should help generate interest.

Clinical Dermatology Fellowships: The best ones for applicants have a strong track record of taking their former fellows for dermatology residency positions after one or more years of fellowship work with them or those that have a strong historical record of fellow placements into dermatology residency programs. These fellowships usually involve clinical trails. During the fellowship, pre-dermatology fellows need to be presenting and publishing lots of research. Sometimes it is necessary to do several fellowships at different institutions before finally matching into dermatology.

ERAS: Saves lots of time but difficult to update programs about additional accomplishments after the ERAS application is submitted. Since many programs have a November 1 deadline and many try to offer interviews by late November or early December, non-ERAS supplemental information sent by applicants after the program deadline may have little impact on the decision process. However, once invited for an interview, supplementation of your application is generally considered.

Interview: Be yourself. Your application is under serious consideration. Don't get flustered. Don't be late. This is the one chance to make a great first impression. Read about the program and faculty research ahead of the interview. Try to have fun learning about a new program and a new city. Make the pre-interview dinner if there is one, because face time counts in this process.

Good luck with the application process!

American Academy of Dermatology Diversity Medical Student Mentorship

This is a very good program that has benefited past UTMB medical students. The application deadline is January 31, 2010. For additional information, please see http://www.aad.org/education/students/students.html

UTMB Dermatology Opens Clinic in Bay Colony Town Center, League City, Texas

The new UTMB dermatology clinic at Bay Colony (2785 Gulf Freeway South, Suite 165, the same shopping center as HEB and 24 Hour Fitness in League City, just west of I-45) has just opened. This clinic is conveniently located to the quickly growing cities of League City, Dickinson, Friendswood, Santa Fe, Texas City and communities in the Clear Lake area. Patients interested in making an appointment there should call 281-534-3376 . The clinic will be staffed by UTMB dermatology faculty.

Stay Shady! Visits Odyssey Academy's Third Graders!

This past Friday, December 4th, DIG members Rebecca Philips, Lindsey Hunter, and Janese Laster presented Stay Shady! to the third grade class at Odyssey Academy. Students learned the importance of skin protection during all seasons of the year.

A big thank you to Odyssey Academy for hosting our team and for being such a wonderful and interactive audience! If you would like to participate in the next Stay Shady! event, e-mail DIG's Community Outreach Chair, Rebecca Philips (rcphilip@utmb.edu), for further information.

Medical Student Expectations for Away Dermatology Rotations

What should medical student rotators expect from their away dermatology rotations? Visiting students on an away dermatology elective should gain exposure to another dermatology department or division with different faculty and residents, and have the opportunity for professional interactions that may create additional career networking opportunities. Sadly, the national trend seems to be moving away from automatic interview offers for away dermatology rotators due to the increased competition from outstanding applicants and limited departmental/division resources for interview slots. However, since previous educational research in dermatology indicates that dermatology residency programs are most likely to match with either their own students or visiting students doing away electives with them, away rotations can help applicants obtain residency positions. This observation suggests that some programs may place greater emphasis on longer term interactions with dermatology applicants than excellent paper credentials and a one or two day interview. The bottom line is that away dermatology rotations may open some interview doors for applicants, but it is no longer automatic!

UTMB Dermatology Consolidates 3 Mainland Clinics at New Bay Colony Site

On Monday, Dec. 7, 2009, the three UTMB Dermatology clinics in Dickinson, League City, and Texas City will consolidate into one new location: University Dermatology at Bay Colony in League City, 2785 Gulf Freeway South, Suite 165 (next to 24 Hour Fitness at I-45 and FM 646). The phone number is (281) 534-3376.

Eve Visits UTMB Dermatology

Allergan's Eve, an interactive computer model used to teach and improve physician injection techniques for Botox, visited UTMB Dermatology last week. UTMB dermatology residents received expert instruction and feedback from UTMB's faculty cosmetic dermatologist, Dr. Erica Kelly.

Houston Dermatologists Are Talking (and Learning) About Us!

The achievements of UTMB dermatology residents and students was the topic of a lecture given by our dermatology program director, Dr. Richard Wagner, at the 2009 John Knox Dermatology Lecture and Clinical Conference hosted by the Houston Dermatological Association and held at The University of Texas-Houston Dermatology Department on Saturday morning, November 21, 2009. Dr. Wagner talked about the UTMB Dermatology Research Honors Program, the recently published UTMB research article in Dermatology Online Journal about dermatology educational opportunities for visiting 4th year medical students (Houston area dermatology residency programs are a national hotbed for dermatology medical education), the success of the UTMB Dermatology Interest Group (DIG) blog in providing communication and information about dermatology to our medical students, and UTMB's Dermatology experience with using teleconferencing to include distance learning medical students in our dermatology electives. In addition, the required Dermatology Scholarly Project for UTMB Dermatology Residents was discussed, highlighting Dr. Josh Dimmick's recent publication about SPF lip protection in a population of skin cancer patients.

Dr. Sharon S. Raimer Featured in Texas Monthly

Congratulations to Dr. Sharon Raimer, the Chair of UTMB Dermatology, for being named a 2009 "Texas Super Doctor." This honor was recognized in the December 2009 issue of Texas Monthly, a widely read magazine. The website, superdoctors.com contains more information about the selection process.

UTMB Dermatology Clinic in Bay Colony Town Center, League City, Texas Now Taking Appointments for Anticipated Monday, December 7, 2009 Opening

The new UTMB dermatology clinic at Bay Colony (in the same shopping center as HEB and 24 Hour Fitness in League City, on the west side of I-45) has begun taking appointments for its planned opening on December 7th. This clinic is conveniently located for the rapidly growing cities of League City, Dickinson, Friendswood, Santa Fe, Texas City and communities in the Clear Lake area. Patients interested in making an appointment there should call 281-534-3376 . The clinic will be staffed by UTMB dermatology faculty.

This Looks Good!

UTMB will be sponsoring a day long (8:30 am to 5 pm) symposium featuring outside and UTMB faculty speakers in honor of Michael R McGinnis, PhD, about Medical Mycology topics on Monday, December 7th in Levin Hall. It is free to participants, who must register by contacting roleslie@utmb.edu

Play Safe In The Sun comes to Houston this weekend!

The Women's Dermatologic Society needs volunteers for the “Play Safe in the Sun” event this weekend at the LPGA Tour Championship in Houston, TX. Volunteers will provide sun safety education and outreach to LPGA spectators.

WDS members Deborah MacFarlane, MD and Lucile White, MD will chair this event and are seeking Texas Board-certified Dermatologists to conduct free skin cancer screenings and sun safety outreach in the WDS booth on the tournament grounds. This is a fun way to get to know other local dermatologists, be involved in an event that attracts a lot of media attention, and provide a much-needed outreach service to the golfing community. There are also volunteer opportunities for residents, nurses, physician's assistants and family members who are interested in joining us.

Date: November 20-22, 2009

Location: The Houstonian Golf & Country Club @ 12600 Houstonian Way, Houston, TX

Volunteer Shifts:
Friday, November 20 - Sunday, November 22- Public Outreach
1.) Fri: Shift A: 9:00 am-12:00 pm * Shift B: 12:00 pm-3:00 pm
2.) Sat: Shift A: 9:00 am-12:00 pm * Shift B: 12:00 pm-3:00 pm
3.) Sun: Shift A: 9:00 am-12:00 pm

Additional Information: Volunteer passes and parking information will be provided to you once you have signed up as a volunteer. For more information on the tournament, please visit http://www.lpgatourchampionship.org/information.php

RSVP if you are interested in joining:
http://www.playsafeinthesun.org/news/volunteer.php
877-WDS-ROSE (937-7673) or wds@womensderm.org

Congratulations to Dr. Catherine C. McNeese

Dr. Catherine McNeese has passed the American Board of Dermatopathology Certification Exam on her first attempt and is now a Diplomate of the American Board of Dermatopathology. She completed the one year dermatopathology fellowship at UTMB in 2008, and now practices in Austin, Texas.

Reminder: 51st annual NSRF deadline is January 22

The 51st Annual National Student Research Forum is scheduled for April 22-23, 2010. Abstracts for submission must be postmarked by January 22nd. Check out the NSRF UTMB Homepage at: http://www.utmb.edu/nsrf/ for more details. Medical students, residents and graduate students are all able to submit abstracts about dermatology to this meeting.

Still some Openings for "Narratives of Skin Disease" class (DERU-4012)

According to UTMB's Anita Hendrix, there are still three spots available for the new BSHS Selective, DERU-4012 that starts on December 14th (Period 13). This class is only available to UTMB MS4 students and is only given during Period 13. During the course, students read 3 books written by people with skin diseases (nonmelanoma skin cancer, leprosy and vitiligo) and then select an additional book from an approved list for a 5 page, double-spaced critical, comparative essay. This is a good class for those who like to read and who want to learn more about how skin disease impacts lives.

MS4 Audra Clos Receives Basic Science Research Student Poster Award

Congratulations to UTMB MS4 Audra Clos for her winning presentation, "Approaches using cutaneous amyloid mouse model to study the effects of local, passive administration of conformational antibodies for the treatment of protein aggregate disorders of aging" at the 13th Annual Forum on Aging. Her coauthors were A. Lasagna-Reeves (neurology), B. Kelly (dermatology), G.R. Jackson (neurology) and R. Kayed (neurology). Her abstract was published in the program book (number 29). This work is part of her UTMB Honors Research Program.

The Envelope Please...

Please join the UTMB DIG in congratulating MS4 Doug Heiner and his coauthor, MS2 Donnie Warren for being awarded the "Best Student Poster" at the 13th Annual Forum on Aging. for their presentation, "Preventing Ultraviolet Light Scalp Injury: Scalp Cancer Awareness and Protective Behaviors" (Abstract 12 published in the 2009 program book). Their UTMB coauthors on the study were Tatsuo Uchida (Office of Biostatistics) and Richard Wagner, MD, Department of Dermatology. The resesearch is part of Mr. Heiner's UTMB Dermatology Research Honors Program, and it was sponsored in part by the Edgar B. Smith Professorship.

Alison Wiesenthal Presents Research in Austin

MS IV Alison Wiesenthal will be presenting her original research, Cutaneous Side Effects of Novel Chemotherapy PLX 4032, in Austin next Friday to Dr. Reichenberg and residents and welcomes Austin DIG members to join! We will be in the Dermatology Conference room in the UT Physicians Building at noon on Friday, November 20th.
If you would like to attend, please RSVP to acwiesen@utmb.edu.

Good Resource for Dermatology Residency Information

DIGA (the national umbrella organization for medical school based Dermatology Interest Groups such as our own) maintains a website with lots of useful information for dermatology applicants. They keep an updated list of when specific dermatology residency programs plan to conduct their interviews, so this information can be very useful in planning interview travel schedules. The DIGA website is http://www.derminterest.org/

UTMB DIG Members Presenting Posters Tomorrow

UTMB DIG members, along with the entire UTMB community, are invited to see the two dermatology research posters at the UTMB 13th Annual Forum on Aging on Thursday, November 12th starting at 5 pm in the Levin Hall Dining Room. Cheese and refreshments are promised.

UTMB MS4 Audra Clos is presenting her fascinating research about cutaneous amyloid in a mouse model
("Approaches using cutaneous amyloid mouse model to study the effects of local, passive administration of conformational antibodies for the treatment of protein aggregate disorders of aging") and UTMB MS4 Douglas Heiner, along with coauthor MS2 Donny Warren are presenting their original epidemiologic research from Galveston entitled, "Preventing Ultraviolet Light Scalp Injury: Scalp Cancer Awareness and Protective Behaviors." Good luck to all of these UTMB medical student researchers!

Dr. Dan McCoy Visits UTMB Dermatology

UTMB Dermatology Alum, Dr. Dan McCoy (1997), visited our dermatology department this morning and gave a lecture to the dermatology residents and faculty about his experiences in setting up a private practice after dermatology residency. Dr. McCoy is the Program Director for the new dermatology residency program in Dallas at Baylor Medical Center described in this blog last week. He currently plans on accepting 2 applicants outside of the NRMP for the dermatology residency that starts in July 2010. The July 2010 start date will require completion of an internship. Since this new program is currently a non-ERAS program, applications should soon be available through their website. Despite there not being a formal application available yet, over 100 interested medical students and physicians have already indicated interest. Medical students interested in seeing the program first hand may schedule a dermatology elective at Baylor Medical Center (Dallas).

UTMB Dermatology Alum Starts New Dermatology Residency Program in Dallas

Congratulations to UTMB Dermatology Residency alumni, Dr. Dan McCoy (1997), for initiating a new Dermatology Residency Program in Dallas, Texas, at Baylor Medical Center. Another UTMB Dermatology Residency graduate, Dr. Allison Readinger (2006), will provide dermatopathology services for this new program.

UTMB Dermatology Receives Record Number of Residency Applications

The UTMB dermatology application deadline through ERAS was yesterday, and they received 408 applications. Invitations to interview in February for the residency are usually extended in December.

Dermatology Program Director and Chair Survey about Dermatology Electives

The October 2009 issue of Dermatology Online Journal has published a national survey indicating that 59% of dermatology chairs/program directors did not consider away dermatology to be essential for applicants. Of those who thought away dermatology electives were necessary, the mode was 2 electives. Those surveyed also thought infectious disease, internal medicine and rheumatology were important electives for future dermatology residents. The entire article is available at: http://dermatology-s10.cdlib.org/1510/originals/year_4_curriculum/armstrong.html

More Advice Published for Dermatology Applicants

Dermatology Online Journal has published another article with advice for current dermatology applicants. The link to the article is http://dermatology-s10.cdlib.org/1510/commentary/derm_match/alikhan.html

Link Correction!

Below is the corrected link from our most recent post to Rebecca Philips' article, "The "Away" Dermatology Elective for Visiting Medical Students: Educational Opportunities and Barriers." This link has also been corrected in the original post.
http://dermatology-s10.cdlib.org/1510/originals/away_curriculum/wagner.html

Second Year UTMB Medical Student Publishes Dermatology Educational Research

The UTMB Dermatology Interest Group sends out congratulations to our Community Outreach Chair and second year medical student, Rebecca Philips. Rebecca has just published her comprehensive survey about dermatology electives for upper level medical students (Philips RC, Dhingra N, Uchida T, Wagner RF Jr. The "Away" Dermatology Elective for Visiting Medical Students: Educational Opportunities and Barriers. Dermatology Online Journal 15(10):1, October 2009) as the lead article. Her UTMB MS4 coauthor, Navin Dhingra, began this research in 2007 during the UTMB Medical Student Summer Research Program (MSSRP) and presented preliminary data at the 2007 annual MSSRP poster session. Rebecca enlarged the scope of Navin's initial project and gathered new data this summer, also working under the UTMB Medical Student Summer Research Program. The research was supported in part through the Edgar B. Smith Professorship. Her article provides lots of useful information about doing an away dermatology elective at another academic institution as a visiting medical student. The entire article is available at: http://dermatology-s10.cdlib.org/1510/originals/away_curriculum/wagner.html

UTMB IRB Approves Resident Initiated Dermoscopy Study

Dr. Matt Petitt, a second year UTMB dermatology resident, was notified by the UTMB IRB that his human subject research study proposal, "The Predictive Value of Dermoscopy for the In Vivo Assessment of Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer Margins," has been approved. He is the Principal Investigator on this study, that will be conducted during his upcoming 4 month rotation on Mohs at UTMB. His goal is to determine if dermoscopy aids in the accuracy of clinical margin assessment prior to Stage I Mohs excision. His UTMB dermatology faculty supervisor on this research is Dr. Richard Wagner.

More UTMB Dermatopathology Success!

Dr. Cecilia Rosales has passed the 2009 dermatopathology certification examination on the first attempt and is now board certified in dermatopathology. Congratulations!

UTMB Mohs Surgeon Appointed to Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery

Dr. Richard Wagner, our UTMB Dermatology Program Director and Mohs Surgeon, has recently received a secondary appointment to the UTMB Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery as Professor. Currently, all third year plastic surgery residents at UTMB have a required one month rotation with him on the Mohs service, where skin cancers are treated with Mohs surgery and wound reconstructions are performed the same day with primary closures, skin grafts and local skin flaps. Dr. Wagner has been a full-time faculty on the UTMB Dermatology Faculty since 1988 and he is the Edgar B. Smith Professor of Dermatology and Deputy Chair of Dermatology. He also holds a secondary appointment in the UTMB Department of Otolaryngology as Professor.

Congratulations Dr. Parekh

Palak Parekh, MD, a current UTMB dermatopathology fellow and recent graduate from the dermatology residency program at Texas A&M Medical Center/Scott & White Clinic in Temple, Texas, has passed the American Board of Dermatology certification examination on her first attempt. She is now a Diplomate of the American Board of Dermatology.

Dr. Berlingeri-Ramos Board Certified in Dermatopathology

Dr. Alma Berlingeri-Ramos recently received notification that she has passed the 2009 dermatopathology certification examination on the first attempt and is now board certified in dermatopathology. She is now "double-boarded" in dermatology and in dermatopathology. Congratulations!

All 2009 Graduating UTMB Dermatology Residents Pass Certification Examination

Congratulations to our 2009 UTMB dermatology residency graduates, Drs. Julie Brantley and Josh Dimmick. Both have passed the American Board of Dermatology (ABD) certification examination on the first attempt and are now Diplomates of the American Board of Dermatology. This is the 9th consecutive year that all UTMB graduating dermatology residents have passed their "boards" on the first try.

DIG Success at BP Health and Safety Fair

DIG members enjoyed volunteering at the 6th Annual BP Children’s Safety & Health Fair this weekend at Mall of Mainland. Thank you to 2nd year Rebecca Philips, 3rd years Kenne Ogunmakin and Lindsey Hunter, and 4th year Alison Wiesenthal for making this event such a success!

(L to R) DIG President Alison Wiesenthal and Community Service Chair Rebecca Philips volunteering Saturday morning at the Health and Safety Fair.

17 Days Left to Apply for a PGY-2 UTMB Dermatology Residency Position Starting in 2011

The UTMB Dermatology Department has a November 1, 2009 application deadline for the 3 NRMP PGY-2 dermatology residency positions being offered that start in July 2011. Applications must be complete by November 1, 2009 in order to be considered, and must be submitted through ERAS (Electronic Residency Application Service). No late applications will be considered. Application review will begin on November 2, 2009 for one day interviews of 20-30 outside applicants that are scheduled for February 4th or 5th, 2010.

Volunteers Needed for BP Children’s Health & Safety Fair

DIG will be participating in the BP Children’s Health & Safety Fair this Saturday, October 17. Come help us present Stay Shady! and make UV Bead bracelets with the children.

6th Annual Children’s Safety & Health Fair
Date: October 17, 2009
Time: 10am – 3pm
Place: Mall of the Mainland
Set-up time: 7-9:30am ~ Breakdown time: 3pm
Age Range: 0-99
Anticipated attendance: 2500

Interested in volunteering? E-mail Alison Wiesenthal at acwiesen@utmb.edu.

DIG Meeting Recap 10-08-09

DIG held its second successful videoconference this afternoon. Thanks to all who attended our meeting about dermatology honors research. For a copy of the handout, please visit the Honors Research Program website at http://www.som.utmb.edu/current/Description%20Honors%20Program.pdf.

Thank you to the fourth years for sharing their insights and to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd years for their great questions! Please feel free to contact us throughout the year. We are here to help!

Alison Wiesenthal
UTMB DIG Co-President
acwiesen@utmb.edu

Are Away Dermatology Rotations Helpful in Matching for a Dermatology Residency?

Yes, according to a study published in 2006 (Clark JT, Miller JJ, Sceppa J, et al. Success in the dermatology residency match in 2003: perceptions and importance of home institutions and away rotations. Arch Dermatol 2006;142:930-932). In this study, 53% of dermatology matches were at the applicants' home school or at a place where they did an away rotation. This study seems to mirror recent NRMP dermatology match experiences of UTMB students applying for dermatology residencies. UTMB students who are thinking about taking away dermatology rotations in their senior year are encouraged to prepare early, since away positions are limited and some have an application deadline.

UTMB Dermatology Residents Enjoy Texas Friday Night Lights

Former DePauw University football pass reception leader Dr. John Stephens and his wife enjoy a traditional Friday Night Lights at Galveston's Ball High School Kermit Courville Stadium last week. The Indiana natives were accompanied by UTMB dermatology residents who were formerly from Hawaii and Oklahoma.

Does a Dermatology Fellowship Increase the Chances for a Dermatology Residency Position?

Last September the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology published a Research Letter that addressed this question (Wasong SJ, Miller JJ, Zaenglein AL, Does a predermatology fellowship increase the chance to match in dermatology? J Am Acad Dermatol 2008;59:535-536). The authors contacted 46 preresidency fellowships and surveyed the fellowship directors and the fellow(s). There were responses from 26 (57%) fellowship directors The fellowship directors indicated that 176 of 190 (92%) past fellows obtained dermatology residencies. Of the current dermatology fellows who sought a dermatology residency, 24/27 (88.9%) indicated success. According to the authors, dermatology match statistics from 2005 showed that 57.8% of dermatology applicants matched into a dermatology residency. The authors concluded that "Participating in a preresidency dermatology fellowship appears to increase one's chances of subsequently matching to a dermatology residency program."

DIG Meeting Thursday 5 pm

Interested in research? Interested in doing a Dermatology Honors Thesis?

Please join us for our DIG meeting this Thursday, October 8th at 5:00 PM in the Department of Dermatology's conference room (4.112 McCullough Building). Fourth year students currently involved in honors research will be discussing their experiences with the program. This will be a great opportunity for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd year students to learn about the process.

If you are in Austin or any other location and interested in joining us, contact Alison Wiesenthal at acwiesen@utmb.edu. See you Thursday!

Stay Shady! Presents at Odyssey Academy

This past Tuesday, September 29, DIG members presented Stay Shady! to the fourth graders at Odyssey Academy. Thank you to our Community Service Coordinator, Rebecca Philips, for setting this up.

Stay tuned for more opportunities to help out with Stay Shady! or e-mail Alison Wiesenthal acwiesen@utmb.edu if you have a school in mind that would benefit from our Sun Protection Children's Education Project.

Presentation About Step 1 Scores at the 2009 Dermatology Teachers Exchange Group (DTEG)

A presentation from Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health (Columbus) at the 2009 Dermatology Teachers Exchange Group meeting in Chicago last week analyzed the correlation between dermatology resident Step 1 USMLE scores and the annual dermatology in-training examination given to residents (Fening K, Vander Horst A, Zirwas M. Correlation of USMLE Step 1 Scores With Performance on Dermatology In Training Exams and Board Examination). The authors found that Step 1 scores explained about 25% of the variability seen in in-training exam scores.

In the DTEG discussion that followed, an audience participant mentioned that it is possible that Step 2 scores may correlate with the visual portion of the actual board examination, but more analysis is needed.

UTMB Dermatology Residents Getting Lots of Surgery Experience

According to survey data presented at the 2009 Association of Professors of Dermatology Annual Meeting held last weekend in Chicago (Lee E, et al, A Survey to Assess Dermatologic Surgery Training in Residency), UTMB dermatology residents are typically in the top group nationally regarding number of Mohs layers taken during residency. Mohs surgery was found to be important in the acquisition of important surgical skills, such as suturing.

Harvard Offers New Fellowship in Derm/Rheum

Candidates need to have completed their PGY-1 year in Medicine for this one year fellowship that will place emphasis on connective tissue diseases and dermatology. To apply send an email to the fellowship director, Dr. Ruth Ann Vleugels (rvleugels@partners.org), along with your CV by October 19, 2009.

Best Ways to Work with Faculty and Residents on Academic Projects

Many medical students desire feedback about how their academic collaborations such as case reports, review articles and research projects are evaluated by dermatology faculty and residents. Here are a few tips about how to be successful in this process. UTMB has very supportive dermatology residents and faculty who will help you get the most of this experience. Many of our current residents have recently completed excellent dermatology research as medical students and they are happy to share their experiences with you. They want you to be successful too!

Good communication is definitely key to this activity. Residents and faculty should receive frequent updates from students about their progress. Successful projects require knowing what you want to do and having the time to do it. If you don't have time for a project or if the topic just does not interest you, be upfront about it. Another project more to your liking may become available, and you might be able to work on it. You could also come up with a project of your own. Those are often the best ones. The residents and faculty and the resources available on campus can help you design a good study using available resources.

Reliability is a close second to communication skills. If you are unable to attend a scheduled meeting, make sure you let everyone know in advance. If you are having problems meeting deadlines, quickly let your supervisors know and they probably will help. Depending on the type of project, sometimes other students are willing to join in with you to get it done. They should be rewarded by sharing the credit.

Requesting feedback on data analysis, the first or revised draft of a research proposal or manuscript and then not responding back again for several weeks or months after receiving a reply from the resident or faculty may be detrimental to the research. By then it is possible that your supervisor will have lost focus on the project and it may be difficult to revive it. Data can get old or get lost. Residents may graduate and now may be too busy to help right away as they transition into their new practices. Following up regularly and responding to feedback quickly is usually the best way to keep your academic project on track, get it completed and ready for submission to a meeting or a journal.

Good luck with your research!

Wake Forest University Offering 1 Year Dermatology Fellowship to Medical Students

Please see for http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=666406 more details.

UTMB Dermatologic Surgery Elective Open for Period 4

Due to a last minute student drop this week, our Dermatologic Surgery elective (DERU-4003) is now open to UTMB 3rd and 4th year medical students or for visiting MS4 medical students from other schools for Period 4. The 4 week elective starts next Monday, September 21, 2009. Please contact the UTMB registrar tomorrow if you are interested in taking this popular course.

DIG Video/Teleconference Success

DIG held its first combined video and teleconference this afternoon with great success! With the two campuses combined, we had almost 20 people in attendance.

Thank you to Dr. Ashley Group, Dr. Neda Nosrati and Dr. Nathan Davis for sharing their time and insights with us as we embark on our residency applications. We are grateful to have had all the first year residents share their advice.

Please join us at our upcoming Stay Shady! presentation at Odyssey Academy. Contact our Community Service Outreach Chair Rebecca Philips (rcphilip@utmb.edu) for more information.

Future volunteer opportunities discussed tonight include a skin cancer screening at the LPGA golf tournament in Houston, TX Nov. 20-22, our annual Miles for Melanoma Walk in May, and the Galveston County Health fair in April.

Do you have a school in mind that would benefit from Stay Shady! A Sun Protection Children's Education Project? Want to get more involved with DIG and our community outreach?
Contact Alison Wiesenthal at acwiesen@utmb.edu.

DIG Meeting Today at 5 pm: Attend, Call In or Videoconference

Interested in research? Interested in doing a Dermatology Honors Thesis?

Please join us for our DIG meeting this this afternoon at 5:00 PM in the Department of Dermatology's conference room (4.112 McCullough Building). Fourth year students currently involved in honors research will be discussing their experiences with the program. This will be a great opportunity for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd year students to learn about the process.

Starting today at 4:45 pm, you may call in to 409-797-1298. Access code is DERM (3376).

We look forward to seeing and/or hearing from everyone this afternoon!

If you have any questions, please contact DIG Co-President Alison Wiesenthal (acwiesen@utmb.edu).

"Iked" UTMB MS4 Students Rapidly Recover

Four current UTMB MS4 (senior) medical students have had their Dermatology Research Honors Proposals approved by the UTMB Honors Program Committee. The successful seniors are, in alphabetical order:

Doug Heiner: "Preventing Ultraviolet Light Scalp Injury: Scalp Cancer Awareness and Protective Behaviors in Men" (UTMB Faculty Advisor, Dr. Richard Wagner)

Jarad Levin: "Presentation of Skin Cancers in Latin Americans as Related to Their Access to Healthcare” (UTMB Faculty Advisor, Dr. Brent Kelly)

David Rains: "Ear Protection from Ultraviolet Light Injury at the Beach"(UTMB Faculty Advisor, Dr. Richard Wagner)

Alison Wiesenthal: "Dermal Scatter Reduction in Human Skin to Enhance Efficacy of Laser in Tattoo Removal" (UTMB Faculty Advisor, Dr. Dayna Diven)

Despite Hurricane Ike in September 2008, and the disruption of scheduled third year academic schedules in its aftermath, all four of these senior medical students were able to enter the Dermatology Research Honors Program at UTMB. If all of these students are able to successfully defend their research thesis, the Class of 2010 will have more Dermatology Research Honors Graduates than any previous graduating class! Good luck with your research this academic year!

DIG to Hold Teleconference September 15

Please join us for a joint Galveston-Austin DIG meeting on September 15th at 5 pm. Austin students please RSVP: Alison Wiesenthal at acwiesen@utmb.edu for further information.

DIG Meeting on September 15th

DIG's next meeting is on Tuesday, September 15, 2009 at 5:00 PM in the Department of Dermatology's conference room (4.112 McCullough Building). We are excited to have Dr. Ashley Group, current UTMB Dermatology resident, as our guest. Dr. Group will be sharing her personal experiences on the residency interview trail. See you Tuesday!

If you are in Austin and interested in joining us, contact DIG Co-President Alison Wiesenthal at acwiesen@utmb.edu.

Questions? Feel free to contact Lindsey Hunter (lihunter@utmb.edu)

UTMB Plans 2010 Dermatology Residency Interviews for February

In a departure from recent tradition, the UTMB Department of Dermatology has selected February 2010 (Thursday, February 4 and Friday, February 5) as the two interview dates it will be offering to outside applicants. Typically UTMB dermatology does not begin reviewing completed applications until the day after the current application deadline, November 1, 2009. Interview offers to 20-30 outside applicants are usually extended in December, and approximately 10 applicants are placed on an alternate list, with possible later interview offers made on a space available basis. There will be 3 advanced standing position offered in the 2010 NRMP, with matched applicants beginning their PGY-2 dermatology residency at UTMB in July 2011. UTMB Dermatology usually interviews all of its internal candidates informally before the outside applicants are interviewed.

UTMB no longer offers a combined 5-year dermatology/pediatric residency. It was discontinued following Hurricane Ike in 2008.

DIG's New Google Group

After switching over from Yahoo! Groups to Google Groups, DIG@UTMB's blog posts are now making it to our subscribers via e-mail without any delays! If you would like to re-subscribe to DIG, or if you need help switching over to DIG's new e-mail list, please e-mail Lindsey Hunter at lihunter@utmb.edu.

Leslie Scroggins Markle, MD's Dermatology Research Honors Thesis Accepted for Publication at JAAD

Leslie Scroggins Markle, MD had her dermatology research honors project accepted for publication in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology ("JAAD"). Her research was included in the paper entitled, "The imbalanced expression of matrix metalloproteinases in nephrogenic systemic fibrosis." The authors of this in press publication are Brent C. Kelly, MD, Leslie Scroggins Markle, MD, Jennifer L Vickers, MD, Matthew S. Petitt, DO, Sharon S. Raimer, MD, and Catherine McNeese, MD. Dr. Markle will begin her dermatology residency at UTMB in July 2010, where Drs. Kelly and Raimer are dermatology faculty and Dr. Petitt is a dermatology resident. Dr. McNeese completed dermatopathology fellowship at UTMB and Dr. Vickers is a resident in the Department of Internal Medicine. Congratulations to all of the authors for submitting this interesting research so quickly!

Good News for UTMB!

The Galveston County Commissioners voted 3-1 today to support UTMB through a property tax increase for Galveston County residents. This is extremely good news for the UTMB Community and Galveston County residents because it will allow UTMB to restore the number of hospital beds that UTMB had before Hurricane Ike destroyed much of the campus on September 13, 2008. For additional information, please see http://www.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=af83557461b1d3ea

DIG@UTMB is Moving, Please Come With Us!

DIG@UTMB will no longer be using Yahoo! Groups to communicate with our blog subscribers. Please join the DIG@UTMB Google Group to continue receiving updates and other important information via e-mail. We will be closing our Yahoo! Groups account in the next 30 days. Please e-mail Lindsey Hunter at lihunter@utmb.edu if you have any questions.

Thanks for your interest and support!

Sincerely,
UTMB DIG Officers

"Two Campus" Dermatology at UTMB Closer to Reality

Two campuses for UTMB Dermatology are on their way to becoming a reality following administration approval for a new, 6202 square foot dermatology clinic located in Bay Colony Town Center, League City, TX (west side of I-45) near the HEB. This new clinic will be a "state of the art" facility with greater patient care capacity. It will also have a large conference room that will facilitate educational activities for dermatology residents and medical students. The two UTMB dermatology conference rooms in Galveston and League City will be linked for videoconferencing and teleconferencing, permitting joint conferences between the two locations for morning and afternoon educational conferences. It is anticipated that the new League City facility will officially open in late 2009 or early 2010. The dermatopathology lab and the Mohs service will remain at UTMB in Galveston.

Record Number of UTMB Seniors May Apply for a Dermatology Residency in 2009

This year, eight senior UTMB medical students are planning to apply for a dermatology residency. This is a new school record for dermatology. The UTMB DIG wishes all applicants good luck in the match!

Author! Author!

Congratulations to our Austin DIG Co-President, Alison Wiesenthal for her essay, "Death on Call: Trauma Surgery from a Medical Student's Perspective." Her essay has been accepted for publication by The Pharos, Alpha Omega Alpha's quarterly publication.

Stay Shady Reaches over 100 Students

(L to R) Dr. Mika Yamazaki, Alison Wiesenthal and Michaela Marek

This past Friday, August 21st, DIG members Alison Wiesenthal, MS IV, Michaela Marek, MS III and Dr. Mika Yamazaki, 2nd year resident, presented Stay Shady! at Trinity Episcopal Lower School. They taught over 100 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th graders about sun safety. After the presentation, students asked thoughtful questions such as: Can I go outside right after I put on sunscreen or should I put it on a while before I go out? If I put on sunscreen in the morning before school do I need to put in on again before playtime?

Dr. Mika Yamazaki, UTMB's own Austin Kelly and MS IV Alison Wiesenthal show the students how to dress for a day in the sun.

The children enjoyed their UV bead bracelets which show them when they are being exposed to the sun's harmful rays. They were impressed as the beads turned from clear to color in the light and then back to clear again when walking back inside.

Thank you to Trinity Episcopal for hosting our team and being such a great audience.

A big thank you to our resident liaison, Dr. Yamazaki, for sharing her time and expertise with the Trinity students. We appreciate it!

First DIG Meeting Recap

DIG had a great first meeting on Thursday. A big thank you to Dr. Wagner for his captivating presentation on "Dermatology in the Media." If you are interested in this topic, Dr. Wagner teaches "Skin Disease Depicted in Film" (DERU-4007) and "History of Dermatology" (DERU- 4008) which may be taken for elective or BSHS credit.

President Alison Wiesenthal and Vice President Lindsey Hunter discussed their experience volunteering at the Bacliff Community Funfest and plans for future Stay Shady! presentations. We also discussed future community service projects, including visiting local schools to teach about sun protection and our annual Miles for Melanoma walk. Stay tuned for more details!

To get more involved with DIG and our community outreach, feel free to contact Alison Wiesenthal at acwiesen@utmb.edu.

DIG Success at Bacliff Community FunFest

DIG officers Alison Wiesenthal and Lindsey Hunter got up early last Saturday morning and had a great time volunteering at the Bacliff Community FunFest this past weekend. We made UV bead bracelets with the children and gave out information on sun protection. We showed the children that when their bracelets begin to turn from clear to color, it's time to put on sunscreen or come in out of the sun. The kids really enjoyed running inside and outside, watching the beads change color as the youngsters exposed their bracelets to UV light.

Here is a kind thank you letter from the FunFest chairman for UTMB DIG's participation:

Dear Alison and UTMB Dermatology,

Thank you so much for your participation in the Community Funfest! I think it was a terrific event with a lot of good, healthy things going on! We really appreciate your staffing this event on a Saturday, when so many folks are on vacation. The community was definitely benefited (and had a lot of fun!) by this event.

Many thanks!
Pam Merrill
Chair, Local Outreach
Clear Lake Presbyterian Church

DIG Meeting on August 6th

Join us August 6th at 5 PM in the Dermatology Department’s conference room (4.112 McCullough Building) for our first DIG meeting of the year. We are pleased to have Dr. Wagner present “Dermatology in the Media.”

Questions? Feel free to contact Lindsey Hunter (lihunter@utmb.edu) or Alison Wiesenthal (acwiesen@utmb.edu).

See you Thursday!

Good Advice to Dermatology Residency Applicants

A recent peer-reviewed article about the experience of several medical students who matched into dermatology residencies was published in the July 2009 issue of Dermatology Online Journal ("Advice for medical students interested in dermatology: Perspectives from fourth year students who matched"). The UTMB Dermatology Program Director recommends it to all UTMB medical students who may be interested in a dermatology career. The link for the article is: http://dermatology-s10.cdlib.org/1507/commentary/students/alikhan.html

UTMB Austin Not Offering Dermatology AI

The dermatology program at UTMB in Austin will not be offering an Acting Internship in Dermatology (DERO-4013) this academic term.

How do the 2008 UTMB Dermatology Residency Graduates Rate Their Program?

The current UTMB dermatology program director, Dr. Richard Wagner, recently surveyed dermatologists who graduated from the program in 2008 (one year since graduation). The survey asked graduates to evaluate the graduate medical education in dermatology they received at UTMB during their residencies, and asked them how the program could continue to improve in order to benefit current and future dermatology residents. Responding graduates (all in private practice) were very satisfied with their overall dermatology training at UTMB, felt very well qualified for private practice, and commented about how well prepared they were for procedural dermatology. They thought that it would be valuable for the current and future dermatology residents to receive more training on coding and private practice management. In addition, they suggested that senior resident clinical schedules could be modified in the future to permit additional continuity clinics. Dermatology residents in the UTMB dermatology residency program start dermatology continuity clinics in the first year of residency training. These continuity clinics are increased during the second and third years of residency. All of the continuity clinics are supervised by dermatology faculty. This approach permits dermatology residents to have long term followup on their patients.

Baylor College of Medicine Department of Dermatology Applicant Info Session

The Baylor College of Medicine Department of Dermatology faculty and residents would like to invite students interested in dermatology to their annual applicant informational session. Please RSVP through their evite if you are interested in going!

http://www.evite.com/pages/invite/viewInvite.jsp?event=XZVEYUCDYWJIVCNDLAIV&unknownUser=true

Location: Baylor Clinic, 14th Floor Dermatology Suite
Address: 6620 Main St, Suite 1425 Houston, TX 77030
Date: Thursday, August 27, 2009
Time: 6:30 PM
Phone: 713-376-6867
Purpose: They will be talking about the application process in general, how to prepare for the interview trail, and they will answer any questions you might have. Dinner will be served; please RSVP via the evite link above so that they may have an accurate head count. (Don't forget to bring something to write with!)
Contact Person: Stanley Chan
Contact Information: stanchan7@gmail.com

DIG to Volunteer at Community Fun Festival 2009

Join DIG Saturday, August 1st at the Bacliff Community Fun Festival. We will be presenting Stay Shady!: a Sun Protection Project for Kids. Come help the children make UV bead bracelets so they can know when they are being exposed to the sun's harmful rays. No experience required!

Community Fun Festival 2009
Date: Saturday, August 1, 2009Time: 10am – 2pm
Place: K. E. Little Elementary School, 622 Oklahoma, Bacliff, TX 77518

If interested in volunteering, e-mail Alison at acwiesen@utmb.edu.

New UTMB Dermatology BSHS Selective Approved for Period 13 (Winter Break)

A new BSHS dermatology course, DERU-4012, "Narratives of Skin Diseases" taught by Dr. Richard Wagner has been approved for UTMB MS4 medical students during Period 13 (December 14, 2009 through January 8, 2010). From the course description:

"Skin diseases represent some of the most frequent clinical diagnoses and account for the most work-related disability in the United States. Disfigurement of the face and other exposed skin are a major morbidity of many skin diseases and their treatment. Students taking this course will develop a greater understanding about and empathy for the impact of different types of skin diseases from the 3 required texts (nonmelanoma skin cancer, leprosy and vitiligo) on people and their lives and will be able to learn more about the personal and life impact of eczema, psoriasis or graft versus host skin disease in the final assignment. This course will focus on autobiographical and biographical accounts about people with skin diseases and the impact of the skin disease on their lives and the lives of others... During the 4th week of the seminar, the student will select another text available from the dermatology lending library for critical and comparative analysis to the 3 required texts and be required to submit a 5-10 page essay on this topic on the last Friday of the Period. The 3 required texts for this course are: Week 1: Saving Face: My Victory Over Skin Cancer (Carolyn Shuck, 2000, 236 pages) Week 2: Squint: My Journey with Leprosy (Jose Ramirez, 2009, 218 pages) Week 3: Turning White: A Memoir of Change (Thomas Lee, 2007, 176 pages) Week 4: Students may select any of the following texts to analyze and use for critical comparison to the 3 core texts used in the seminar: From the Journal of a Leper (John Updike, 1976), One Hundred Days (David Biro, 2000, 289 pages), or Sentenced to Science: One Black Man's Story of Imprisonment in America (Allen Hornblum, 2007, 204 pages), All texts for this seminar are available from the Dermatology Lending Library."

Enrollment in this course is limited to 5 students.

Alma Berlingeri-Ramos, MD Joins UTMB Dermatology Faculty

Dr. Berlingeri-Ramos has decided to join the dermatology faculty at UTMB following her dermatopathology fellowship at UTMB during the 2008-2009 academic year. She is board certified in dermatology. Congratulations from the UTMB DIG! We all look forward to working with you in the clinics and at the microscope!

UTMB Dermatology Now Capable of Digital Photodermoscopy

The UTMB Dermatology Department has recently purchased a digital photography system that is capable of recording dermoscopy images for use in patient care and in dermatology resident and medical student education. It may also be used for future clinical studies where dermoscopy is needed. This diagnostic medical equipment purchase was made possible due to funds generously donated to UTMB Dermatology through the Edgar B. Smith MD Professorship, that was established by the late Dr. E. Ben Smith.

UTMB Dermatology Honors Research Program Proposal About Tattoo Removal Accepted

Alison Wiesenthal's dermatology research proposal entitled, "Dermal Scatter Reduction in Human Skin to Enhance Efficacy of Laser in Tattoo Removal" has been accepted by the UTMB Honors Program Committee. Her faculty advisor on this project is Dr. Dayna Diven.

Article about UTMB Dermatology Film Course Published

The July-August issue of Clinics in Dermatology features an article by Conner Chan, MD and Richard Wagner, MD about their experience creating and conducting DERU-4051 and DERU-4007, (Skin Diseases Depicted in Cinema) at UTMB for medical students. The link for the entire issue (and PDF for the Chan and Wagner article) is currently available at:  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0738081X 

The complete citation is: 
Chan C, Wagner RF Jr. Dermatology at the movies. Clin Dermatol 2009;27:419-421. 

Congratulations Drs. Chan and Wagner! 

Miles for Melanoma Walk Raises $2,305!!

On May 16, members of the community and DIG gathered at the UTMB Fieldhouse track for the 5th annual Miles for Melanoma Walk. We had about 20 participants, including melanoma survivors, and raised $2,305. Our top earner this year was JeTaime Newton. Thank you to all the volunteers whose efforts helped contribute to melanoma research. Special thanks to Tatiana Sousa for her time and effort in putting on this event.

Teleconferencing Option Now Available for Dermatology BSHS Selective DERU-4051 and Elective DERU-4007 Students

During All Periods Following Hurricane Ike, many UTMB students were unable to return to Galveston for classes and instead resumed their academic year in other Texas cities.UTMB MS4 students were especially stressed in trying to find an off-campus class to meet their BSHS Selective UTMB graduation requirement following Hurricane Ike in September 2008.. Happily, Dr. Wagner was able to adapt his Skin Diseases Depicted in Cinema film course (DERU-4051 is the BSHS Selective section andDERU-4007 is the elective section, but both sections meet together and cover the exact same content and have the same course requirements) to meet the needs of these students by instituting a teleconferencing "distance learning" option. Teleconferencing was so successful that Dr. Wagner now offers teleconferencing to all medical students taking DERU-4051 and DERU-4007 throughout the entire academic year, in all 13 Periods. Students wishing to teleconference for either of these classes should notify Dr. Wagner (rfwagner@utmb.edu) and let him know at least one week before the Period begins. The dermatology lending library will mail all course materials including the syllabus and 13 required DVDs to registered students' off campus addresses, and teleconferencing students can fully participate in all of the scheduled class meeting discussions via teleconferencing. The teleconferences originate in the dermatology conference room (4.130 McCullough) for students able to attend classes in person. Teleconferencing telephone numbers and access codes are sent electronically to all students in each class, so less students miss class due to residency interviews and other obligations throughout the year. Teleconferencing students are responsible for the cost/minutes involved in teleconferencing. Teleconferencing students may return the borrowed class materials at the end of the course via the mail to Dr. Wagner or they may return them to the dermatology administrative offices (4.112 McCullough). There is still space available in all Periods for the upcoming 2009-2010 academic year. Each section permits 10 students, or 20 total students during each Period. Visiting medical students are admitted to DERU-4007 on a space available basis.

UTMB Dermatology Now Seeing More Patients than Before Hurricane Ike‬‪

April 2009 patient numbers for the UTMB Dermatology Clinics were higher than the number of patients seen during April 2008, before Hurricane Ike impacted services in September 2008. Dermatology patient visits accounted for almost 40% of all visits on the 5th floor of the University Hospital Clinics (UHC) during April 2009. Almost half of the patients were seen in mainland dermatology clinics. ‬‪

Rebecca Kelso, MD Accepts New Position

The UTMB DIG has learned with regret that Dr. Rebecca Kelso has accepted a dermatology private practice opportunity in San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Kelso has had a very distinguished academic career at UTMB over the past ten years. She graduated from medical school at UTMB in 2003 with AOA and Magna Cum Laude dermatology research honors, and was was awarded the Thomas W. Freese, MD Award for outstanding work in dermatology by a medical student. She completed dermatology residency at UTMB in 2007 where her research was recognized as the best in her graduating residency class by the dermatology faculty. During dermatology residency at UTMB she received a prestigious 2005 Young Investigator Writing Competition Award from the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) for her original investigational work about perineural invasion by cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Following completion of residency training at UTMB she became board certified in dermatology by the American Board of Dermatology and accepted a faculty position in the Department of Dermatology at UTMB. She will be greatly missed by her patients, medical students, dermatology residents and the dermatology faculty. The UTMB DIG wishes good luck to Dr. Kelso in all of her future endeavors!  

2009 Annual Dermatology Department Resident and Faculty Awards Announced

The UTMB DIG congratulates the following awardees:
Awards to Senior Dermatology Residents Medical Student Teaching Award for Excellent Dermatology Teaching by a Senior Resident: Julie Sracic Brantley, MD

Dermatology Faculty Award for Excellent Dermatology Research by a Senior Dermatology Resident: Julie Sracic Brantley, MD

Awards to Dermatology Faculty Medical Student Teaching Award for Excellent Dermatology Teaching by Dermatology Faculty: Brent Kelly, MD

Dermatology Resident Award for Excellent Dermatology Faculty Teaching: Brent Kelly, MD 

Dermatology Resident Award for Excellent Dermatology Teaching by a Community Dermatologist: Aaron Joseph, MD, Pasadena, Texas

2009 UTMB Graduating Dermatology Residents and Dermatopathology Fellows

The UTMB DIG congratulates the following dermatology residency and dermatopathology fellowship 2009 graduates:



Dermatology

Josh Dimmick, MD (private practice, Springfield, Missouri)

Julie Sracic Brantley, MD (private practice, The Woodlands, Texas)


Dermatopathology

Alma Berlingeri, MD (private practice, Houston, Texas )

Cecilia Rosales, MD (Assistant Professor, Pediatric Dermatopathology, Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas)

UTMB Annual Dermatopathology Board Review This Weekend

UTMB will host its annual dermatopathology board review this upcoming Saturday and Sunday. There has been an overwhelming response this year (45 pre-registrants as of today), so unfortunately there will not be any seats available for UTMB medical students.

Dermatology Department Adopts Electronic Medical Record (EMR)

The Dermatology Department is taking Epic training today to learn how to use the EMR used at UTMB. Starting on Monday, June 1st, 2009 the department plans on using EMR for all clinical activities.

Conner Chan, MD Named UTMB Intern of the Year

Congratulations are due to Conner Chan, MD, who was just awarded the UTMB Outstanding First Year Resident Award by the UTMB Office of Graduate Medical Education. Conner graduated from UTMB last year is well known to past and present UTMB DIG members for his excellent teaching skills and compassionate patient care. He will be leaving UTMB next month to start dermatology residency at LSU.

Volunteers Needed for Camp Dermadillo in August

Dr. Alanna Bree, Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine( gogalvan@texaschildrens.org ) has requested that interested medical students contact her about Camp Dermadillo (Burton, Texas http://www.campdiscovery.org/location_dermadillo.html ) which is scheduled for
August 8-14th this year. They are especially in need of male counselors. Several UTMB medical students have participated in past years and they all have considered it an worthwhile experience.

UTMB MS3 Dermatology Research Honors Project Approved

A third year UTMB medical student, Jarad Levin, has recently had his dermatology research honors project topic approved: "Presentation of Skin Cancers in Latin Americans as Related to Their Access to Healthcare”. His UTMB dermatology faculty advisor on this research is Brent Kelly, MD.   

UTMB Dermatology Resident Scholarly Project Accepted for Publication

Dr. Josh Dimmick's dermatology scholarly project entitled, "UVL Lip Protection in a High Risk Population" has been accepted for publication by Household and Personal Care Today, a peer-reviewed Italian journal. His coauthors on this study were first year medical students Janese Laster and Donald Warren, and his faculty advisor was Dr. Richard Wagner. Publication is scheduled for September 2009. UTMB dermatology resident scholarly projects are usually started by January of the PGY-2 year and submitted for peer-reviewed publication by January of the PGY-4 year.

2009 Annual UTMB Medical Student Teaching Awards in Recognition of Excellent Teaching by Dermatology Resident and Faculty

Medical Student Teaching Award for Excellent Dermatology Teaching by a Senior Dermatology Resident: Julie Sracic Brantley, MD

Medical Student Teaching Award for Excellent Dermatology Teaching by Dermatology Faculty: Brent Kelly, MD

Leslie Markle presents Dr. Brent Kelly with the 2009 Medical Student Award for Excellent Dermatology Teaching by Dermatology Faculty

2009 Annual Dermatology Department Medical Student Awards

The UTMB DIG congratulates the following 2009 awardees:

2009 Awards to Medical Students

-Best Original Essay for "Skin Diseases Depicted in Cinema" course: Jennifer Vickers ("Skin Disease: A Public Misconception")

-Beiersdorf History of Dermatology Award: Elizabeth Williford ("Leprosy: Scourge of the Past and Present")

-Edgar B. Smith Endowed Scholarship Award for Excellent Dermatology Research by a Medical Student: Mara Dacso

-Thomas B. Freese Award for Overall Excellence in Dermatology: Leslie Scroggins Markle

Dr. Wagner (center) presents Leslie Scroggins Markle (left) and Mara Dacso (right) with 2009 Dermatology Awards

2009 UTMB Honors Research Program in Dermatology
-Mara Dacso: Magna Cum Laude ("Evaluation of Multi-Drug Therapy for Leprosy in the U.S.A. Using Daily Rifampin")
-Leslie Scroggins Markle: Magna Cum Laude ("The Balance of Matrix Metalloproteinases and Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 in Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis")
-Jennifer Vickers: Magna Cum Laude ("Pimple Popper, MD: Why Seinfeld is Consquential to Dermatology")

Good luck in your careers!

Reminder: Miles for Melanoma and Skin Screening this Weekend!

Aim for a Cure Miles for Melanoma Walk
May 16, 2009
Walk begins at 8:30am
Registration and t-shirt distribution from 8:00am-8:30am
UTMB Field House Track
215 Holiday Drive
Galveston, TX 77550

If you have access to a folding table or sound system, please contact Tatiana Sousa (tasousa@utmb.edu).

Leisurely Walk or Run
No fee to participate
Each Walker encouraged to raise at least $50.

To register visit: www.AimAtMelanoma.org
Click on: Aim for Action
Click on: Participate in a Fundraiser
Click on: Aim for a Cure Miles for Melanoma Walk
Click on: Galveston (FYI: Texas locations are: Amarillo, Dallas, Galveston, Houston)

Waiver and Pledge Sheet/Donations due the day of event.

If you cannot make the walk and would simply like to pledge a donation online, I have created a donation page in my name at this link: http://www.aimatmelanoma.org/aim-for-action/scheduled-fundraisers/walk/887/910.html

If you know a walker who will be collecting pledges, you can submit your donation to them by check payable to Aim at Melanoma.

****To follow the walk****
UTMB will have their annual cancer screening!
Time: 10am-1pm
Locations: Family Medicine Clinic on Stewart Rd and the South Shore Clinic in League City.
Students are needed to help register patients in both locations. It would be great to get a good turn out of volunteers from our group and divide them up so there is enough students both locations.

2009 NSRF Dermatology Poster Awardee

The 2009 National Student Research Forum (NSRF) Dermatology Poster Award was presented to Lisa Shiue from UT Houston Health Science Center for her poster entitled, "Increased Levels of CD4+25high Regulatory T cells in Patients with Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma after Extracorporeal Photopheresis." The Edgar B. Smith MD Memorial Award for Best Poster Presentation in Dermatology is given annually by the UTMB Department of Dermatology to recognize outstanding dermatology research by medical and graduate students who present their work at the NSRF in Galveston.

Emails for New DIG Blog Posts Not Working

We are aware that recent posts to the UTMB DIG blog are not being automatically sent to our subscriber email list and we are trying to correct it as soon as is possible. To subscribe to this blog and receive new posts (when this feature is working), please go to the link in the upper right hand corner and provide your contact information.

Graduation Honors for Dermatology Research Honors Program

Jennifer Vickers received Magna Cum Laude graduation honors today for her dermatology research thesis presentation, "Pimple Popper, MD: Why Seinfeld is Consequential to Dermatology." Her Honors Program Committee was composed by Drs. Simon Lewis, Richard Wagner (faculty advisor), Sharon Raimer and Brent Kelly. Congratulations to Jennifer for her interesting and innovative research about the impact of the media on dermatology and skin diseases.

Galveston County Health Fair

Hi everyone!
Galveston County Health Fair is right around the corner, and we would like to get an idea about who can help out this coming Saturday, April 18th. The fair is from 9 AM - 2 PM, and it would be great to have all of your smiling faces representing DIG! We are going to be making visors and giving out information on sun protection. It is super easy and lots of fun! We would like to have volunteers there as much as possible, but we understand that you are all very busy. Even if you can only come for an hour, we would love to see you there! If you can please send me an email letting me know when you can join us, I would really appreciate it. Be sure to send it to jlvicker@utmb.edu and not the mailing list. Also, please feel free to email me if you have any questions or suggestions.
Thanks!
Jennifer Vickers

Dermatology Honors Thesis Successfully Presented

Leslie Scroggins Markle presented her dermatology research honors project entitled, "The Balance of Matrix Metalloproteinases and Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 in Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis" today and was awarded Magna Cum Laude graduation honors. Her thesis committee was composed of Drs. Simon Lewis, Brent Kelly (faculty advisor), Sharon Raimer, and Richard Wagner. Please join the UTMB DIG in extending congratulations to Leslie on this wonderful academic achievement!

Hurricane Ike Disrupts MS3 Dermatology Honors Research Proposals

It has been noted that no current third year UTMB medical students have yet proposed a dermatology research honors thesis for dermatology for completion in the next academic year (2009-2010). Although current third year medical student are now past deadline (December 31, 2008), Dr. Simon Lewis, the Chair of the University Research Honors Program will usually accept late proposals from third year medical students if there is good chance that the proposed research project can be completed by April 2010 prior to graduation. Current third year medical students with an interest in this type of research are encouraged to contact dermatology faculty this month about honors research projects. Our dermatology department usually supports several projects each year, and most are successfully completed for graduation research honors. UTMB medical students are permitted to initiate honors research projects anytime during their medical school years, but in the past most participants initiate their projects during their third year.

Seinfeld is Topic of Dermatology Research Honors Program Thesis Presentation

Jennifer Vickers, a senior UTMB medical student, will present her dermatology research honors program topic, "Pimple Popper, MD: Why Seinfeld is Consequential to Dermatology"  in the dermatology conference room (4.112 McCullough Building) on Monday morning, April 20th, at 8 a.m. Dr. Richard Wagner, the UTMB Dermatology Program Director, was her faculty advisor on this project. All DIG members and those interested in media impact on the public's perception about health issues are invited to attend.
 

No Dermatology Acting Internship to be Offered at UTMB for Upcoming Academic Year

The UTMB Department of Dermatology has temporarily suspended its Acting Internship (AI) in Dermatology (DERU-4006) for the upcoming 2009-2010 academic year due to clinic reorganization following Hurricane Ike. Interested students are encouraged to take the Dermatologic Surgery (DERU-4003) or the Dermatopathology (DERU-4002) electives instead. The Austin Dermatology Program will continue to offer its Dermatology AI (DERO-4013) during all periods for UTMB students, so that remains an option for MSIV UTMB medical students who want to meet their AI graduation requirement with dermatology. UTMB students wanting to do away dermatology rotations at other dermatology residency programs should be aware that permission will not be given for the same course taken at an away campus if it has previously been taken at UTMB. This rule particularly impacts UTMB students taking the Clinical Dermatology (DERU-4010) course at UTMB, because this is also the elective that is most likely to be offered by other dermatology departments to visiting medical students. All of the remaining UTMB electives/selectives in dermatology are unchanged for the upcoming academic year.

Dermatology Honors Research Presentation Announcement

Leslie Scroggins will present her dermatology research honors project entitled, "The Balance of Matrix Metalloproteinases and Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 in Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis" at 8 am in the dermatology conference room on Monday, April 13th. Dr. Brent Kelly is Leslie's faculty advisor for this research. All DIG members and others interested in this topic are invited to attend.

2009-2010 Dermatology Electives and Selectives

Dermatology Electives:
DERR-4001 - Dermatology Research (Sharon Raimer, MD)
DERU-4002 - Dermatopathology (Brent Kelly, MD)
DERU-4003 - Dermatologic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology (Richard F. Wagner, MD)
DERU-4010 - Clinical Dermatology (Sharon Raimer)
DERO-4014 - Clinical Dermatology- Austin (Jason Reichenberg, MD)

Basic Science and Humanities Selectives:
DERU-4007 - Skin Diseases Depicted in Film (Richard Wagner, MD)
DERU-4008 - History of Dermatology (Richard Wagner, MD)
DERU-4011 - Skin Diseases in Modern World Literature (Richard Wagner, MD)
DERU-4012 - Narratives of Skin Diseases (Richard Wagner, MD)

Acting Internships:
DERO-4013 - Acting Internship (AI) in Dermatology-Austin (Jason Reichenberg, MD)

Welcome

Welcome to the Dermatology Interest Group at UTMB website! This site is intended to serve as a resource for medical students interested in dermatology as well as for dermatologists, residents, and physicians.

Help us improve this site and make it meet your needs by giving us feedback on what you'd like to see, as well as what suggestions for improvements (or critiques) you have. Please contact us at utmbdig@gmail.com.

Officers

2017-2018 Officers

President: Timothy Allen
Vice President: Keith Wagner
Fundraising - Uloma Ibezim
AIM Melanoma Walk Chairs: Paige Hoyer, Eduardo Rodriguez, Ryan Lawrence, Ben Falck
Sun Protection Chairs: Michael Ryan, Eric Mong, Caroline Cain, Joshua Hays
Psoriasis Awareness Chairs: Tara Akunna, Jacob Benavidez, Morgan Arnold

DIG Meeting Recap, 3-30-09

We elected our new officers tonight!

2009-2010 Officers
Galveston Co-President: Jarad Levin
Austin Co-President: Alison Wiesenthal
Vice President: Lindsey Hunter
Secretary: Janese Laster
Community Outreach Chair: Rebecca Phillips
Miles for Melanoma Chairs: Doug Heiner and Janese Laster
Second Year Rep: Kristopher McGill

Thanks to Dr. Wagner for presenting such helpful information regarding the 2009 Match!

Remember, the Galveston County Health Fair is coming up on April 18th. We will be making paper plate sunvisors for the kids and handing out sun safety info to the community.

Miles for Melanoma and Skin Cancer Screening: May 16th. Don't forget to register by April 15th to get a free shirt!
To register visit: www.AimAtMelanoma.org
Click on: Aim for Action
Click on: Participate in a Fundraiser
Click on: Aim for a Cure Miles for Melanoma Walk
Click on: Galveston
Contact Tatiana Sousa for more details. tasousa@utmb.edu

2009 Dermatology Honors Research Award

Mara Dacso presented her dermatology honors research entitled, "Evaluation of Multi-Drug Therapy for Leprosy in the U.S.A. Using Daily Rifampin" this morning in the dermatology conference room and was awarded Magna Cum Laude graduation honors. Her thesis committee was composed of Drs. Simon Lewis, Erica Kelly (UTMB faculty advisor), Sharon Raimer and Richard Wagner. Congratulations to Mara for this outstanding accomplishment!

2010 Dermatopathology Fellows Announced

Dr. Ramon Sanchez, the Director of the UTMB Dermatopathology Fellowship Program, has announced the two dermatopathology fellows for July 2010. They are Drs. Ryan Matherne, a PGY-2 Dermatology Resident at UTMB and Dr. John Cangelosi, a senior Pathology Resident at UTMB. Dr. Matherne will complete his dermatology residency at UTMB prior to the dermatopathology fellowship, and Dr. Cangelosi will complete his general pathology residency and take an additional year of surgical pathology fellowship at MD Anderson before starting the dermatopathology fellowship at UTMB.

DIG meeting on March 30th

The next DIG meeting will be held on Monday, March 30, 2009 at 5PM in the Dermatology conference room (4.112 McCullough). We will be discussing the recent residency match, upcoming events (i.e. UTMB Skin Screening, Miles for Melanoma, Galveston County Health Fair), and we will be electing new officers for 2009-2010. Officer positions include President, Vice President, Secretary, Community Outreach Chairperson, Miles for Melanoma Chairperson, and Class Representatives. Teleconferencing will be available for those who are not in Galveston, but would like to participate. If you have any questions, please contact Mara (madacso@utmb.edu). We hope to see you there!