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.