12th Annual AIM Melanoma Walk

Hey everyone! Mark your calendars for March 11, 2017. DIG will be hosting the 12th annual AIM Melanoma Walk. Funds raised from this event are donated to support Melanoma research, legislative reform, education, and patient and caregiver support. Everyone is welcome to participate, so please invite your family and friends. Location (in Galveston), time (AM), and sign up link will be sent out soon!

Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or would like to be involved with this event. Hope to see y'all there!

Paige Hoyer
UTMB MSIII
DIG Melanoma Chair
(512)968-5742
pehoyer@utmb.edu

Dr. Goodwin Continues New UTMB Tradition for Innovative Dermatology Resident Education

Thank you Dr. Brandon Goodwin for continuing giving the UTMB dermatology residents a “mock mock” board exam this December in preparation for the 2017 ITE exam on February 16 and the July ABD certification exam for our 4 PGY4 residents. Dr. Cris Berlingeri first introduced the “mock mock” practice exam to our residents, and it was received very positively. She was familiar with this educational concept because was used in her dermatology residency program in Puerto Rico. Last year she expanded it from a purely dermatopathology focus to include other areas of dermatology. Following her departure for private practice in Tyler, Texas earlier this year, Dr. Goodwin, UTMB’s newest dermatology and dermatopathology faculty member, volunteered to continue giving the exam. Because of the increasing number of questions (some contributed by other UTMB dermatology faculty),  he broke the exam into two parts that are given on two consecutive Fridays in December. Examination questions are reviewed by Dr. Goodwin following the test, which is self-graded by the residents. It is a way for our residents to identify areas of dermatology that they may want to review prior to the ITE and the certification examination.

UTMB Dermatology Initiates New Funding Plan for Supplemental Dermatology Resident Education

The UTMB dermatology faculty have decided to implement a new approach for funding supplemental resident and fellow education regarding the purchase of textbooks, required equipment such as dermatoscopes and iPads, submission fees and related expenses for abstracts/posters for meeting presentation, and the costs of professional meeting attendance (registration, travel, meals, and hotel). Our dermatology department is well known for its generosity that provides for the professional development of its residents. The benefits of this plan are that it permits residents to budget for their purchases and meetings. It is also a very fair way to allocate limited financial resources among our 12 residents and 3 fellows annually. PGY2 residents receive the most funding under this plan because they need to purchase dermatology textbooks and clinical equipment for the clinic. Annual funding depends on the departmental budget. Directed donations from our SOM and graduates of our dermatology residency are often used for this purpose as well.

Dr. Erica Kelly Elected By UTMB Faculty

Congratulations to Dr. Erica Kelly, Associate Clinical Professor of Dermatology, for her recent election by UTMB faculty to the Faculty Group Practice Clinical Operations Committee. Dr. Kelly will represent the small departments at UTMB (dermatology, psychiatry and neurology). Her appointment begins in January 2017.

UTMB Dermatology Invites 30 Medical Students to Interview for Residency

All 7 medical students who took 4 week rotations in Galveston during the current academic year were invited to interview on either February 2nd or 3rd, 2017, as were 23 other outside applicants selected from over 400 applications received. Selected applicants were from 6 states and 13 medical schools. 21 of the 23 outside applicants were in AOA at their medical schools. Their average Step 1 score ranged from 237 to 274, with a mean of 254.

Their Step 2 scores ranged from 237 to 276, with a mean of 261.

Dr. Erica Kelly Named Super Doctor by Texas Monthly

Congratulations to Dr. E. Kelly for her recognition in the December 2016 issue of Texas Monthly as a “Super Doctor.” She practices dermatology as a Clinical Associate Professor in the UTMB Department of Dermatology, and she is recognized for her special expertise in cosmetic dermatology. This award was determined by peer-review and a magazine scoring process.

Jason Hirshburg, MD, PhD is the 2017-2018 UTMB Mohs Fellow

Congratulations to Dr. Jason Hirshburg, who matched into the UTMB Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology Fellowship for the upcoming 2017-2018 academic year. Dr. Hirshburg is currently completing this final PGY4 year of dermatology residency in the UT-Austin Dell Medical School Dermatology Residency Program.