Dr. Sharon Raimer to speak at the GCMS Membership Meeting on April 7th

When: Thursday, April 7, 2011
Time: 6 – 6:30 pm Reception; 6:30 – 8 pm Dinner & Program
Where: Caduceus Room, 6th Floor of the Administration Building, UTMB Campus, Galveston
RSVP by Tuesday, April 5th !
Other Info: Dinner will be served. There will also be door prizes and local medical and banking vendors will be available.
Parking: Will be paid
Contact Info: For questions or additional information contact Debby Collins at (713) 252-5761, or (409) 935-3000 (leave message), or via email at Debby912@comcast.net.

UTMB DIG Suturing Workshop with the Residents - RSVP

Need to brush up on your suturing skills? Join us on Thursday, April 14th at 5:00 PM in the Dermatology Conference Room (4.112 McCullough Building) for the DIG meeting followed by a suturing workshop led by UTMB PGY-4 Dermatology Residents, Drs. John Stephens and Mika Yamazaki. If you are interested in attending this workshop, please email Lindsey Hunter (lihunter@utmb.edu) no later than April 10th to reserve a spot.

See you there!

Volunteer with UTMB DIG in the Grand Kids Festival!

We are looking for volunteers to help at our booth in Galveston's Grand Kids Festival!

Date: Saturday, April 2, 2011
Shift times: 10a-12:30p, 12:30p-2:30p, 2:30p-5p
Location: Postoffice Street between 20th and 23rd (look for us in the "UTMB Healthy Fun Tent")

We need several volunteers for each shift. If you are interested, please email Rebecca Philips (rcphilip@utmb.edu) with your shift preference.

Programs that 2010-2011 UTMB Dermatology Applicants Interviewed at

We polled a few of the 2010-2011 UTMB Dermatology applicants to see which programs they received interviews at. UTMB MS3's might find this list helpful when considering where to apply for away dermatology rotations during fourth year.

Cincinnati College of Medicine
Dartmouth-Hitchcock
Harbor UCLA Medical Center
Jefferson Medical College
Loyola University
Louisiana State University
Mayo Clinic, Rochester
Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale
MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland
New York Medical College
Roger Williams Medical Center
Scott & White/Texas A&M
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Tulane University
University of California, Irvine
University of Kansas Medical Center
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
University of Miami
University of Minnesota
University of New Mexico
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
University of Pennsylvania
UT Health Sciences Center at Houston
UT Health Sciences Center at San Antonio
UTMB Galveston
UT Southwestern Austin
University of Utah
Wright State University

Was it Easier to Match into a Dermatology Residency This Year?

Everyone knows how competitive dermatology residencies are. The number of residency positions increased from 320 offered in 2007 to 372 this year through the NRMP and they were filled by 251 (78%) and 309 (83%) US MS4s respectively (see http://www.nrmp.org/data/2011Adv%20Data%20Tbl.pdf). Strictly by the numbers, it appears that there is currently a greater chance for US MS4s to match into a dermatology residency compared to 5 years ago. However, what is not reflected in these statistics is the increasing academic strength of applicants. Mean Step 1 scores continue to increase, and it is no longer rare for applicants to have multiple dermatology publications to their credit by the time they interview.

Dermatology Interview Questions Encountered by 2010-2011 Applicants

Here are some of the interview questions that we encountered during 2010-2011 Dermatology Interviews. Keep in mind that you will be asked about any information you put on your CV and Personal Statement, although some interviewers are blinded to your application altogether. The UTMB DIG would like to thank the applicants for their input! We hope this helps you prepare for the 2011-2012 interview season. Good luck!

-What is the difference between honor and integrity?
-How would you handle a difficult patient situation? (given scenario)
-Do you have Facebook? Describe in detail what I would see on your Facebook account.
-How much debt will you have?
-Describe this vase....
-How do you hold a scalpel best for precision?
-How would your friends describe you?
-Any reason you won't be able to complete residency?
-Where do you want to settle down?
-How do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?
-What is your strategy in applying for dermatology residency programs?
-Why did you apply to our program? Did you just apply to all programs?
-Lots of questions in detail about your research (question sometimes can be about a minor component of your research which was interesting to the interviewer.)
-Do you have questions for me in regards to my area of interest? (and you are not told what the area if interest is ahead of time) - you should look up the faculty info on website prior to the interview.
-What are you looking for in a dermatology training program?
-How would you handle a difficult patient situation? (given scenario)
-Tell us in detail how to recreate a recent dish or recipe you've made recently.
-What are your thoughts on healthcare reform and healthcare spending?
-What are your thoughts on end of life care?
-Tell us something about yourself that is not in your CV or application.
-How do you achieve a work-life balance?
-What was the hardest thing you have had to overcome in life?
-What can you bring to our residency program and our department?
-What would you want on your tombstone?
-Why would you come here (out of state interviews) over Texas?
-What was the biggest struggle in your life?
-Who is your biggest hero?
-Draw a picture of a cell.
-Why do you want to be a dermatologist?
-What makes you the best candidate here?
-Tell me about yourself.
-If you had a super power what would it be?
-What historical figure would you like to meet (not within the past century) and why?
-Who was the first prime minister of Nigeria?
-Tell me a joke.
-Why is your research relevant?
-Use two words to describe yourself.
-What other programs have you interviewed at?
-How would you respond if a patient was unhappy with their surgical outcome (cosmetic) even though you thought it was the best outcome possible?
-What would you do if you felt your responsibilities/work load was disproportionately high in comparison to the other residents?
-What is the difference between honor and integrity?
-What are you looking for in a program?
-Do you have any questions for us? (Every interviewer will ask you this)
-What type of cases do you see at your home program?
-How much debt do you have?
-How is AOA determined at you home program?
-List everyone in your family, where they reside and what they do for a living.
-What do you like about your medical school?
-Is there anything that you would change about your medical school?
-When did you realize you wanted to be a dermatologist?
-What are some of your strengths/weaknesses?
-Why us? Why here?
-If you own a house, how much equity do you have in your house?
-What would you do if you couldn’t be a physician?
-Where did you do your aways?
-Did you go to the night before social?
-What do you think we are looking for in an applicant?
-Describe your strengths in 3 words or less.
-If you could meet any famous person, who would it be, why, and where would you take them to eat?
-What do you like to do in your free time?
-What books/movies have you read/seen lately? What is your favorite movie/book?
-Do you think you can handle the cold weather? Do you like to ski?
-Tell us about a time when you were unprepared.
-What was your most challenging course in medical school and why?
-Paper or Plastic? Can you solve this equation? Can you identify this poet? Why is this comic funny?
-Because most dermatology programs are small, tell us about a time when you had to handle conflict in a small group.
-Tell me about a current event
-What area of dermatology are you particularly interested in?
-Why do you like dermatology?
-What will you do if you don’t match?
-What were your strongest courses/rotations in medical school?
-Tell us something about you that makes you unique.

UTMB's Tuition for Medical Students to Increase this Fall

According to a news report in today's Houston Chronicle, a tuition raise for medical students at UTMB (and all of the UT medical schools) is just around the corner: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7479201.html

NRMP 2011 Dermatology Match Statistical Analysis

The NRMP issued an overview of the 2011 Match that contains information that is of interest to future dermatology applicants (see http://www.nrmp.org/data/2011Adv%20Data%20Tbl.pdf for data). Dermatology residency positions continue to increase. In the 2011 Match, twelve programs offered 28 PGY1 Categorical dermatology positions, and 169 U.S. MS4s ranked them. 107 programs offered 344 Advanced dermatology PGY2 positions that were ranked by 407 U.S. MS4s and 132 other applicants (there were 288 PGY2 positions offered in 2007). In 2011, U.S. MS4s ranked the 107 programs offering PGY2 positions 2932 times and accounted for 82.3% of the filled PGY2 dermatology match positions.

Away Dermatology Rotations After the NRMP Match

Sadly, some very good dermatology applicants did not find dermatology residency positions on Match Day 2011. Unfortunately, there are just not enough spots for the current demand. For those MS4s considering reapplying for dermatology next year, it may be a good idea to schedule one or more away dermatology rotations before graduation from medical school. While it is relatively easy for MS4s to get away dermatology rotations (especially this time of year before the next application cycle starts), away rotations are usually not possible at most institutions during the PGY1 year and beyond. Excellent work on these rotations would likely be noted and may help obtain a dermatology residency next time. Other good advice for dermatology re-applicants is to finish any ongoing research before graduation so that you can start working on submitting it for publication, plan on rocking Step 3 as soon as possible so that it will be available for programs to consider, and work hard during your PGY1 year.

It’s a Derm Match!

UTMB’s Department of Dermatology Matched with the following applicants through the NRMP today:

Dr. Audra Clos (UTMB)
Lindsey Hunter (UTMB)
Tanya Trynosky (UT Houston)

In addition, the following UTMB MS4 medical students matched at the following dermatology residency programs:

Melissa Efron: UT Houston
Auris Huen: University of Pennsylvania
Rod Mahmoudizad: Texas A&M
Michaela Marek: UTSA
Kehinde Ogunmakin: Texas Tech

Congratulations SOM Class of 2011 for having such an outstanding dermatology match (100% of dermatology applicants)!

Dr. Audra Clos (top, second from right) and Lindsey Hunter (bottom, third from right) are congratulated by UTMB's Department of Dermatology below:

UTMB SOM Dean Garland Anderson’s Match Eve Message

Dr. Garland Anderson, UTMB Provost and Dean of the School of Medicine, wrote a guest column that was published in the Galveston Daily News today. He wrote about the problem of residency positions failing to keep up with increased student numbers at Texas medical schools, resulting in Texas students leaving the state for residency training. Some never return, worsening our physician shortage while our population continues to grow. He called for alternative funding for additional residency positions. Possible identified funding sources include local hospitals, cities, counties, state and federal entities. His comments are especially timely considering that there are current discussions in the Texas Legislature about cutting some state funding for Texas residency programs.

NRMP Notifies UTMB Dermatology that All Advanced Positions Filled for 2012

Congratulations! We can’t wait to find out who matched into the UTMB Dermatology Residency Program on Thursday!

Drs. Mika Yamazaki and Neda Nosrati Return from Annual Dermatology Foundation Clinical Symposia

UTMB Dermatology Residents Dr. Neda Nosrati (PGY 3) and Dr. Mika Yamazaki (PGY 4) recently attended the Annual Dermatology Foundation Clinical Symposia. Dr. Yamazaki was nominated by the UTMB Department of Dermatology and selected by the Dermatology Foundation to attend their highly regarded, 2011 Annual Dermatology Foundation Clinical Symposia for dermatology residents in Naples, Florida last week. Both Drs. Nosrati and Yamazaki plan on updating UTMB faculty and residents about new trends in dermatology at a departmental conference.

Early Indication of NRMP Dermology Match Today

At noon EST today, the 2011 NRMP applicants will get an indication if they matched into a PGY1 program for July 2011 and/or an advanced dermatology program for July 2012. Good luck everyone! The identification of the matched programs won’t be available to applicants until Thursday. Programs find out if they filled all of their NRMP positions tomorrow, and who they matched with on Wednesday.

2011 Galveston County Health Fair

The Galveston County Health Fair had a great turn out this past Saturday, March 12, 2011! Here, UTMB DIG Volunteers provided educational handouts on sun protection and skin cancer awareness along with the newest addition to our booth, poison ivy recognition and contact dermatitis. The UTMB DIG booth provided hands-on activities including, decorating sunvisors, making UV bead bracelets, and distributing poison ivy coloring sheets. These activities and handouts allowed us to reach out to over 140 members of the local community. One lucky winner was selected to receive the DIG's doorprize, a basket full of sunscreens, sunglasses, a visor, a sunbrella, and other sun protection items and information. Thanks to everyone who volunteered!

DIG Members pictured above (Left to Right): Rebecca Philips, MSIII, Andre Pitt, MSI, Lindsey Hunter, MSIV, Kris McCall, MSIII, Chelsea Altinger, MSII.

Mike n' Mara

UTMB's Dr. Mara Dacso, PGY 2 Dermatology Resident, and Michael Schmerber, MSIII, as "Mike n' Mara," put on an amazing performance this past Friday, March 11, 2011, at the Annual St. Vincent's Clinic Benefit Concert at the 1894 Galveston Grand Opera House. Dr. Dacso and Michael sang "The Phantom of the Opera," by Andrew Lloyd Weber.

This fundraiser directly benefits the St. Vincent’s Clinic, a UTMB student-run free health clinic that serves the uninsured and underserved people of Galveston County.

Texas Legislature may Cut Dermatology Residency Funding

Next Thursday is an important day for dermatology and other specialty residents in Texas. The Texas House Appropriations Committee is scheduled to discuss cuts in funding specialty residency funding in our state. In the last budget, $80 million was appropriated for Texas residency training across the state. With the current deficit, it is expected that there will be less money to spend--$57 million. One of the proposals under consideration is to restrict state funding to the first 3 years of residency. Primary care specialties such as internal medicine, pediatrics and family medicine would remain fully funded because they are all three year programs. However, this action could make specialty care in Texas less available than it is now, because funding cuts of this type may reduce the future number of dermatology and other specialty residency positions in Texas.

Dr. Ashley Group Honored for Humanitarian Work

Dr. Ashley Group, a UTMB PGY3 dermatology resident, was selected as the recipient of the 2011 "Most Dedicated Resident Award" by St. Vincent's Clinic in Galveston. This award was given for her volunteer work in the St. Vincent's Clinic, a service for needy patients and for her teaching dermatology to the UTMB medical student volunteers. She received this award during the Annual St. Vincent's Clinic Benefit Concert on Friday evening, March 11, 2011 at The Grand 1894 Opera House. Please congratulate Dr. Group for her award!

PGY4s Win 2011 Derm Jeopardy

Dr. Brent Kelly organized Derm Jeopardy for the UTMB dermatology residents this morning in preparation for their upcoming practice boards. The PGY4 team made a strong showing. Congratulations to Drs. David Raimer, Matt Petitt and John Stephens!

Reminder: 2011 Galveston County Health Fair this weekend

Don't forget, the Annual Galveston County Health Fair is THIS weekend! Visiting booths at the fair will put you in the running for one of many valuable door prizes, including our Stay Shady! gift basket featured above. The UTMB DIG will be hosting a booth featuring the Stay Shady! sun protection program with educational handouts and sun protection-related activities. This year, DIG member, Chelsea Altinger, will be adding a new Contact Dermatitis feature to our booth. We hope to see you there!

Date: Saturday, March 12, 2011 

Time: 9 AM - 1 PM

Location: McGuire-Dent Recreation Center, 2222 28th Street Galveston, TX 77550

Cost: FREE!

Additional Info: The fair is organized by UTMB students each year, and gives the public the opportunity to undergo basic health screenings, enjoy healthy refreshments, partake in fun children's activities, and learn from more than 50 exhibitors who provide health-related information to all visitors.

Questions? Contact Lindsey Hunter at lihunter@utmb.edu.

2011 AIM For A Cure Melanoma Walk

It's that time of the year again! Come help the UTMB DIG raise melanoma awareness and support melanoma research by participating in our annual AIM For A Cure Melanoma Walk. This year's walk is in honor of Stage I Melanoma Survivor, Courtney Scott. Following the walk, UTMB Dermatology Residents and Faculty will be providing FREE cancer screenings at the Stewart Road and Bay Colony Dermatology clinics from 10 AM - 1 PM!

Date: Saturday, May 7, 2011
Time: Registration at 8:00 AM; Walk begins at 8:30 AM
Walk Location: UTMB Alumni Field House, 215 Holiday Dr., Galveston, TX 77555
Additional Info: There is NO fee to register. Each participant is encouraged to raise at least $50.
To Register and/or Donate: Click on the following link: AIM FOR A CURE
**Register before April 1, 2011 to receive a FREE t-shirt!

Skin Cancer Screening Locations:
Stewart Road Family Medicine
6710 Stewart Road, Suite 100
Galveston, TX 77551
409-744-4030

University Dermatology at Bay Colony
2785 Gulf Freeway South, Suite 165
League City, TX 77573
281-534-3376

Questions? Contact Kenne Ogunmakin (koogunma@utmb.edu) or Auris Huen (aohuen@utmb.edu).

UTMB Dermatology Residents Preparing for 2011 In-Training Exam

Testing is Thursday, March 24th this year. Good luck on your practice boards!

Tell Me More About the UTMB Dermatology Honors Research Program

The UTMB Dermatology Honors Research Program has been ongoing for 10 years and has resulted in some excellent dermatology research that has been published in leading dermatology journals. Many former participants are happily practicing dermatology today. They tell us that participation in dermatology research provided a broader medical education than was available from the standard curriculum. For some basic information about this rewarding program, please review the details available at:
http://www.som.utmb.edu/current/Description%20Honors%20Program.pdf