UTMB DIG Members Polled About UTMB Dermatology Department Interviews

UTMB currently has medical students located in Austin and other Texas cities during their third year required clinical rotations. Some of these students do not return to Galveston for their MS4 year. Recently, some UTMB MS4 applicants and dermatology faculty reconsidered UTMB's current practice of interviewing all UTMB MS4 applicants at their convenience during December and January. Since it is recommended that applicants meet with all of UTMB's dermatology residents and faculty, more than one trip may be required of UTMB medical students, and this aspect is more inconvenient for applicants who do not reside in Galveston because of the additional travel involved. An alternative way to interview UTMB MS4 students applying for dermatology residency at UTMB is to schedule all applicants to interview on the same day. However, the later method could result in some students having interview conflicts with outside programs and missing the opportunity to interview at an additional program.

 

UTMB DIG officers recently surveyed MS4 DIG members about their opinions on this. The vast majority of UTMB MS4 students applying for dermatology residency prefer the current process because it provides more flexibility for scheduling outside interviews. UTMB MS4 students residing outside of Galveston should be aware the UTMB's dermatology program coordinator will be happy to assist with an interview schedule on a day when most of the UTMB dermatology residents and faculty are in Galveston.

National DIGA Officer Opportunity

The national Dermatology Interest Group Association (DIGA) is now accepting 2013-2014 officer applications.  

To apply, simply download, complete, and email your DIGA officer application, which can be found at: http://www.derminterest.org/Blog/tabid/121/EntryId/20/DIGA-Officer-Applications-are-NOW-OPEN.aspx

The deadline for applying is January 25th, 2013. 

Lindsey Hunter, current UTMB Dermatology PGY-2, and Rebecca Phillips, PGY-2 starting 2013 have represented as DIGA committee chairs.  

Positions available include:

Vice President,
Webmaster,
Treasurer,
Secretary,
Community Service Director,
Professional Societies Liaison,
Residency Interviews Database Director,
Southern Regional Director,
Northeastern Regional Director,
Midwestern Regional Director,
Western Regional Director,
Public Relations/Fundraising Chair,
Curriculum Development Chair,
Sun Protection Chair,
Melanoma Fundraising Chair,
Allied Health Outreach Chair,
Psoriasis Awareness Chair.

Contact Sheila Jalalat at szjalala@utmb.edu with any questions. 

What Should I Do About Conflicting Dermatology Residency Interviews? A Primer on Match Math

Competitive dermatology applicants often find themselves invited for two or more interviews on the same day. Sadly, some of these applicants don't cancel the interview(s) that they are unable to attend until the day before. Late cancellation makes it difficult for "wait list" applicants to interview due to travel logistics and high cost. Late cancellation may ironically result in matching at a less desired program on their match list!  Remember that in the small universe of applicants receiving conflicting invitations to interview, applicants will typically employ different strategies for creating their rank list. Some will rank programs based on prestige, others will rank programs based on their sense of "fit", and many will base their decision entirely on geographic considerations. Applicants unable to attend an interview who promptly notifiy the program about it in time for that program to invite another applicant may move a competitor away from blocking the path to matching at their first ranked program!

DIG Meeting Recap: Guest Speaker 12-10-12

Ms. Kimberly Cooper, UTMB dermatology residency program coordinator, volunteered to meet with DIG members for a Q&A session last week and provided very helpful information in regards to applying and interviewing for a dermatology residency position.

She stressed the importance of UTMB’s November 1^st ERAS deadline because the dermatology residency committee starts reviewing applications the following day. She displayed a computer application that residency programs use to filter out specific application components such as Step 1 scores, AOA status, number of publications, etc. Currently, due to an overwhelming number of applicants, the UTMB cut off score for USMLE Step 1 is 225; however, she mentioned that many scores in their application pool are in the 250-260 range.  UTMB medical students and students from other institutions who take dermatology rotations at UTMB are currently exempted from a specific cutoff score.

Step1 scores and grades are not the only important factors in reviewing dermatology residency applications. Letters of recommendation and research experience are also taken into consideration. Most applicants have an average of 2-3 publications. Although research experience is not required for UTMB dermatology residency, it is highly encouraged because third year residents are required to complete a scholarly project before they complete their residency.

Personal statements do not make or break an application, but provide a way for the applicant to be unique and interesting. Ms. Cooper pointed out that the personal statement could also be used to mention any ties, such as family, to certain geographic regions.

UTMB students have the opportunity to work with faculty members and current residents by taking one of the several dermatology electives and/or an acting internship. This gives students a chance to portray their work ethic, professionalism, and enthusiasm for dermatology.  Students are encouraged to be on time, helpful, enthusiastic and interested.

When reviewing applications, an important factor for faculty and, most importantly, the residents is if the student will “fit” in the program based on their “whole package”. This year UTMB received 350 applications.  Of those, 10 MS4 students from UTMB, 2 current residents from UTMB’s internal medicine program, and 32 applicants from outside institutions were invited for an interview.  There are currently four PGY-2 slots to be filled each year through the NRMP.

At UTMB, each interviewer will have 16 individual interviews with each faculty and resident. Each interview lasts approximately 11-15 minutes. After all of the interview sessions, the faculty and residents meet to create a ranking list for the NRMP.

Thank you Ms. Cooper for your very informative talk and to all of the students that attended!

Disclosing Away Interview Conflicts to Home Program Faculty

UTMB medical students applying for dermatology residencies often have one or more of UTMB’s dermatology faculty mentoring and supporting them through this stressful process. Should medical students voluntarily initiate disclosure about interview conflicts to their home dermatology faculty? Experienced faculty can offer excellent insight and perspective into the interview process, and may be able to offer valuable professional advice. However, do students want their faculty to know where they are receiving interview offers from outside institutions? Interview conflicts typically arise with excellent applicants who are overwhelmed by the positive response they receive from outside dermatology programs. It is not possible to be in three or four places at the same time (or in a constricted time sequence) when competing programs may be thousands of miles apart. Most of our faculty at UTMB are familiar with this type of situation, and are happy to help students make the best scheduling choices. It is unlikely that students diminish their chances for a match at UTMB by disclosing this information to their advisors. The fact that the applicant’s academic potential has been recognized by multiple outside programs is usually a strong indication that the applicant will be successful in the upcoming dermatology match.

Reminder: DIG meeting tonight at 5pm!

Ms. Kimberly Cooper, UTMB dermatology residency program coordinator, has volunteered to meet with DIG members for a Q&A session at our next meeting on Monday, December 10^th at 5pm in the Dermatology Conference Room (4.112 McCullough).

Ms. Cooper plans to share her perspective about the dermatology application process with DIG members. This is a great opportunity since Ms. Cooper has had a lot of experience interacting with dermatology applicants each year.  She also anticipates sharing some great tips to students who are applying and interviewing for positions. We will also discuss upcoming DIG events.

Have any questions? Email Sheila Jalalat at szjalala@utmb.edu

Hope to see you all there! 

"Stay Shady" Goes to Austin Middle School

On Monday , November 19, UTMB DIG members Dung Mac (MS1), Julie Amthor (MS1), and Skylar White (MS1) taught approximately 100 fourth graders about the importance of sun safety at Galveston's Austin Middle School.  This fun, interactive presentation is aimed at making kids aware that the sun can damage their skin and inform them how to protect themselves. Thank you to the students of Austin Middle School for being such a great audience, and thanks to our volunteers!

If you are interested in becoming involved in "Stay Shady!" events, please email Alexandra Acosta, kaacosta@utmb.edu.

Educational Article about UTMB’s Dermatology Novel to Film Course Published

The Journal of Medicine and Movies has published Dr. Richard Wagner’s latest article about teaching medical students through film (Wagner RF. Novel to film adaptation analysis: A new educational approach to dermatology education. J Med Mov 2012;8:139-141). This article is available at http://revistamedicinacine.usal.es/index.php/en/vol8/num4/708 .

Dr. Sharon Raimer Recognized By Super Doctors®

Congratulations to UTMB Dermatology Chair, Dr. Sharon Raimer, who was one of 32 UTMB physicians recognized the Texas Monthly in its December 2012 issue as one of UTMB’s Super Doctors®.

2011 Dermatology Residency Survey Reveals Surprising Results

Drs. Neelam A. Vashi and Jo-Ann Latkowski from the Dermatology Departments at New York University and Boston University School of Medicine, reported on a survey they conducted in 2011 with US dermatology residents (The current state of dermatology training: A national survey of graduating dermatology residents. J Am Acad Dermatol 2012;67:1384-1385) in a research letter published in the December 2012 issue of Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. Vashi and Latkowski found that while more than 50% of respondents were comfortable prescribing medicines requiring followup laboratory tests, prescribing biologics, phototherapy, and simple excisions, less than half were comfortable with infusions, flaps, grafts, and Mohs. These results are surprising because of recent emphasis on surgical aspects of dermatology. However, the authors note that, “Our study is limited by a low response rate, which may affect the generalizability of the results.”

Guest Speaker: Next DIG Meeting 12/10/15 at 5pm

Ms. Kimberly Cooper, UTMB dermatology residency program coordinator, has volunteered to meet with DIG members for a Q&A session at our next meeting on Monday, December 10^th at 5pm in the Dermatology Conference Room (4.112 McCullough).

Ms. Cooper plans to share her perspective about the dermatology application process with DIG members. This is a great opportunity since Ms. Cooper has had a lot of experience interacting with dermatology applicants each year.  She also anticipates sharing some great tips to students who are applying and interviewing for positions. We will also discuss upcoming DIG events.

Have any questions? Email Sheila Jalalat at szjalala@utmb.edu

Hope to see you all there! 

UTMB Dermatology Residents Initiate Interdisciplinary Meetings with Dermatology Nursing and Staff

In November 2012 UTMB dermatology residents met with dermatology nurses and clinic staff for the purpose of improving patient safety and improving the quality of dermatology care in the UTMB dermatology clinics in Galveston (University Hospital Clinic) and League City (Bay Colony). Nurse James Wilson coordinated the meeting in Galveston and Nurse Jennifer Tribble organized the meeting in League City. UTMB dermatology nurses, residents, and staff plan to meet periodically during each academic year at these sites to discuss clinic issues and develop action plans to improve patient safety and improve the quality of dermatology care in our clinics. Participant attendance is recorded at each meeting in a site notebook. The first patient safety/quality improvement plan is to make digital photographs of skin biopsy sites suspected for skin cancer available to faculty and residents if the biopsy site cannot be confirmed by the patient and additional treatment is needed. This process could decrease the risk of wrong site surgery and may result in more efficient treatment. The outcome of this project will be monitored and feedback will be provided.

UTMB Invites Record Number of Outside Dermatology Applicants for Interviews

In addition to the 10 MS4 UTMB medical students and UTMB internal medicine residents, UTMB Dermatology has invited 32 applicants from 20 different outside medical schools to interview for the 4 available residency positions on either Thursday, January 31 or Friday, February 1, 2013. These

out-of-institution applicants had Step 1 scores ranging from 209-273, Step 2 scores ranging from 220-279, and 24 were members of AOA at their schools. One applicant invited to interview has a Ph.D., and another one has a MPH.

Beiersdorf Does Not Renew Grant Funding for Medical Student History of Dermatology Course

UTMB Dermatology received notification this month that Beiersdorf, the initial sponsor of UTMB’s History of Dermatology 5 year grant, will not renew the grant, citing “…budget constraints in 2013...” Beiersdorf’s History of Dermatology Award had become an annual graduation award for the UTMB medical student taking UTMB’s History of Dermatology Elective (DERU-4008) and submitting the best historical essay. As the result of this non-renewal, UTMB Dermatology is currently seeking another sponsor with an interest in the history of dermatology for this prestigious annual graduation award.

Previous UTMB student Beiersdorf Award winners were:

2008: Heather Harris ("St. Anthony's Fire: A Historical Focus on Gangrenous Ergotism")

2009: Elizabeth Williford ("Leprosy: Scourge of the Past and Present")

2010: Marisol Albuerne ("Morgellons Disorder: A Syndrome or a Delusion")

2011: Brett Blakeway {“On degrees of lousiness: Medicine’s response to human body louse (pediculus humanus corporis) infestation during the First World War”}

2012: Lauren Douglas (“African Americans with Vitiligo: A Cause for a Race Revolution in 18^th and 19^th Century America”)

UTMB Announces Orientation Dates for Residents Starting on July 1, 2013

2013 orientation for all new UTMB House Staff will be from July 1 to July 3, 2013.

ASDS Moves Up Submission Deadline

The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) sponsors a prestigious annual Young Investigator Writing Competition for dermatology residents. Winning manuscripts are published in Dermatologic Surgery. In past years, several UTMB dermatology residents have been recognized for their work. The current deadline for manuscripts is now January 15, 2013.

UTMB Dermatology Residents and Students and Faculty Present Posters at Texas Dermatological Society Meeting

Congratulations to the UTMB dermatology residents, students and faculty for their poster presentations at the Annual Fall Meeting of Texas Dermatological Society Meeting that was held at Hyatt Lost Pines in Bastrop, Texas over the past weekend. The following posters were presented:

 

Hunter-Ellul L, Reddy S, Dacso M, Robare-Stout S, Wilkerson M. Time-Lapse Photography of a Rapidly Recurring Keratoacanthoma. 

 

Markle L, Tausend W, Jones J,  Kelly B. Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Induced Erythema Multiforme Major. 

Dr. Dan McCoy Named Senior Medical Director at BCBS of Texas

Congratulations to Dr. Dan McCoy, who is now Senior Medical Director of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas. Dr. McCoy graduated from the UTMB Dermatology Residency Program in 1997. Most recently, he was associated with Texas Dermatology Associates in Dallas, Texas.

Stay Shady! Looking for volunteers

The UTMB DIG is looking for volunteers to present our sun protection presentation, "Stay Shady!," to the students at Austin Middle School in Galveston, TX 

When: Monday, November 19, at 3pm

Where: Austin Middle School, 1514 Avenue M 1/2 Rear, Galveston, TX 77553

This is fun teaching experience and a great way to get involved with DIG (especially for first and second year students)! Interested in participating? Please email Alex Acosta at kaacosta@utmb.edu

"Stay Shady!" goes to Early Childhood University

On Wednesday, October 24, UTMB DIG member Alexandra Acosta (MS3) taught approximately 25 fourth graders about the importance of sun safety at Galveston's Early Childhood University.  This fun, interactive presentation is aimed at making kids aware that the sun can damage their skin and inform them how to protect themselves. Thank you to the students of ECU for being such a great audience!

If you are interested in becoming involved in "Stay Shady!" events, please email Alexandra Acosta, kaacosta@utmb.edu.

Oldie But Goodie

HPC (Household and Personal Care Today, Volume 7, Number 3, July/September 2012, pages 29-32, Monographic Supplement Series Compendium on Sun Care)) has reprinted a peer-reviewed article from UTMB Dermatology that was initially published in 2011). The research paper was titled, “Preventing ultraviolet radiation scalp injury in men,” and its authors were Drs. Douglas Heiner, Donald Warren, Richard Wagner and biostatistician Mr. Tatsuo Uchida. Dr. Heiner is currently in dermatology residency at Roger Williams Medical Center (Providence, RI) and Dr. Warren will begin dermatology residency at UT-Southwestern (Austin, TX) in July 2013. The publication is based on epidemiologic research performed in Galveston beaches while Drs. Heiner and Warren were UTMB medical students.

Bashing of Dermatology Applicants Reported

Authors from University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) have published a research letter in the November 2012 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (Ziemer CM, Morrell DS, Burkhart CN. Specialty bashing during medical training: Experiences of students applying to a dermatology residency program. J Am Acad Dermatol 2012;67:1086-1087) about surveyed dermatology applicants to their program. Surprisingly, 58% of respondents reported “…some form of mistreatment after sharing their decision to pursue dermatology” from residents, faculty and other medical students. Mistreatment included marginalization and belittlement. Mistreatment resulted in 26% of respondents feeling humiliated.

Procedural Skills Taught During UTMB Dermatology Rotations

Dr. Julie Martin, a PGY4 UTMB dermatology resident, has initiated a procedural skills workshop for dermatology elective students during the 2012-2013 academic year. Rotating students will be taught how to perform tangential biopsies, punch biopsies, and suturing techniques.  Students will also become familiar with the surgical instruments frequently used by dermatologists. This new educational offering is part of her dermatology scholarly project. Other scholarly projects by the current UTMB PGY4 dermatology residents are described on the UTMB homepage: http://www.utmb.edu/dermatology/current_research_projects/index.html

UTMB Dermatology Residency Application Due November 1st

The deadline is looming for applicants to complete their dermatology residency application for the UTMB dermatology residency program. The deadline for applications is November 1, 2012 for the 2013 NRMP. Only applications submitted through ERAS will be considered. Interview offers are usually made in December for late January and early February interviews in Galveston during 2013. The UTMB dermatology residency will be offering 4 PGY2 positions (to start July 2014) through the NRMP in the current cycle. There will be 12 full time dermatology residents in this program during July 2014.

UTMB Dermatology Article “The Best of the Best”

The October 2012 Archives of Dermatology listed an article published from the UTMB Department of Dermatology in 2005 as “The Best of the Best” on page 1182. The article cited was, “UV light tanning as a type of substance-related disorder” (Arch Dermatol 2005;141:963-966). This UTMB research was the top-accessed article from the Archives of Dermatology website from October 2010 to August 2011. Its coauthors were Molly Warthan (Class of 2004 UTMB SOM), Tatsuo Uchida (now retired from the UTMB Office of Biostatistics), and Dr. Richard Wagner, a current UTMB Department of Dermatology faculty member.

UTMB Dermatology Provides Expertise for Textbook Chapter in New Nanotechnology Book

Congratulations to coauthors Allison Lowe (UTMB MS4), Lindsey Hunter-Ellul, MD (PGY2 UTMB Dermatology Resident) and Michael Wilkerson, MD (UTMB Dermatology Faculty) for their recently completed book chapter entitled, "Nanotoxicology." Their chapter is in press for a new book entitled, Nanotechnology in Dermatology, to be published in by Springer next month. For additional information about this text, please see http://www.springer.com/medicine/dermatology/book/978-1-4614-5033-7

Both UTMB Dermatopathology Fellows Pass Subspecialty Certification Examination

Congratulations to Drs. Kim Hookim and Josh Dimmick for passing the 2012 subspecialty certification examination in Dermatopathology. Dr. Hookim is currently on the Pathology Department faculty at LSU-Shreveport, and Dr. Dimmick is in private dermatology practice in Springfield, Missouri.

Early Dermatology Residency Interview Offers Catch Some Applicants Off Guard This Year: Is the De Facto Application Dermatology Residency Application Deadline Now October 1st?

Some dermatology applicants were pleasantly surprised last week when they received interview offers from dermatology residency programs. In the past, most dermatology residency programs did not begin to offer interviews until after their application deadline, typically November 1^st. However, now that the Dean’s Letter is released to Program Directors through ERAS on October 1st, dermatology residency programs are free to review completed applications on October 1st and offer interviews earlier than was possible in previous years. Future dermatology applicants may want to complete their ERAS applications as soon as is possible so that they will be considered for competitive interview slots at these “early bird” programs. In addition, this changing national timeline for dermatology could reward students who complete all of their home and visiting dermatology rotations by October 1^st  with additional interviews. Time will tell if more dermatology residency programs embrace this practice next year. With the earlier availability of the Dean’s Letter, perhaps dermatology programs will use October 1^st as their application deadline in future years.

Tonight: Dermatology Night at St. Vincent's Clinic

Join UTMB Dermatology faculty and residents for Dermatology/Medicine Night at St. Vincent's Clinic!

When: Tonight, October 23rd, 4:30-8PM
Where: St. Vincent's House, 2817 Post Office Street, Galveston, Texas 77550

St. Vincent's House offers a UTMB student-run free health clinic serving Galveston. UTMB Dermatology residents and faculty can be found volunteering at the St. Vincent's Clinic each month, where they aid medical students in providing free skin cancer screenings, biopsies, excisions, and routine dermatologic care.

For more information about the St. Vincent's Student Free Clinic, please visit their website at: http://www.stvsc.org/.

VSAS—A Helpful Resource for Arranging Away Rotations in Dermatology

VSAS (Visiting Student Application Service)  https://www.aamc.org/students/medstudents/vsas/119290/article_for_host_institutions.html ) may be helpful for identifying dermatology electives for visiting medical students. Participating institutions provide online information about their electives and other information for visiting students. The biggest drawback of this website is that not all US medical schools participate. However, all of the medical schools in Texas are members.

Speedy Publication of Case Reports Now Possible

Medical students and dermatology residents interested in the speedy publication of their dermatology case reports may be interested in this resource. Karger has a journal, "Case Reports in Dermatology" that is devoted exclusively to case reports. This open access, peer-reviewed journal accepts electronic online submissions, and is indexed in PubMed. However, as is the case with many open access journals, Karger charges a premium publication fee from its authors. Payment (currently CHF 680) must be made with a credit card at the time of article submission. For additional information, go to: http://content.karger.com/ProdukteDB/produkte.asp?Aktion=JournalHome&ProduktNr=239060&ContentOnly=false

UTMB course electives available to students at UTSW-Austin

The Dermatology Residency Program at the University of Texas Southwestern in Austin offers UTMB Clinical and Pediatric Dermatology course electives. This is a great opportunity to work with UTSW faculty and residents in Austin. Visit UTSW-Austin's recently updated website for more information. 

 

http://www.austingme.com/residency-programs/dermatology

 

 

UTMB Dermatopathology Presents Three Posters at Annual Meeting

UTMB Dermatopathology was well represented at the annual American Society of Dermatopathology (October 11-14, 2012) in Chicago. The following UTMB dermatopathology abstracts were published in the program (some of these posters were modified for presentation after abstract submission):

McNab P, Dacso M, Martin J, Kelly B. Atypical cutaneous manifestations in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus: a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge (Poster 188, pages 57-58).

Patel A, Chandler H, Thompson C. Sebopsoriasis: an uncommon diagnosis with unique histologic features. (Poster 185, page 56).

Drone E, McNab P, Kelly B. Trichoadenoma of Nikolowski Presenting as a in an Unusual Large Subcutaneous Nodule (Poster 637, page 145).

Congratulation to the UTMB medical student, dermatology residents, dermatopathology fellows, and faculty who participated!

Congressional Interest for Increasing Number of Residency Positions

The Texas Medical Association is reporting (It’s Academic, Volume 9, Number 10, October 2012) that a bill has been introduced to the United States House of Representatives (Resident Physician Shortage Reduction and Graduate Medical Education Accountability and Transparency Act) that would create 3000 additional residency positions annually for the next 5 years. However, this pending legislation may not lead to the creation of additional dermatology residency positions nationally, since one of the goals of the bill is to create positions in federally defined physician shortage specialties.

Texas Now a Magnet for Physicians

The Texas Medical Association, through its newsletter (Volume 9, Number 10, October 2012) notes that Texas had a record number (3630) of medical licenses granted in 2012. Most new licenses were issued to physicians who did not graduate from Texas medical schools. The article mentions Texas’ adoption of Proposition 12 in 2003 (medical liability reform) as a possible reason for the increased interest in Texas medical licenses since that time.

Dr. John Stephens Sponsors Friday Dermatology Journal Club

Thanks go out to Dr. John Stephens (UTMB Dermatology Residency Class of 2011) for sending pizza for last Friday’s dermatology journal club (first half of September 2012 JAAD). This is the first time that we are aware that one of UTMB’s graduated dermatology residents has done this. It was greatly appreciated! Dr. Stephens is currently in private dermatology practice (Greencastle, IN and Noblesville, IN).

UTMB Dermatopathology Announces Additional Fellow for 2013-2014

Michael Leslie, MD, PhD, a current dermatology resident at UT Houston, has accepted a dermatopathology fellowship at UTMB for the 2013-2014 academic year. He will join Dr. Elizabeth McQuitty, who completed a pathology residency.

DIG Meeting Recap: 10/1/12

UTMB DIG would like to thank Dr. Wagner for his very informative Q&A session on Dermatology residency and other related topics such as research, fellowships and electives. Below is a summary of the items Dr. Wagner discussed.

1. Residency/Applicant Information:
a.   Dermatology is an extremely competitive field. Applicants who match into dermatology often have many publications, research experiences, volunteer activities, superior USMLE Step 1 scores, and approximately 50% belong to the AOA Medical Honor Society.  Many schools have USMLE Step1 cutoff to decrease the application pool. Of note, the dermatology department at UTMB interviews all of their fourth year UTMB applicants. Overall, UTMB interviews around 30 applicants per year. In addition, UTMB is one of the few schools that offer the opportunity to do an Acting Internship.

2. Research
a.   Research is highly encouraged for dermatology applicants and there are many opportunities to get involved in research at UTMB, both within and outside of the dermatology department. The key is to develop a project that matches your interests. There are diverse interests represented in the UTMB dermatology department that you can pursue, such as topics in general adult and pediatric dermatology, dermatopathology, dermatologic surgery and cosmetic dermatology.
b.   It is never too early to start a research project – you can even start during your first year. Working on case reports and reviews is a great way to start learning to research articles and work on writing skills. The UTMB School of Medicine allows you to participate in a summer research elective between 1st and 2nd year. This is a good way to gain a research mentor, compete for various research awards, and perhaps even have the opportunity to get published. You can also participate in the Honors Research Program in Dermatology. The official deadline for the Honors Proposal is 12/31 of the third year, but extensions may be possible with permission from Dr. Simon Lewis. This research is typically completed and presented by April of the fourth year.

3. Step 2:
a.   Some students with lower step1 scores can take advantage of the opportunity of doing very well on step2 and in a sense “make up” for their former standardized test score.
b.   Step 2 scores are not required in order to apply for or to receive interviews from residency programs, but some programs are required to have your step 2 scores in order to rank you.

4. Don’t get in the first time?
a.   If you don't match the first year and dermatology is really your passion, don’t give up. It is very possible to match into Dermatology the second or third time around. There are a number of Dermatology research fellowships in the country that you can pursue after your intern year. The important thing is to be productive throughout the fellowship with multiple publications and the opportunity to become an expert on a particular topic of interest will add to your application. There are also alternative routes to becoming a dermatologist. For example, a pathologist who has completed a dermatopathology fellowship or a pediatrician may be attractive applicants to certain programs.

5. Opportunities in Dermatology residencies:
a.   Some dermatology programs have a combined intern year and residency; however, most dermatology training programs are unattached to the intern year and therefore require a separate application process.
b.   There are a number of fellowships that you can pursue after a dermatology residency, such as Pediatric Dermatology, Dermatopathology, Procedural Dermatology and Immunodermatology.