UTMB Dermatology Nurse Practitioner Receives 2019 UTMB President’s Cabinet Award

Congratulations are in order for Stephanie Kemmerling, FNP-C. She received a 2019 UTMB President’s Cabinet Awards for her proposal, “Reducing the Perception of Pain in Children and their Families with Implementation of Comfort Kits for Kids.”

Period 2 Students’ Present “Kodachrome Cake”

Thank you to our Period 2 rotating dermatology students who presented UTMB Dermatology residents and faculty with a “Kodachrome Cake” (based on our weekly clinical unknown Kodachrome conference) on the last day of the 4 week rotation. We all enjoyed working with you this month and learned from your end-of-rotation presentations. Good luck in your medical careers.

Photo caption (left to right): Mason Yu (UTMB PA student), MS4 Kathryn Hinchee-Rodriguez (UT San Antonio), MS4 Brandy Drozd (Texas A&M), MS4 David Duff (U Mississippi), MS4 Timothy Tran (Texas Tech El Paso), MS4 Kevelyn Rose (UT Houston), and MS4 Meenakshi Manivannan (Texas Tech El Paso)

Dr. Keith Wagner interviewed by The Dermatologist

Congratulations to Dr. Keith Wagner, a recent UTMB SOM graduate who will begin dermatology residency at UTMB in July 2020. He was interviewed by Melissa Weiss, Associate Editor of The Dermatologist about his research on skin hoaxes. Dr. J. Croley (UTMB PGY4) and Dr. Janice Wilson (UTMB Assistant Professor of Dermatology) are credited with helping Dr. Wagner with his research. Their internet resource for the public and researchers interested in this topic is also mentioned (www.SkinHoax.com). The interview is available online at https://www.the-dermatologist.com/article/qa-dr-wagner-online-skin-disease-hoaxes

Dr. Ben Raimer Named UTMB Interim President of UTMB

 Congratulations to Dr. Ben Raimer, the new Interim President of UTMB. His wife is Dr. Sharon Raimer, former UTMB Dermatology Chair (1999-2016) and current dermatology professor. His son, Dr. David Raimer, is a UTMB SOM graduate, UTMB dermatology resident, and current UTMB Clinical Dermatology Faculty and a core faculty for the UTMB Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology Fellowship Program.

Academic Trifecta!

Academic publication can be a daunting task for medical students. However, in academic medical centers and medical schools, experienced help is usually available! In many settings, presentations and publications are needed by medical students applying for residencies, residents seeking fellowships, and faculty seeking promotion and tenure. Where do medical students fit in? In many instances, medical students (especially in their final year) have time to read about interesting case presentations, topics, participate in research projects, write a first draft abstract or manuscript for review and editing by the resident(s) and faculty, and finally submit the work for conference presentation or publication.

This describes an often iterative process that may take several weeks in the writing phase until everyone is satisfied with the final draft. After submission, the medical student keeps coauthors informed during the review process and organizes everyone if revisions are requested. In doing so, everyone on the team benefits. Students become more acquainted with medical research and become better writers. Resident and faculty are able to help medical students by providing direction, editing, and providing mentorship. Following positive team interactions through this process, faculty become important professional references. When posters, presentations, and publications appear with medical student, resident, and faculty co-authors, everyone wins!

UTMB Honors Research Program has a New Director

Congratulations to Bret T. Howrey, PhD (UTMB Associate Professor of Family Medicine). Dr. Howrey is the new Director for the UTMB Honors Research Program for medical students. Since 2001, 32 UTMB medical students have completed this program in the Department of Dermatology, with the vast majority of these students matching into dermatology residency programs.

UTMB Dermatology Chair Search Announced

UTMB has announced its search for a Dermatology Chair. Dr. Bernard Gibson, UTMB Associate Professor of Dermatology, has been the UTMB Dermatology Chair ad interim since 2016.

UTMB SOM 2019 Graduate Publishes about Porphyria

Congratulations to Dr. Christopher Dallo, who published, “The Royal History of Porphyria” in Online Journal of Community and Person-Centered Dermatology.

The article may be found at http://ojcpcd.com/dallo-c-h/royal-history-of-porphyria/  Dr. Dallo begins dermatology residency at the University of Kansas in July 2020.

Updated Date for DIG 2019-2020 Opening Meeting (8/29/19)

Please note that the date for the opening meeting has been moved from Monday 8/26/19 to Thursday 8/29/19. The corrected announcement is copied below:

Come join the Dermatology Interest Group for their first meeting of the year! We will have UTMB Dermatology Program Director Dr. Richard Wagner present to answer questions about matching into dermatology. We will also discuss future events and have sign ups available for our fall fundraising bake sale and community outreach "Stay Shady" program. The meeting will be held on Thursday 8/29/19 in the 5th floor Dermatology conference room (5.124) at 5 pm. We hope to see you there!

American Academy of Dermatology Abstracts Due September 11, 2019 for 2020 Annual Meeting in Denver

Please see https://www.aad.org/meetings/annual-meeting/for-abstracts for additional details. The meeting is scheduled for March 20-24, 2020. Unfortunately it overlaps with the 2020 Match Day (Friday, March 20).

Psoriasis Walk is Coming Up!

The bi-annual National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) walk is quickly approaching this autumn & we encourage you to join the UTMB DIG team as we raise awareness for a great cause.

When: Saturday, 10/19/19 at 8 AM
Where: Memorial Park - Picnic Loop in Houston, TX


If you are interested in walking & fundraising with UTMB DIG, please contact Mai-Anh Vu (MS4), UTMB DIG's Psoriasis Chair, at mnvu@utmb.edu. An official registration form will be distributed to interested members within the next few weeks. UTMB DIG's team page can be found here: https://npf.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.team&teamID=8024

UTMB Announces House Staff Orientation Dates for 2020-2021 Academic Year

There will be two different UTMB house staff orientations in 2020. The June orientation will be 4 days, starting on Tuesday, June 16 and ending on Friday, June 19^th. A second orientation will be held for those unable to attend the June meeting starting on Wednesday, July 1^st through Friday, July 3, and again on July 6^th.