Edgar B. Smith Scholarship and Professorship Promotes Medical Student and Dermatology Resident Research at UTMB

Dr. Edgar B. Smith, a former Chair of Dermatology at UTMB, was always interested in encouraging UTMB medical students and dermatology residents to pursue their research interests in dermatology. Following retirement, he established the Edgar B. Smith Scholarship as a graduation award for the best dermatology research conducted by a UTMB MS4 each year and endowed a professorship to promote dermatology research by UTMB medical students and dermatology residents. Currently Dr. Richard Wagner, the UTMB Program Director, holds the Edgar B. Smith Professorship.

Since 2001, many UTMB medical students with a career interest in dermatology have participated in the UTMB Honors Dermatology Honors Research Program, a substantive research effort where the student serves as the PI under the supervision of expert faculty. The Edgar B. Smith Professorship assists UTMB medical students working with UTMB dermatology faculty without endowed research funding by supporting biostatistical support (UTMB Office of Biostatistics), poster cost for one meeting if the research is accepted for presentation, and journal publishing fees if the resulting research article is accepted for publication.

Likewise, the Edgar B. Smith Professorship supports UTMB Dermatology Residents, if supervised by faculty without endowment funding for research, for their required Scholarly Project by funding statistical consultation and analysis through the UTMB Office of Biostatistics, as well as supporting a research poster for publication, and publishing fees if their research article is accepted for publication.

St. Vincent's Student Clinic Dermatology Night 2/1/18

Join UTMB Dermatology faculty for the upcoming dermatology night (Thursday, February 1st) at St. Vincent’s Clinic. Please see the calendar link below to reserve your volunteering spot. 
When: Thursday, February 1st at 5:30-8:30PM (volunteers should arrive at 5:15) Where: St. Vincent's House, 2817 Post Office Street, Galveston, Texas 77550 
Volunteer link: http://stvsc.org/index.php/students/sign-up

DIGA seeking applicants for the 2018-2019 Executive Board

The Dermatology Interest Group Association (DIGA)  is a national student-run, nonprofit organization committed to providing volunteering, networking, and research opportunities to medical students interested in a career in dermatology. They are currently taking applications for executive board positions and have extended the deadline for application to January 31st, 2018. Any DIG member who is interested in applying for a position should email current President Tim Allen (tirallen2@utmb.edu) for the application. It should be promptly completed and turned it to applytodiga@gmail.com by January 31, 2018.  

December 2017 Dermatology Online Journal Worth Reviewing

The December 2017 issue of Dermatology Online Journal has published 4 original articles that are of interest to medical students, residents, and educators who are interested in dermatology education.

UTMB DIG members should consider reviewing:

Dermatology Medical Education: A Multicenter Survey Study of the Undergraduate Perspective of the Dermatology Clinical Clerkship

https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8bs7f6d5

A national cross-sectional analysis of dermatology away rotations using the Visiting Student Application Service database

https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6v44p12g

Characteristics of research tracks in dermatology residency programs: a national survey

https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1xf7w7x4

Elective time during dermatology residency: A survey of residents and program directors

https://escholarship.org/uc/item/43w5n9rc

First Spring DIG meeting to be Tuesday, February 6th

The first spring DIG meeting will be Tuesday, February 6th at 5pm in the 5th floor conference room. All DIG members are invited as well as any other student who's interested in Dermatology. Topics for discussion include:

1. Officer Elections (President, VP, Stay Shady Chair, Psoriasis Chair, Melanoma Walk Chair, and Fundraising chair)
2. VSAS information
3. Spring Stay Shady dates
4. Spring Bake Sale
5. Upcoming Volunteer opportunities
6. Upcoming Research events
7. Course recommendations

The minutes for this meeting will be posted ASAP on the DIG blog. Any member who isn't able to attend but is interested in running for a position should email Tim (tirallen2@utmb.edu) with the position desired and a quick paragraph about why they should get that position.

 

What: Spring DIG Meeting

When: Tuesday, February 6th @ 5pm

Where: 5th floor conference room (5.124 McCullough)

2018 National Student Research Forum (NSRF)

The 59th Annual NSRF will be hosted by UTMB from April 25 through April 27, 2018 (see https://www.utmb.edu/nsrf/ for additional information). According to the website, registration (along with the $125 registration fee) must be postmarked by March 17th and online abstract submissions are due March 1. Manuscripts are due on April 1 for those competing in oral presentations. The UTMB Department of Dermatology sponsors student and resident awards for the best poster and the best oral dermatology presentations. Last year Eduardo Rodriguez (UTMB SOM Class of 2018) was awarded the Best Presentation in Dermatology while he was a UTMB MS3.

UTMB MS4 DIG Member Active in National Student Research Forum (NSRF)

UTMB MS4 Joshua Hays is the Advertising and Social Media Director for the upcoming 2018 NSRF meeting in Galveston. He is a good contact for current DIG members who are interested in learning more about this campus organization and who may want to volunteer for the next NSRF in 2019.

Joshua Hays (back row, far right) along with other 2018 NSRF Student Directors

DIGA Student Mixer at the Upcoming AAD

All DIG students who are attending the upcoming AAD meeting in San Diego should register for the first annual DIGA Student Mixer. The event will be Saturday, February 17th at 6:30pm. Location is TBD. DIGA (http://derminterest.org/) is the national association for DIG groups and helps provide advice, recommendations, and networking opportunities for students interested in applying for a future career in dermatology. Contact Paige Hoyer (MS4) for further details. Link for RSVP: https://goo.gl/forms/52p55R1yFXLaNVW53

Volunteers needed for upcoming National Psoriasis Foundation event

Jacob Benavidez (MS3; current Psoriasis Chair) is calling for all available DIG members to help volunteer at the Nation Psoriasis Foundation's upcoming event "Be Joint Smart". The event will be in Houston on Saturday, February 10th and he is asking for 4-5 volunteers to help with registration, checking attendees in, and setting up the event. Click the following link to sign up: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1B4j-ta6U6Qt3ln08PqscKeQrMCSYsplXLOiAMKfGbAY/edit?usp=sharing and please email Jacob with any other questions (jabenavi@utmb.edu)

Weather Emergency in Galveston Leads to Student Dismissal from Class

Medical students at UTMB were dismissed early from classes and rotations on Tuesday, January 16 due to freezing rain. Classes were also suspended on Wednesday, January 17 due to icy roadways. They are scheduled to resume on Thursday, January 18, 2018 when the weather is expected to improve.

UTMB Dermatologists Propose Renaming Some Herpes Infections

Congratulations to UTMB co-authors, Drs. J. Croley (PGY2 Dermatology Resident) and Richard Wagner (Dermatology Program Director) on their most recent publication, "Countering Creeping Confusion: A Proposal to Re-Name Herpes Virus Taxonomy," due to confusion abou thet clinical classification and stigmatization of the name "herpes" for non-STD entities. Their publication, along with first author Dr. Vail Reese (private practice dermatologist in San Francisco and creator of skinema.com), was published in Dermanities (Online Jourrnal of Community and Patient-Centered Dermatology), January 14, 2018 (see full article at http://ojcpcd.com/long-v/countering-creeping-confusion-a-proposal-to-re-name-herpes-virus-taxonomy/ )

UTMB PGY2 Dermatology Resident Publishes Case Report About Unusual Mycobacterium Skin Infection

Congratulations to UTMB PGY2 dermatology resident Dr. Skyler White, for her recent publication in SKIN: Journal of Cutaneous Medicine entitled, “Persistent Cutaneous Infection Due to Mycobacterium Immunogenum, a Relatively Novel Species,” Volume 2, Number 1, pp. 69-74, 2018.Her co-authors on this case report MS4 Katrina Kesterson, a visiting medical student from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, and Dr. Michael G Wilkerson, UTMB Professor of Dermatology. This article is available at https://jofskin.org/index.php/skin/article/view/57/pdf

UTMB MS3 Launches New Website to Combat Online Skin Disease Hoaxes

Congratulations to UTMB third year medical student Keith Wagner MS (Dermatology Interest Group Vice President) for his creation and launch of a new not-for-profit website designed to inform the public about online skin disease hoaxes. The new website, skinhoax.com details skin disease hoaxes that are currently circulating on the internet. Its goal is to help victims of internet skin disease hoaxes learn that these skin diseases are not real by providing factual information about them. Two UTMB dermatology physicians, Drs. J. Croley (PGY2 dermatology resident) and Janice Wilson (dermatology and dermatopathology faculty) have agreed to serve as medical editors for this new website. The website will also accept reports about potential new skin disease hoaxes that readers have seen on the internet. Skinhoax.com will investigate and will share the finding with viewers. Please feel free to visit this website and leave your comments.

Spring Texas Dermatological Society (TDS) Meeting is on April 27-28, 2018 in Austin (Hyatt Regency

It is not too early for interested UTMB medical students to start planning their poster/podium presentations for the upcoming spring TDS meeting in Austin, Texas. UTMB dermatology residents and faculty welcome your help and participation. All posters and podium presentation applications are due by March 23, 2018, and abstracts must be received by March 30, 2018.

UTMB Dermatology Faculty Giving Clinical Lectures During MS2 DHM Course

Here is the lecture schedule for our dermatology faculty who are giving our second year medical students the DHM Dermatology Clinical Lectures this academic year:

Erica Kelly, MD: Infectious Skin Disease (2/28/18, 4 pm)

Brent Kelly, MD: Dermatologic Signs of Systemic Disease (3/1/18, 2 pm)

Bernard Gibson, MD:  Skin Findings of Collagen Vascular Diseases (3/1/18, 4 pm)

Richard Wagner, MD: Clinical Aspects of Skin Cancer (3/5/18, 3 pm)

UTMB Dermatology Publishes Article in Plastic Surgery Literature

For the first time, UTMB Dermatology has published an article in the peer-reviewed journal PRS Global Open. The article, “Progressive Tightening of Pulley Sutures for Primary Repair of Large Scalp Wounds,” is a case report of a novel surgical closure technique for large scalp wounds that was developed in the UTMB Department of Dermatology last year. The first author of the article was Dr. Helen Malone, the inaugural UTMB Fellow in Micrographic Surgery and Dermatology Oncology (Mohs), and UTMB resident co-authors were Dr. Jillian McLaughlin (UTMB PGY4 Plastic Surgery Resident) and Dr. Lindy Ross (UTMB PGY4 Dermatology Resident). UTMB Faculty Co-authors on this publication were Dr. Linda Phillips (UTMB Division Director of Plastic Surgery) and Richard Wagner (UTMB Mohs Fellowship Director). The UTMB DIG congratulates all of the authors of this innovative surgical technique!

The article is available at http://journals.lww.com/prsgo/Fulltext/2017/12000/Progressive_Tightening_of_Pulley_Sutures_for.37.aspx
(Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery – Global Open: December 2017 - Volume 5 - Issue 12 - p e1592 doi: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000001592)

ACGME Grants Continued Accreditation for UTMB Dermatology Residency and Dermatopathology Fellowship

During its annual program review of the UTMB dermatology residency and dermatopathology fellowship meeting earlier this month, the ACGME Review Committee for Dermatology granted Continued Accreditation for both. The UTMB Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology Fellowship, as a new program that began training fellows in July 2016, was not reviewed at this meeting.

St. Vincent's Student Clinic Dermatology Night 1/4/18

Join UTMB Dermatology residents and faculty for the upcoming dermatology night (Thursday, January 4th) at St. Vincent’s Clinic. Please see the calendar link below to reserve your volunteering spot:

When: Thursday, January 4th 5:30-8:30PM (volunteers should arrive at 5:15)

Where: St. Vincent's House, 2817 Post Office Street, Galveston, Texas 77550

Volunteer link: http://stvsc.org/index.php/students/sign-up

UTMB PGY2 Dermatology Resident Receives Recognition

Congratulations to Dr. Julie A. Croley for her recent JAMA Dermatology article, "Dermatologic Features of Classic Movie Villains: The Face of Evil." Her article was the third most widely read article in traditional and social media that was published by JAMA Dermatology during 2017! Her coauthors on this article were Drs. Vail Reese, a private practice dermatologist and creator of  the widely acclaimed skinema.com, and Richard Wagner, the Edgar B. Smith Professor of Dermatology at UTMB and our Program Director.