UTMB Dermatology Research Honors Project Approved

Congratulations to UTMB Dermatology Interest Group (DIG) President Sheila Jalalat MS3 for gaining UTMB Research Honors Committee approval for her original Dermatology UTMB Research Honors Project, “Dermatology Interest Group Blog: The Impact of Medical School Interest Groups and Web 2.0 Tools as a Resource for Students and Residents.” Ms. Jalalat became interested in learning more about the educational impact of our UTMB DIG blog after completing an in press review article for Clinics in Dermatology (“Medical Student Dermatology Interest Groups,”) with UTMB co-authors Drs. Lindsey Hunter-Ellul and Richard Wagner on this topic. She designed an internet survey to collect information about our DIG blog use, and worked with a UTMB dermatology faculty, resident, and members of the UTMB Honors Research Committee over several months to improve her research design. Due to recently increased UTMB Research Honors Committee standards for medical student participation in this academically prestigious activity, Ms. Jalalat’s is the first dermatology proposal that the UTMB Research Honors Committee has approved for dermatology research in three years! Ms. Jalalat’s ad hoc Dermatology Research Honors Committee for this research are Drs. Richard Wagner (faculty advisor), Sharon Raimer and Brent Kelly. Ms. Jalalat is also scheduled to present her preliminary findings about UTMB’s DIG blog (“Dermatology interest group blog: A valuable tool for students, residents and faculty) on March 4, 2013 at the Dermatology Teachers Exchange Group (DTEG) meeting in Miami, Florida. Her UTMB co-authors on this presentation are UTMB dermatology UTMB PGY2 dermatology resident Dr. Lindsey Hunter-Ellul and faculty Dr. Richard Wagner. Many thanks for UTMB’s Office of Student Life/UTMB Student Government for funding Ms. Jalalat’s travel to this meeting to present her original research to this national group of academic dermatology educators.

"Stay Shady!" Looking for Volunteers

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

When: Tuesday, March 5, at 10:30am to 12:30pm

Where: Central Middle School, 73014 Sealy Ave, Galveston, TX 77550

 

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

Waiting for the NRMP Results

NRMP certified match lists were due on 2/20/13 from applicants and programs. Although theoretically a computer "knows" were applicants will be spending the next few years in residency, the official results will not be disclosed to applicants by the NRMP until March 15, 2013 ("match day'). Good luck to all of the applicants and programs participating in the 2013 NRMP. We hope everyone gets their first choice(s) this year!

UTMB $90 Million Victory Lake Expansion Reported in Galveston Daily News

Galveston Daily News reporter Laura Elder, in her "Biz Buzz" biweekly column, reported on 2/21/13 (pages B1 and B3) that UTMB will hold a groundbreaking ceremony at 4 pm, on Tuesday, February 26th. There will be 39 new patient beds allowing for 72 hour stays and 17 emergency/urgent care treatment rooms. UTMB will also build a central plant that will provide electricity, hot and cold water for 72 hours in the event of an emergency. UTMB's new clinical facilities are scheduled for completion in February 2015, while the central plant should be completed by August 2014. 

UTMB Dermatology Resident and Faculty Co-author New Amyloid Study about Cancer

Congratulations to UTMB PGY2 dermatology resident Dr. Audra Clos and her UTMB dermatology faculty, Drs. Brent Kelly and Richard Wagner, for their recent publication about the role of amyloid in cancer. The full citation is: Lasagna-Reeves CA, Clos AL, Castillo-Carranza D, Sengupta U, Guerro-Munoz M, Kelly B, Wagner R, Kayed R. Dual role of p53 amyloid formation in cancer; loss of function and gain of toxicity. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2013 Jan 18;430(3):963-8. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2012.11.130. Epub 2012 Dec 19.

Good Luck on 2013 In-Service Dermatology Examination!

Most dermatology residents will take the “practice boards” sponsored by the American Academy of Dermatology on Thursday, February 21, 2013. Many hours of preparation have gone toward preparing for this competitive examination that provides current residents with standardized information about how well they score in reference to their PGY level.

"Stay Shady!" Goes to Early Childhood University

On Tuesday, February 12, UTMB DIG member Dung Mac (MS1) taught approximately 40 second 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, and thanks to our volunteer!

Annual UTMB Dermatopathology Review Scheduled for Saturday, May 4, 2013

UTMB’s highly rated dermatopathology review course will be held on Saturday, May 4, 2013 in Galveston, Texas. It is free to all residents. 

Additional information for this course is on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UtmbDermatopathologyBoardReviewCourse

Plan on spending the day in Galveston and learning more about dermatopathology!

Camp Discovery Volunteer Opportunity

Applications to volunteer one week this summer at Camp Discovery are now available (deadline April 8, 2013)

Camp Discovery is a program supported by the American Academy of Dermatology. It is a one week summer camp experience, where young people ages 8-16 with a chronic skin condition come together to participate in fun camp activities. It also offers volunteers to learn more about the effects of dermatological conditions as you interact and work with these patients. For more information, please email Janine Meuller, jmueller@aad.org

http://www.aad.org/forms/CampDiscoveryVolunteerApplication/Default.aspx

Woman Dermatologists

According to Richard Nelson’s article in Dermatology World (February 2013, page 52), a publication of the American Academy of Dermatology, women are emerging as the majority of US dermatologists. He predicts that women will be the majority of dermatologists within 10 years.

UTMB DIG in Austin: Stay Shady!

The UTMB DIG in Austin will be having their first "Stay Shady!" presentation for the children of St. Ignatius Martyr Catholic School

UTMB DIG in Austin is looking for volunteers to help present our sun protection presentation

When: Wednesday, February 20th at 8am

Where: St. Ignatius Martyr Catholic School: 120 West Oltorf Street | Austin, TX 78704

Interested in participating? Please email Sarah Pritchard at sepritch@utmb.edu

Two Physicians Assert Importance of Patient Service During Residency

Drs. Kesselheim and Cassel recently published their perspective about the important role of patient service in medical education (“Service: An Essential Component of Graduate Medical Education.” New England Journal of Medicine, 2013;368:500-501). The authors observe that the role of “…service is being harmfully undermined within the medical profession and within graduate medical education (GME) in particular.” They cited an ACGME resident annual survey from 2007-2008 that identified “…excessive service obligations” as the most frequent indicator of program noncompliance. “Scut work” (transporting patient, phlebotomy, telephone delays while scheduling diagnostic tests) is distinguished from educational service functions that permit residents to employ their professional knowledge to clinical patient care and its documentation. They suggest that the later types of service to patients should be considered for inclusion in the ongoing ACGME “Milestone Project”, a new educational tool to assess resident progression through residency with the final goal of professional autonomy.

Hektoen Essay Contest Deadline Approaching

Send your original 1000 to 2500 word essay about medicine and culture to contest@hektoeninternational.org by March 1, 2013 for consideration in the current Hektoen Grand Prix Essay Competition. Their announcement requests essay topics related to medicine and "...art or literature, history of medicine, ethics, music, philosophy, anthropology, linguistics, etc..." They will award $1000 for first prize and $800 for second place. Winners will be announced on May 1, 2013. Both winning essays will be published, and other submitted essays will be considered for publication as well. Their publication, Hektoen International is available online.

Austin to Get New Medical School

A $50 million gift from the Dell Foundation will establish a new medical school in Austin, Texas. It is projected that its first class of 50 students will enroll in 2016. Additional details from last week’s Houston Chronicle report are available at: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Gift-from-Dell-Foundation-will-help-launch-4240073.php

Stay Shady is looking for volunteers!

The UTMB DIG is looking for volunteers to present our sun protection presentation, "Stay Shady!," to the students at Early Childhood University in Galveston, TX. 

When: Tuesday, February 12, at 1pm

Where: Early Childhood University, 7100 Stewart Rd, Galveston, TX 77551

 

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

Houston Chronicle Article Highlights MD Anderson Financial Woes

According to a front page article by reporters Todd Ackerman and Eric Berger on February 3, 2013 (New blow to cancer center is at budget: MD Anderson costs have risen faster than revenue, pages A1, A21) in the Sunday, February 3, 2013 edition of the Houston Chronicle, MD Anderson, Texas' premier cancer hospital, is facing financial issues related to decreased patient visits (13% since 2011), a situation that may become worse in the quickly evolving healthcare environment of lower governmental support and cost cutting initiatives by private insurance companies. In addition, the article highlights poor faculty morale (30% plan on leaving the institution within 3 years), and internal criticism about the $710 million cost of 6000 administrative employees.

Ackerman Academy Accepts UTMB Dermatology Resident for Dermatopathology Fellowship

Congratulations to Dr. Mara Dacso, a current PGY4 UTMB Chief Dermatology Resident and former editor of the DIG Blog on her recent selection for a dermatopathology residency at the world famous Ackerman Academy in New York.