When “Candor” Replaces “Nice” at Work

Reporter Rachel Feintzeig highlights an emerging business trend (When ‘Nice’ is a Four-Letter Word, WSJ, December 31, 2015, Pages D1, D3). Encouragement of workplace candor by coworkers decentralizes traditional workplace feedback from the boss, and is a management concept that may be adopted to address “…stalled projects, low performers, resentment that festers…” in the work environment. 

A related concept is “mokitas”. Mokitas, as applied to the work environment, is something that everyone at work knows but does not verbalize. According to Feintzeig, some workplaces schedule “mokita amnesty days” where these issues are freely discussed. Some mokita applications are about improving employee punctuality, teamwork, and productivity. Employees unable to improve performance following group feedback may be terminated or leave.

UTMB Adds MBA Option to MD Degree

In 2016 UTMB begins to offer the opportunity to add an MBA degree from the University of Houston Clear Lake campus to our medical students. The additional 54 credit hour MBA degree will typically require an additional year of full time graduate study between the MS3 and MS4 year. GMAT requirement is waived in lieu of MCAT score. Many US medical schools are currently offering  dual degree tracks, including MD/PhD, MD/MS, MD/JD and MD/MBA. Of all the dual degrees available, US dermatology residency programs appear to preferentially match with MD/PhD applicants. Additional information about this new program is available at http://www.utmb.edu/newsroom/article10770.aspx

1095 Days of Dermatology Residency

Dr. Cherise Mizrahi-Levi has provided interested readers with a personal insight about her experiences in dermatology residency (Resident journal—a graduate’s perspective on the full residency experience, Directions in Residency, Winter 2015, pages 1, 3, 7). She advises first year dermatology residents to be humble, open-minded, and self-aware in order to best benefit from dermatology residency training.

2015 UTMB Dermatology Mock Mock Boards!

Thanks to Dr. Cris Berlingeri who again organized a dermatology practice ITE examination (the official “mock” board examination)for the UTMB dermatology residents. There were 121 questions this year and included 21 dermatopathology images for identification. Also included were new procedural dermatology questions. This optional practice test is designed to familiarize UTMB dermatology residents with annual ITE and board certification examination format, and serves to identify subject areas were more study may be needed. Last year was the first time Dr. Berlingeri offered this type of practice examination to UTMB dermatology residents, and that year our dermatology residents scored in the 90^th percentile on the official American Board of Dermatology Certification Examination. Dr. Berlingeri is currently Assistant Professor of Dermatology at UTMB.

DIG Interviews Dr. Ashley Sturgeon of Texas Tech HSC on Medical Volunteerism

At the recent Texas Dermatology Society meeting in Lubbock TX (Oct 2015), Dr. Ashley Sturgeon presented on “International and Domestic Volunteer Experiences and Ethical Dilemmas.” Dr. Sturgeon is an assistant professor at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock, TX. She is a board certified dermatologist with interests in Mohs micrographic surgery, cosmetics, general dermatology, and medical volunteerism. Her most recent endeavor is a dermatology-related medical mission trip to Nicaragua. UTMB DIG members were able to inquire Dr. Sturgeon more on her volunteer experiences in an email interview. 

DIG: Can you describe to us your medical mission to Nicaragua? 
Dr. Sturgeon: Our medical mission is based in Jinotega, several hours on a bus from the capital city of Managua. It is in a beautiful mountainous rainforest, fed by the economy from coffee production. We often travel during the day to rural communities that are hugely underserved, particularly from the medicine standpoint. 8-10 providers are able to see around 2000 patients per week. Many people in these rural communities never leave their hometown. There is no consistent follow up for these patients, unless they are able to travel to the “home base” in Jinotega, where there is a year-round clinic with a local doctor that serves 900 patients a month with a budget of $1200 a month for medications. I treated patients with a huge range of medical conditions from rare dermatologic diseases to heart murmurs to bizarre malignancies. 

DIG: Can you share with us a memorable moment during your trip? 
Dr. Sturgeon: I remember one patient I saw, a young mother who was visibly cushingoid from years of oral steroids for severe asthma. She came in huffing and puffing, barely able to breathe, and probably in adrenal crisis. She had taken at least 40mg of prednisone per day since she was a child and the local clinic had no more. We were able to give her extra prednisone to have in reserve for when this happened – even a layperson knows it’s dangerous to stop oral corticosteroids abruptly. She was so ill that, if in the United States, I would have intubated her: not an option in rural Nicaragua. 

DIG: How has the medical mission impacted you? 
Dr. Sturgeon: Nicaragua is the 2nd poorest country in the world, with a history riddled with civil wars and economic collapse. Most people there live on less than a dollar or two a day. Despite this, the people of Nicaragua are amazingly resilient. They are a smiling, happy people with a culture of hard work and survivalism. I went to make a difference for the people there; I know they did more for me than I did for them. I am a better doctor and a better human being because of my trips. The experience of helping those who have nowhere else to turn to is incredibly moving.

Meeting Recap from 12/01/2016

1.    Special welcome to visiting student (Allison Pye from UTHSCSA) for attending our meeting today.

2.     Fall Bake Sale results- Thanks to our volunteers (Paige Hoyer, Michaela Sljivich, Lauren Williams, Tim Allen, Julie Croley, Dung Mac, Tara Akunna, David Parker III, and Kristyna Gleghorn) for helping out with this event.  We received $129 in sales and donations.

3.     TDS Meeting Spring 2016 (April 14-16, The Omni Hotel Houston, TX)-

a)    keep an eye out for the registration for this event, http://texasdermatology.org/tds-meetings/annual-meetings/

b)   for students interested into helping a project with resident for presentation at the meeting, email dhmac@utmb.edu

4.      Camp Discovery for Summer 2016-

a)    this is a wonderful opportunity to volunteer for a dermatology related camp

b)   https://www.aad.org/dermatology-a-to-z/for-kids/camp-discovery/about-camp-discovery

c)    usually a 1 week volunteering event in the summer months

5.    Derm Night at St. Vincents-

a)    Next one is on 12/03 (occurs first Thursday of every month)

b)   http://www.stvsc.org/index.php/students/

6.     Stay Shady- dates in Spring 2016 (TBA on blog).

7.     Melanoma Walk 2016- to help with this event (date in March or April) email  Neil and Julie (both) at ndjackso@utmb.edu and jaamthor@utmb.edu

8.     Resident’s workshop (practice suturing, biopsy, and injection skills)- will be organized by Kristyna. To help with event , email klglegho@utmb.edu

9.    2016 Galveston County Science Fair Judging-

a)    Will be held on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016. 

b)   The fair is sponsored jointly by Galveston College (GC), Texas A&M University at Galveston (TAMUG) and The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) and will be held this year at Galveston College.  

c)    7th-12th grade students from across the county will be presenting the top projects from their respective schools.

d)   To help judging, complete the judging form: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1X_P-TTWEkiTV9NSFA1RW81YU0/view?usp=sharing

e)    Email judging form to Dr. Recinos (arecinos@utmb.edu)

10. Honors Thesis project- Email Neil if you have any questions regarding how to start an Honors Thesis project at ndjackso@utmb.edu.

UTMB Dermatology Sends Residency Interview Invitations

UTMB has invited 30 outside (non-UTMB) applicants through ERAS for dermatology residency interviews from 428 applications received. Included in this group are all 7 outside applicants who rotated through the UTMB dermatology clinics during the current academic year. 15 offers to interview were made to Texas medical students attending 6 different Texas medical schools. Other invited applicants were from 11 medical schools outside of Texas in 8 other states. The mean Step 1 score for outside applicants was 251 and ranged from 230 to 263. 23 were elected to AOA at their medical schools. Interviews for outside applicants will be conducted on February 4th and 5th next year. There are 4 advanced dermatology positions (PGY2) positions offered by UTMB in the 2016 NRMP Match. UTMB also has invited 6 UTMB MS4s and 2 UTMB SOM graduates to interview this month.
 

Dermatology Night at St. Vincent’s Clinic on December 3rd, 2015

Join UTMB Dermatology residents and faculty for the upcoming dermatology night at St. Vincent’s Clinic. Please see the calendar link below to reserve your volunteering spot:

When: Thursday, Dec 3^rd, 5:30-9PM (volunteers should arrive at 5:15)
Where: St. Vincent's House, 2817 Post Office Street, Galveston, Texas 77550

Volunteer link: http://www.stvsc.org/index.php/students/

UTMB Department of Dermatology Employee Recognized

Congratulations to Ms. Betty Head, a long term employee in the UTMB Department of Dermatology. Ms. Head’s career at UTMB was nicely summarized in an article published in the November 2015 issue of Health System Friday Focus. She has worked at UTMB for 67 years. If you want to know anything about the history of the UTMB Department of Dermatology, just ask Ms. Head!

UTMB MS3 has UTMB Dermatology Honors Research Project Approved

Congratulations to UTMB MS3 Kristyna Gleghorn for the approval of her UTMB Dermatology Honors Research Project entitled, “Severe Cutaneous Drug Reactions in Pediatric Patients with an Emphasis on Recently Approved Medications.” Her faculty advisor on this project is UTMB Associate Professor of Dermatology and Dermatopathology Director, Dr. Brent Kelly.

Upcoming DIG Meeting on Dec 1st

Join the Dermatology Interest Group (DIG) for our last meeting for the fall semester on Dec 1st. We will be discussing upcoming volunteer activities and how to get involved in the Texas Dermatology Society meeting in Spring 2016 (April 14-16, The Omni Hotel Houston, TX). This will be an important meeting for MS1, 2, and 3.   

Date & time:  December 1st (Tuesday) at 5:00-6:00 pm 
Location: Dermatology Conference Room 4.112 McCullough Building

UTMB House Staff Pay Raise on July 1, 2016

UTMB residents and fellows will get a pay increase next July. Salaries for dermatology residents and fellows will be:   

PGY2:                    $51,876   

PGY3:                    $53,483   

PGY4:                    $55,994   

PGY5 (fellow):       $58,538   

PGY1 residents at UTMB will be paid $50,176.

UTMB GME Requires Departmental Financial Supplement for Residents Exceeding Initial Residency Funding Determination

The UTMB GME Office has started requiring departments on campus to partially fund residents that exceed their initial residency funding. Determination of initial residency funding is usually determined on match day. If a dermatology applicant matches into a preliminary medicine year and does not obtain a dermatology position at the same time, initial residency funding is  automatically set at 3 years (the time required to complete internal medicine residency). It cannot be reset. If this applicant re-applies to dermatology in the PGY1 year and matches, at UTMB the dermatology department is required to fund $8000 during the PGY4 year of dermatology residency. Since many departments across the nation do not have extra funds available to support the additional year of resident funding, this financial limitation may well result in far fewer dermatology re-applicants obtaining dermatology residency positions even after completing non-ACGME clinical dermatology fellowships. Two ways to avoid this funding issue are for dermatology applicants to initially match into a transitional PGY1 year (it will not start the clock for initial residency funding determination) or to match into a specialty with more than three years of initial residency funding that will also count toward the required PGY1 year for dermatology (such as general surgery). Philanthropic organizations could potentially come to the aid of dermatology departments and fund departments that want to train residents who will run out of their initial residency funding during dermatology residency or those who have already completed a residency in another specialty (most commonly, internal medicine).

What are Dermatology Applicants Looking for in a Residency Program?

A new study from Wake Forest sheds light on this important question [Guffey D, Feldman SR, Huang WW. What are the most important factors that determine the overall quality of dermatology residency training: A resident Survey. DOJ 21 (10) http://escholarship.org/uc/item/0j11p97g]. Dermatology residents responded that quality of clinical training (71.4%), happiness of current residents (12.2%), and camaraderie of current residents (8.2%) were the three most important factors. However, more respondents considered factors such as happiness of current residents (16.3%), camaraderie of current residents (14.3%), and perceived fit during an away rotation (8.2%) as being least important factors. Surprisingly, some of the other least important factors included number of NIH funded investigators (2%), number of full-time faculty who sit on editorial boards of peer-reviewed journals (2%), and proximity to family (4%).

Dermatology Night at St. Vincent’s Clinic on November 5th, 2015

Join UTMB Dermatology residents and faculty for the upcoming dermatology night at St. Vincent’s Clinic. Please see the calendar link below to reserve your volunteering spot: 


When: Thursday, Nov 5th, 5:30-9PM (volunteers should arrive at 5:15)

Where: St. Vincent's House, 2817 Post Office Street, Galveston, Texas 77550
Volunteer link: http://www.stvsc.org/index.php/students/

UTMB DIG Annual Bake Sale on Nov 4, 2015

DIG will be hosting our Annual Bake Sale. Money raised from this sale will go towards educational projects such as Stay Shady for grade school students to learn about skin cancer and procedural workshops for medical students to practice their suture and injection skills.

Date: Nov 4 (Wed), 2015
Location: Joe’s Café (Jamail Student Center)
Time: 11am-2pm

Would you like to donate baked goods or volunteer at the bake sale? Please sign up via the link below:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mcun3Ror_wdWzzvwPFDEL70afOaMXepnx9G177TOSNo/edit?usp=sharing

UTMB Researchers Develop 2 Hour Diagnostic Test for Chikungunya

Congratulations to UTMB researchers, who have developed a new diagnostic test for Chikunguna that only takes two hours! For additional information about this breakthrough, please see http://www.utmb.edu/newsroom/article10719.aspx

UTMB Presentations at 2015 Fall Texas Dermatological Society Annual Meeting in Lubbock, Texas

UTMB medical students, current and former dermatology residents, former dermatopathology fellow, and dermatology faculty actively participated at the recent Texas Dermatological Society meeting held on October 23rd and 24th, 2015. Congratulations to Dr. Rebecca Philips (UTMB PGY4 dermatology resident) and her faculty supervisor Dr. Cris Berlingeri-Raimos for having the best poster at this meeting! Dr. Philips will remain at UTMB during the 2016-2017 academic year for the dermatopathology fellowship, along with another current UTMB PGY4 dermatology resident, Dr. Janice Wilson.

Podium

Julie Ann Croley (UTMB MS4), Kyralessa Ramirez: Cutis marmorata telangiectasia congenita: a case report of a persistent lesion and long-term management.

Posters 

Julie Croley (UTMB MS4), Amber Gill, Katherine Tinkey (UTMB MS4), Zach Jones, Lindsey Hunter-Ellul, Brent Kelly: Evaluation of Inpatient Dermatologic Consultations: A 3-Year Retrospective Review at a Texas Tertiary Care Center. 

KL Gleghorn (UTMB MS3), JM Wilson, WE Tausend, MG Wilkerson: Striking black nail discoloration in a patient with onychomycosis. 

Dung Mac (UTMB MS4), Chinelo Ikpeama, Michael Wilkerson, Luan Truong: The diagnosis of Alport syndrome from a punch biopsy of the skin. 

Rebecca Philips, Leila Langston, Tanya Trynosky, Alma C. Berlingeri-Ramos: Primary cutaneous adnexal carcinoma versus metastatic carcinoma of unknown primary: A diagnostic challenge. 

Julie Croley (MS4) at the podium discussing a case report on cutis marmorata telangiectasia congenita. 

Katherine Tinkey (MS4, left) and Julie Croley (MS4, right) presenting their poster titled “Evaluation of inpatient dermatologic consultations: A 3-year retrospective review at a Texas tertiary care center.”

Dung Mac (MS4) presenting his poster titled “The diagnosis of Alport syndrome from a punch biopsy of the skin.”

Congratulations to Dr. Cris Berlingeri!

Dr. Cris Berlingeri has been accepted as a new member of UTMB's Academy of Master Teachers. She has excelled in medical student and dermatology resident education, especially in the area of dermatopathology teaching and teaching dermatology residents how to teach medical students. She joins the UTMB Department of Dermatology's other Academy of Master Teachers faculty, Dr. Brent Kelly.

Walk to Cure Psoriasis a Success

The UTMB DIG recently participated in the National Psoriasis Foundation's "Walk to Cure Psoriasis" on October 10, 2015. We raised $125.00 as the UTMB DIG team. There was over 230 participants this year and a total of $21,531 was raised to support research and education about psoriasis. Thank you for your donations and support! 

2015 Welch Conference on Chemical Research

The Welch Foundation will be hosting its 2015 Conference on Chemical Research in Houston on Oct 26-27. The conference is titled “Next Generation Medicine”, and includes an all-star cast of speakers presenting their latest discoveries in biomedical science. Topics will cover genome sequencing, mapping the brain, new signaling pathways, molecular pathogenesis of common diseases, and modern approaches to drug therapy.  This highly informative event is open to all and there is no registration fee.  See below for the registration link:

http://www.welch1.org/chemical-conference/registration-form

“Likability” Key Factor in Getting Hired

According to Kimberly Thompson, a columnist (“Career Rescue”) for the Houston Chronicle ("Likability factor can win the interview," October 14, 2015, p. 6), some job candidates are not liked by their interviewers. “Unlikability” usually translates into no job offer.  Unliked applicants may come across as too focused on their past achievements and goals. Thompson also noted that nonverbal communication plays a role in likability. Applicant facial expressions and posture may help to create a poor first impression.  Thompson advises that likability begins with self-awareness. Self-awareness may be hard to achieve, but practice interviews and candid feedback may help applicants develop more insight about their interactions with others. Often the employer's priority interest is hiring a qualified applicant who “…is easy to get along with and who works well with others.”

UTMB Internal Dermatology Residency Applicants Interview Date

The UTMB Department of Dermatology will offer optional interviews for all UTMB MS4s applying to dermatology residency on Friday morning, December 4, 2015. In the past, most UTMB internal applicants have taken advantage of this opportunity to formally interview at their home program. UTMB dermatology residents often offer internal applicants feedback and offer interviewing tips following this process that may be valuable at upcoming outside interviews.

UTMB Department of Dermatology Welcomes Nurse Practitioner

Ms. Stephanie Kemmerling, BSN, MSN, FNP-C has recently been hired by the UTMB Department of Dermatology as a Clinical Specialist. She sees dermatology patients at the UTMB Bay Colony Clinic. Ms. Kemmerling received her nursing education at Lamar University (BSN 2006) and UTHSC (MSN 2010) and previously provided care for dermatology patients in Austin, Texas at a private dermatology practice.

2015 American Board of Dermatology Certification Test Results for UTMB Dermatology

All 4 UTMB dermatology residents who completed training in 2015 passed the American Board of Dermatology (ABD) Certification Examination (“Boards”) on their first attempt. According to ABD analysis of UTMB’s test results, our dermatology residency program scored in the 90^th percentile overall compared to 121 other programs. Only 1.2% of first time test takers failed the certification exam in 2015.

Tips on Presenting at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology

The chance of acceptance for presentation by the AAD at its annual meeting for medical students and others depends on the format selected for submission. Over 90% of posters submitted are accepted for electronic presentation (and publication in the abstract book). However, only about 50% of case reports submitted to the Gross and Microscopic Symposium are accepted.

Dermatology Residents Panel Recap

DIG hosted a Dermatology Residents Panel on Sept 30, 2015. We received valuable advices and insights from several of the UTMB dermatology residents (Drs. Phillips, Wilson, Schepp, Pierson and Tausend) regarding dermatology residency preparation and interview. DIG would like to thank the UTMB dermatology residents for meeting with us. For a recap of this meeting, please see link below:

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1X_P-TTWEkiWnZDNEdWUGlzajg/view?usp=sharing

Event Reminder: Walk to Cure Psoriasis on Oct 10th, 2015

The UTMB DIG will be participating in the National Psoriasis Foundation’s “Walk to Cure Psoriasis” on October 10, 2015 in Houston, TX! We’ve set a team fundraising goal of $250.00 and would greatly appreciate it if YOU helped us reach our goal by joining our team and walking with us or by donating to our team! In order to support our efforts, follow these steps:

1. Go to: http://npf.donordrive.com/team/utmbdig15
2. Click “Join Our Team” to join the UTMB DIG group and walk with us!
3. Click “Support Us” to donate and select or enter a donation amount to make your donation to the UTMB DIG group.

Here are the details of the walk:
Where: Discovery Green Park, 1500 McKinney, Houston, Texas 77010
When: Saturday, October 10, 2015
Check-In: 8:00AM
Walk Begins: 9:00AM
Distance: 1K and 5K walks

Please contact UTMB DIG member Ngoc Mui (uqmui@utmb.edu) or Katherine Tinkey (kttinkey@utmb.edu) for questions and/or concerns regarding the walk!

DIG Volunteers at League City Fair

On Sept 26^th, DIG members volunteered at the Hometown Heroes Park Community Health Fair in League City, TX. We offered education on sun protection and melanoma awareness. Numerous questions regarding sunscreen, SPF, and other aspects of sun protection were answered at the fair. We also provided generous samples of sunscreen (courtesy of Dr. Tausend) and skin moisturizers for the fair participants. Thanks to DIG members for your hard work and to Dr. Robert S. Tausend for the sunscreens!

DIG Volunteers: (Left to Right) Paige Hoyer (MS2), Julie Croley (MS4), Tara Akunna (MS2), Ngoc Mui (MS4), and Dung Mac (MS4)

Dermatology Night at St. Vincent’s Clinic on Oct 1st, 2015

Join UTMB Dermatology residents and faculty for the upcoming dermatology night at St. Vincent’s Clinic. Please see the calendar link below to reserve your volunteering spot:

When: Thursday, Oct 1st, 5:30-9PM (volunteers should arrive at 5:15)
Where: St. Vincent's House, 2817 Post Office Street, Galveston, Texas 77550
Volunteer link: http://www.stvsc.org/index.php/students/

Upcoming DIG Meeting: Dermatology Residents Panel on Sept 30th

Join the Dermatology Interest Group (DIG) for a panel discussion featuring UTMB dermatology residents as they share their experiences and advice about the preparring for a career in dermatology, the process of applying to dermatology residency, interviews, and what it is like to be a dermatology resident.

Date & time:  September 30th at 5:30-6:30 pm

Location: Dermatology Conference Room 4.112 McCullough Building

Texas Dermatological Society Fall Meeting 2015

TDS will be holding its Annual Fall Meeting on October 23- 24 in Lubbock, TX.  Medical students are eligible to register and attend this event at no cost. Simply complete the registration form (see link below), select the Resident Member options, and email to Sylvia Hall (sylvia.hall@texmed.org). Indicate in the email that you are a medical student.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1X_P-TTWEkibThOZm41Z1Z2Rzg/view?usp=sharing

You can also register online via the link below:

http://texasdermatology.org/tds-meetings/2014-tds-fall-conference/

Be sure to choose the Resident’s $0 option at payment screen. Check your email for confirmation of the registration (it may be in your junk box).

UTMB Dermatology Residents Receive Dermatology Jackets and Scrubs

The UTMB Department of Dermatology has purchased jackets (black) and personalized blue scrubs (blue sky) for the current 12 dermatology residents. Requesting faculty also received personalized blue scrubs. Each jacket has the “Department of Dermatology” and UTMB’s logo. Watch for them around campus! Blue scrubs in the dermatology clinic will help patients identify dermatology faculty and residents during procedural time.

Norman D. Guzick, MD (1937-2015)

The UTMB Department of Dermatology was sad to recently learn about the death of Dr. Norman Guzick following a brief illness. Dr. Guzick graduated from UTMB SOM in 1972 and completed dermatology residency in Houston at Baylor in 1976. Throughout the years he benefited our department by sharing his astute clinical insights. He is best remembered for attending the weekly TDCJ clinic with our dermatology residents and medical students. In 2006 he was the first to receive the Dermatology Resident Award for Excellent Dermatology Faculty Teaching by a Community Dermatologist, an award created in his honor. We will all miss learning from this seasoned Texas dermatologist. Additional details and service information is available at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/houstonchronicle/obituary.aspx?n=norman-guzick&pid=175853989&fhid=7433

Community Health Fair in League City on Sept 26th, 2015

DIG will be participating in the upcoming Hometown Heroes Park Community Health Fair in League City, TX. We will be offering education on sun protection as well as melanoma awareness! We are looking for volunteers to help us with the event. Please use the link below to sign up for the fair as well as to indicate when you can be there!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1E-0oGCC9C90G3wjwGNZlgexCYTOQV89mq4l1kpnRoAE/edit?usp=sharing

Where: Hometown Heroes Park. 2105 Dickinson Ave, League City

When: Saturday, September 26, 2015, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Please contact UTMB DIG members Tim Allen (tirallen2@utmb.edu) or Tara Akunna (taakunna@utmb.edu) for questions and/or concerns regarding the event! 

UTMB PGY4 Dermatology Resident Publishes Second Article in JAAD

The UTMB DIG once again has the pleasure to recognize UTMB dermatology resident, Dr. H. Malone for her second Surgical Pearl published in JAAD. The article is it titled, “Temporary ear to cheek suture technique for improved posterior ear surgical access,” and it relates to a Mohs wound reconstruction performed on the Mohs service earlier this year when Dr. Malone was on the required three month PGY3 Mohs rotation at UTMB. Her co-author on this article was Dr. Richard Wagner, the UTMB dermatology program director, and director of the Mohs service at UTMB. The article is available at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190962215018538  (doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2015.06.047)

Walk to Cure Psoriasis on October 10, 2015

The UTMB DIG will be participating in the National Psoriasis Foundation’s “Walk to Cure Psoriasis” on October 10, 2015 in Houston, TX! We’ve set a team fundraising goal of $250.00 and would greatly appreciate it if YOU helped us reach our goal by joining our team and walking with us or by donating to our team! In order to support our efforts, follow these steps:

1. Go to: http://npf.donordrive.com/team/utmbdig15
2. Click “Join Our Team” to join the UTMB DIG group and walk with us!
3. Click “Support Us” to donate and select or enter a donation amount to make your donation to the UTMB DIG group.

Here are the details of the walk:

Where: Discovery Green Park, 1500 McKinney, Houston, Texas 77010
When: Saturday, October 10, 2015
Check-In: 8:00AM
Walk Begins: 9:00AM
Distance: 1K and 5K walks

Please contact UTMB DIG member Ngoc Mui (uqmui@utmb.edu) or Katherine Tinkey (kttinkey@utmb.edu) for questions and/or concerns regarding the walk!

Meeting Recap from 09/02/15 Talk with the Director, Dr. Wagner

UTMB DIG had a successful first meeting on Sept 02, 2015, which was also our annual Talk with the Director, Q and A session.  For a summary of the Q and A with Dr. Wagner, see below link.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1X_P-TTWEkiR1o0VUpjVVpvcWM

Other items on the agenda included:

1.     St. Vincents derm night- Occurs first Thurs of every month. Sign up via volunteer spot http://www.stvsc.org/index.php/students/

2.     League City Fair on 9/26- DIG will be participating in this fair.

3.     Psoriasis Walk on 10/10- DIG will be fundraising for this event.

4.     Q and A session with dermatology residents- tentative date is 09/30

UTMB Dermatology Residents Pass American Board of Dermatology Certification Exam on First Attempt

Congratulations to UTMB's recently graduated PGY4 dermatology residents, Drs. Audra Clos, Brandon Goodwin, Lindsey Hunter-Ellul, and Tanya Trynosky. They all passed the Certification Examination given by the American Board of Dermatology (ABD) this past July on their first attempt. They are all now a Diplomates of the American Board of Dermatology! Please congratulate them when you see them for this high academic achievement in dermatology! Graduating UTMB dermatology residents have a 100% pass rate for the past 4 years on their first attempt.

Latest UTMB Dermatology Department Publication a Collaborative Effort with UTMB Plastic Surgery

A combined effort between the UTMB Division of Plastic Surgery and the UTMB Department of Dermatology has resulted in a peer-reviewed publication. UTMB PGY4 plastic surgery resident Dr. Stephanie Nemir combined her expertise with former UTMB dermatology chief resident Dr. Lindsey Hunter-Ellul, 2016 incoming UTMB dermatology resident Dr. Vlad Codrea, and UTMB dermatology faculty Dr. Richard Wagner in their case report, “Reconstruction of a large anterior ear defect after Mohs micrographic surgery with a cartilage graft and postauricular revolving door flap.” The article was published in the open access journal, Case Reports in Dermatological Medicine, Volume 2015, Article ID 484819, 5 pages, doi:10.1155/2015/484819. Their article is available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/484819

New Medical Director for UTMB Dermatology Clinics

Dr. Ashley Group has accepted medical directorship of the UTMB Dermatology Clinics. She replaces Dr. Michael Wilkerson in this departmental role. We wish Dr. Group good luck in her new leadership role! Dr. Wilkerson will continue in his departmental role as Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs. He has also become a Co-Director of the POM2 course given to second year UTMB medical students.

Annual DIG “Talk with the Director” Meeting on 09/02/15

The UTMB Dermatology Interest Group will be holding our first meeting on 09/02 (Wed) at 5-6PM. Our guest speaker for this meeting is Dr. Richard Wagner, the UTMB Dermatology Residency Director. It is an informal Q and A session; where you can ask the director any questions you have regarding how to be competitive for a dermatology residency. Other topics for discussion include how to be involved in dermatology and how to take a year off to do research. Don’t miss out this highly informative session!

When: Wednesday, 9/02/15, 5PM-6PM
Where: Dermatology conference room, 4.112 McCullough Building (Not sure where this is located? Meet us at MOD café in the library at 4:45pm and we can take you there)

In order to make the Q and A more efficient, please post your questions for Dr. Wagner to the following link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1abcDsmlasSxL4tqZy6051ilpJSbe4xnHieoDrtBNFfU/edit?usp=sharing

UTMB DIG Officer Receives Herzog Awards

Congratulations to DIG president, Dung Mac (MS4), for receiving the Herzog Awards. This competitive scholarship (established by funds from the Carl J. Herzog Foundation endowment) supports outstanding students with plans for further education in the Clinical Science Graduate Program that indicate great promise for future contributions to clinical research. Dung Mac will be taking a year off from medical school to obtain a Masters in Clinical Sciences as part of the MD-MS dual degree program at UTMB. His research will be focused on Porphyria Cutanea Tarda (PCT).