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.