2012 Houston Walk to Cure Psoriasis

Houston's Walk to Cure Psoriasis is this Saturday! Make a difference for the millions of people affected by psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis by participating in the walk event.

When: Saturday, April 14th; Registration at 8:00 AM, Walk at 9:00 AM
Where: Stude Park - Houston, TX
Purpose: To spread awareness about psoriasis, while raising money for psoriasis education, advocacy and research.

Participate in the 1K (.62 mi) or 5K (3.1 mi) Walk: Register to walk
-OR-
Volunteer at the event (Assist with set-up, registration, food table, water station, route monitoring, tear down): Volunteer Sign Up

MS4 Donnie Warren Receives Magna Cum Laude Graduation Honors

UTMB MS4 Donnie Warren successfully defended his UTMB Dermatology Honors Research Program thesis, “Preventing ultraviolet radiation hand injury: hand cancer awareness and protective behaviors,” and was awarded Magna Cum Laude Graduation Research Honors in Dermatology. His ad hoc thesis committee was composed of Drs. Simon Lewis, Richard Wagner (thesis advisor), Sharon Raimer and Brent Kelly. Congratulations to Donnie for this excellent academic achievement!

Time Change for Donnie Warren's Thesis Presentation

UTMB MS4 Donnie Warren will present his Dermatology Honors Thesis at 11:45 am (not at noon as initially scheduled) in the dermatology conference room (4.112 McCullough Bldg) on Monday, April 9th. The UTMB DIG and the Department of Dermatology hope to see you there!

DIG Meeting Summary – 03/28/12

We had a great UTMB DIG meeting last week!

Contact Dermatitis Presentation
The UTMB DIG would like to give a special thanks to MS2 Sheila Jalalat (’11-’12 DIG Contact Dermatitis Outreach Chair) for her very informative PowerPoint presentation on the topics of contact dermatitis and her experience at the ACDS and AAD annual conferences in San Diego. Please email Sheila (szjalala@utmb.edu) if you are interested in learning more about what was discussed.

Q&A with UTMB DIG MS4s
We would also like to thank MS4s Ryan Riahi, Donnie Warren, and Rebecca Philips for their helpful Q&A session. Ryan, Donnie and Rebecca described their experiences as applicants for a dermatology residency position this year. They discussed strategies for building a strong application, offered tips for getting involved in research, and talked about their experiences in dermatology electives, both at UTMB and at “away” medical schools as visiting students. Dermatology residents must complete an intern year (PGY-1) in a broad-based program before beginning dermatology residency (e.g., Internal Medicine preliminary year, transitional year, etc) – Ryan, Donnie and Rebecca described options for this year of training and explained how they approached this part of the application. Additionally, the “couples match” process was discussed for applicants wishing to link their rank list with another applicant. At the end of the Q&A, they shared a list of the dermatology programs where they received interviews, as well as a list of dermatology interview questions they encountered. For more advice, feel free to contact the UTMB DIG MS4s (Rebecca (rcphilip@utmb.edu), Ryan (rrriahi@utmb.edu), or Donnie (dbwarren@utmb.edu)). And if you would like a copy of the list of 2011-2012 UTMB medical student dermatology applicant interviews and interview questions, please email Rebecca Philips (rcphilip@utmb.edu).

Other topics discussed during the meeting included…

Dermatology Match Results:
Rebecca Philips – UTMB
Ryan Riahi – LSU
Donnie Warren – UT Southwestern – Austin

Recent Community Outreach:
- 2012 Santa Fe High Community Health and Wellness Fair – Saturday, February 25, 2012
- “Stay Shady” presentation to Odyssey Academy 4th graders – Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Upcoming UTMB DIG events: (See future blog post for more details.)
- 2012 Houston Walk to Cure Psoriasis, 1K or 5K – Saturday, April 14th
- “Stay Shady!” Presentations to Galveston Ball High School students – Saturday, April 21st
- Bake Sale fundraiser – Monday, April 30th and Tuesday, May 1st
- Galveston AIM for a Cure Melanoma Walk – Saturday, May 5th
- Annual Free Skin Cancer Screening with UTMB Dermatology Department - Saturday, May 5th
- “Stay Shady!” Presentations to Galveston Elementary and Middle School Students – TBD

UTMB Dermatology PGY-4 Resident and Faculty Annual Teaching Awards
UTMB DIG MS4 students voted on the 2011-2012 dermatology teaching awards. Results will be announced at dermatology journal club on Friday, June 1st. Thank you to all of the Dermatology faculty and residents for your dedicated teaching!

Last DIG Meeting and DIG officer elections: Wednesday, April 18th
Details will be posted to the blog soon!

Questions? Please email Rebecca Philips at rcphilip@utmb.edu.

“Can I Match Into a Dermatology Residency?”

First and second year medical students are curious about the “ROAD” (Radiology, Ophthalmology, Anesthesiology and Dermatology) specialties and wonder if they would be competitive. Other specialties in this group are Emergency Medicine, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Radiation Oncology, and Plastic Surgery.

A medical career is demanding by most standards, but ROAD (“Road to happiness”) specialties offer physicians the opportunity for a more balanced personal and professional lifestyle with high income in relationship to hours worked. Since many first and second year medical students seek candid advice about their chances for a dermatology residency from DIG MS4s and dermatology faculty, here are some things to consider.

Currently, dermatology is one of the most competitive specialties due to high demand and a relatively small number of positions each year. This trend appears stable and is unlikely to change.

- About half of the dermatology residency positions will go to excellent academic medical students who have a high Step 1 score (240 or higher) and are members of AOA. Medical students will not know this information about themselves until the end of their second year when they take Step 1 and during their junior or senior year for AOA. However, if you are not getting Honors in most of your classes during the first three years, you will probably not be elected to AOA at UTMB.

- Because dermatology is so competitive, failing any Step examination or failing any class in medical school will make it very unlikely that you will be able to match into a dermatology residency. It follows that students who are required to repeat an entire year of medical school due to failing grades will find it nearly impossible to obtain residency interviews for dermatology. One of our Deans is famous for telling students FAI (“Forget About It”) when the student is unrealistic about residency applications. Failing a class or a Step is usually sufficient academic information to advise FAI for dermatology. If for some reason you are ill or find yourself in circumstances where you are missing class or are unable to study, it is good advice to speak to the Dean and withdraw from classes until the situation is resolved. That way you may be able to avoid having a failing grade in your academic record.

-Although taking dermatology clinical research fellowship for 1 or 2 years following the PGY1 year has helped many solid students obtain a dermatology residency, it is much less likely to help if the student has failed a Step or a course in medical school. The same is true for medical student research—it helps excellent students the most because it helps to distinguish them from other students with superior grades, but no research.

Of course, there are always exceptions to the rules. For example, applicants with a PhD and strong publications often are accepted into dermatology residencies with below average (for dermatology) Step 1 scores and without AOA membership.

Save this Date

UTMB MS4 Donnie Warren will present his UTMB Dermatology Honors Research Program thesis, “Preventing ultraviolet radiation hand injury: hand cancer awareness and protective behaviors,” on Monday April 9th at 12 pm in the UTMB Dermatology Conference Room (4.112 McCullough Building). It is the only Dermatology Honors Research Project scheduled for presentation during the 2011-2012 academic year, and it is an excellent opportunity for UTMB medical students to learn about this option to perform substantial dermatology research under UTMB faculty supervision. Historically, most of the Dermatology Honors Research is eventually published in peer-reviewed dermatology journals with the medical student researcher appearing as the first author.

Good News for UTMB Dermatology Residency

The UTMB Dermatology Residency Program received good news from the ACGME Dermatology Residency Review Committee this week. It was granted a 5 year cycle, the longest review cycle currently permitted by the ACGME for dermatology. In addition, a proposal to permanently increase the number of UTMB dermatology residents from 10 to 12 was approved. UTMB plans on adding an 11th dermatology resident to the PGY2 group starting in July 2013, and will start to review completed ERAS applications for the position and start interviewing for the position in November 2012. The 12th dermatology resident will be added to the incoming PGY2 advanced residency positions offered through the 2013 NRMP, when UTMB will be offering 4 positions for the first time. By July 2014, there will be a total of 12 dermatology residents (4 in each PGY class) in our residency program.

Reminder: DIG Meeting Tomorrow!

Please join us tomorrow for the next Dermatology Interest Group meeting.

When: Wednesday, March 28th at 5PM
Where: 4.112 McCullough Building (Dermatology Conference Rm)

Will include: Q&A with UTMB MS4s who recently matched into a dermatology residency, presentation by UTMB MS2 Sheila Jalalat about contact dermatitis and her experience at the ACDS and AAD conferences, and information about future DIG events

See you tomorrow!

UTMB MS2 Sheila Jalalat Returns from ACDS and AAD Conferences

UTMB MS2 Sheila Jalalat (pictured above) received funding from the UTMB Student Government Association to attend the American Contact Dermatitis Society and American Academy of Dermatology annual conferences from March 14-16, 2012 in San Diego, CA. As part of her DIG officer position (Contact Dermatitis Outreach Chair), Sheila wanted to explore the most recent topics, news and research relating to contact dermatitis and incorporate it into awareness, prevention, and management at UTMB and in the community. She will present what she learned at the conferences during tomorrow's UTMB DIG meeting.

Sheila's presentation will include:
1. What is contact dermatitis, who is affected, and what can we do about it?
2. Patch testing
3. CAMP (Contact Allergen Management Program)
4. Information on the new FDA regulation (in effect Summer 2012) which requires stringent usage and UV protection labeling on all sunscreens to help prevent and decrease the cases of skin cancer and premature aging

Thank you to the UTMB Student Government Association for funding this wonderful learning experience for Sheila and the UTMB DIG!

Please email Sheila Jalalat (szjalala@utmb.edu) with any inquiries on the topic or conferences.

AIM for a CURE Melanoma Walk

It's that time of the year again! Come help the UTMB DIG raise melanoma awareness and support melanoma research by participating in our annual AIM for a CURE Melanoma Walk.

Date: Saturday, May 5, 2012
Time: Registration at 8:00 AM; Walk begins at 8:30 AM
Walk Location: UTMB Alumni Field House, 215 Holiday Dr., Galveston, TX 77555
Format: Leisurely walk or run
Fee: There is NO fee to participate. Each walker is encouraged to raise at least $50.
Completed pledge sheet, waiver, and donations: Due the day of the event
To Register and/or Donate: Click on the following link: AIM FOR A CURE

**Register by April 1, 2012 to ensure a FREE t-shirt!**

Following the walk, UTMB Dermatology Residents and Faculty will be providing FREE skin cancer screenings at the Stewart Road and Bay Colony Dermatology clinics from 10am - noon!

Stewart Road Family Medicine
6710 Stewart Road, Suite 100
Galveston, TX 77551
409-744-4030

University Dermatology at Bay Colony
2785 Gulf Freeway South, Suite 165
League City, TX 77573
281-534-3376

The UTMB DIG is looking for medical student volunteers to help at both skin cancer screening locations. Email Rebecca Philips (rcphilip@utmb.edu) if you are interested in volunteering.

Questions? Contact Donnie Warren (dbwarren@utmb.edu) or Miranda Uzoma (mauzoma@utmb.edu).

UCLA Medical Students Enroll in Period 10 Dermatology Film Class Elective

Word about UTMB’s popular dermatology elective, Skin Diseases Depicted in Film (DERU-4007), is spreading. During Period 10, two UCLA medical students are taking this elective. All lectures and class discussions for this didactic course are available through teleconferencing, so students need not be in Galveston to participate.

Next DIG Meeting Moved to Wednesday

The next Dermatology Interest Group meeting has been moved to Wednesday, March 28th due to the conflict with St. Vincent's Clinic Dermatology Night.

When: Wednesday, March 28th at 5:00 PM
Where: 4.112 McCullough, Dermatology Conference Room

See you then!

Dermatology Night at St. Vincent's Clinic

Join UTMB Dermatology faculty and residents for the next Dermatology/Medicine Night at St. Vincent's Clinic!

When: Tuesday, March 27th, 4:30pm - 8:30pm
Where: St. Vincent's House, 2817 Post Office Street, Galveston, Texas 77550

For more information about the St. Vincent's Student Free Clinic, please visit their website: http://www.stvsc.org/.

Next DIG Meeting: Wednesday, March 28th

Join us for the next UTMB Dermatology Interest Group meeting!

When: Wednesday, March 28th at 5:00 PM
Where: 4.112 McCullough, Dermatology Conference Room

UTMB MS4s who recently matched in dermatology will be available to answer questions about the residency application process.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Is There A Better Way to Allocate Dermatology Selectives to UTMB Medical Students?

The Dermatology Film Selective (DERM-4051) is one of the most popular didactic classes at UTMB for MS4s. It is so popular that due to a recently implemented class size limit of 3 students per Period, the class filled within a few hours for certain Periods on the first day of pre-registration. With such a demand for this class, perhaps there is a better way to allocate this class to UTMB medical students? Enrollment Services should consider a lottery system for the next academic year to ensure an equal opportunity for all UTMB medical students to take this class during desirable Periods (especially Periods 6, 7 and 13). A lottery system is currently in use for MS1s who desire to take the one month clinical dermatology elective following completion of their first year classes, since these two summer rotations are limited to 4 students. MS4s could submit their Period preferences, and a lottery could be conducted. After the lottery is concluded, any remaining spots could be filled by those completing a C Form and submitting it to Enrollment Services.

“To C or not to C: that is the question.” (apologies to WS)

Pre-registration for rising UTMB MS4s started on Monday, to a great deal of confusion. Although completed C Forms are required for all BSHS Selectives, somehow My Star allowed some students to register and close out some classes that have limited numbers of positions each Period. The good news is that reportedly this problem has been fixed, and no one is now allowed to register unless their C Form has been signed by the Selective faculty. For those students interested in taking Dermatology Selectives (DERU-4051, DERU-4402, and DERU-4012), please email Ms. Keeswood in the Dermatology department and she will check course availability and stamp your C Form if there is still space in the class you want. Unfortunately, for the upcoming 2012-2013 academic year, the maximum class enrollment for each Selective is only three students per Period. Fortunately, the Dermatology Department offers all three of its Selectives every Period. Ms. Keeswood will also assist students in finding another Selective to fit their schedule if their first choice is not available.

Who Matched at UTMB for Dermatology Residency in 2013?

Who Matched at UTMB for Dermatology Residency in 2013?

Amber Gill MS4 UT Houston

Rebecca Philips MS4 UTMB

Janice Wilson MS4 UT Houston

In addition, Dr. Elizabeth McQuitty has accepted the UTMB Dermatopathology Fellowship for 2103.

Congratulations to all!

UTMB SOM Class of 2012 Dermatology Residency Matches

UTMB SOM Class of 2012 Dermatology Residency Matches

Rebecca Philips: UTMB

Ryan Riahi: LSU

Donnie Warren: UT Southwestern-Austin

Congratulations to all!

UTMB DIG Members Invited to Match Day Celebration

Please join the UTMB Class of 2012 at their Match Day Celebration on Friday, March 16th in Levin Hall at 11 am (see http://www.utmb.edu/iutmb/article6825.aspx for announcement). Several of our DIG MS4s have matched into dermatology residencies, and it will be a chance for everyone to share in their great accomplishment with other friends and family.

UTMB Dermatology Filled all of their NRMP Positions

The UTMB Department of Dermatology received notification from the NRMP this morning that all three of their advanced dermatology residency positions have been filled through the NRMP. Programs will find out who they have matched with on Thursday, one day before the applicants learn where they have matched.

What Should I do if I don’t Match into Dermatology Next Week?

On Monday, March 12th MS4s and independent applicants will find out if they matched into a dermatology residency program (successfully matched applicants will have to wait until Friday, March 16th to find out where they are going). Predictably, every year competitive applicants who had multiple dermatology interviews fail to match. While this is a big disappointment, in the following weeks many applicants wonder if they should re-apply. They may wonder if it is worth the effort taking a one or two year dermatology research fellowship following their PGY1 year in the hope of improving their dermatology application and achieving their goal of obtaining a residency position. Here are some considerations regarding re-application:

-Currently, medical students are not able to retake Step 1 once it is passed. The Step 1 score is a major factor in determining how many interviews an applicant will receive. If an applicant has previously failed Step 1 or if the score is lower than 211, it is rare to be offered interviews because so many other applicants have much higher scores. Not impossible, but it certainly will be a struggle.

-Not being a member of AOA hurts an applicant’s chances for interviews. This is also an application variable that cannot be changed in the short term. Not being in AOA and having a Step 1 score lower than 221 will make interviews hard to come by.

-Having an impressive away rotation may open a door for a residency position with an away program. Students still in medical school should consider additional away dermatology rotations prior to graduation if their schedule permits. Once graduated, the opportunity to take rotations at outside institutions is typically difficult and may not be possible.

-Serious applicants who are not AOA and do not have a Step 1 score of at least 230 need to have significant research on their ERAS application. This could include quantity (at least 5 published case reports), quality (authorship on high quality research papers published in highly regarded dermatology journals), or sophisticated research skills usually acquired during a PhD program. Effort should be made to complete any previous research projects with the goal of getting them published before the next application cycle. There is no doubt that most dermatology research fellowships offer re-applicants an opportunity to engage in serious, productive research with leading dermatology investigators. This activity can results in numerous high quality research publications by a motivated fellow. That is why the match rate for dermatology research fellows is impressively high, even without a high Step 1 score and AOA membership.

-Many primary care fields and some specialties (rheumatology, allergy) have lots of patients with skin diseases. Consider if it is possible to satisfy your interest in dermatology through specializing in family medicine, pediatrics, or internal medicine (or one of its specialties)? Such residencies and clinical fellowships may offer the opportunity to do clinical electives with a dermatologist.

Of course, these observations and suggestions don’t apply to everyone. There are exceptions to everything. Some re-applicants don’t change anything on their next ERAS application and match in the next cycle! Only you can decide whether to re-apply or not, and whether to gain additional research experience first. If you decide to re-apply, good luck! Every year some re-applicants get the dermatology residency position they want.

2012 Santa Fe High Community Health & Wellness Fair, A Big Hit

The UTMB DIG had a blast volunteering at the 2012 Santa Fe High Community Health & Wellness Fair last Saturday, February 25th. To promote sun protection and skin cancer awareness, we provided educational handouts for both adults and kids, made UV-sensitive bead bracelets, and offered samples of sunscreen. We also encouraged poison ivy recognition by showing pictures of the plant and distributing poison ivy educational handouts and coloring sheets. These activities and handouts allowed us to reach approximately 75 members of the local community. Thank you to our volunteers, Sheila Jalalat (MS2, left), Will Tausend (MS2, middle), and Rebecca Philips (MS4, right).

Dr. Erica Kelly Featured in March 2012 Coast Article

Dr. Erica Kelly, UTMB’s cosmetic dermatology subspecialist, is featured in the Beauty/Style section of the March 2012 issue of Coast (page 20). She is quoted several times in the article about the use of sunscreen, antioxidants and retinoids to maintain youthful skin.

UTMB Dermatology Rated High By Residents

The results of the 2012 Resident Survey of dermatology residents at UTMB (conducted annually by the ACGME), showed that the UTMB Dermatology Residency Program achieved 100% compliance in the areas of duty hours, faculty, evaluation, educational content, resources, patient safety and teamwork. This year all 9 of the UTMB dermatology residents completed this survey. Congratulations to all for achieving this truly impressive program benchmark!

Tomorrow is Dermatology Night at St. Vincent's Clinic

Join UTMB Dermatology faculty and residents for Dermatology/Medicine Night at St. Vincent's Clinic!

When: Tuesday, February 28th, 4:30-8PM
Where: St. Vincent's House, 2817 Post Office Street, Galveston, Texas 77550

For more information about the St. Vincent's Student Free Clinic, please visit their website at: http://www.stvsc.org/.

Dr. Mara Dacso at The Grand 1894 Opera House

Dr. Mara Dacso is performing at the The Grand 1894 Opera House (2020 Post Office Street) on Thursday, March 8th at 7 pm for the annual St. Vincent’s Clinic Benefit Concert (see http://www.thegrand.com/StVincentsBenefit2012.asp ). St. Vincent’s Clinic is a free clinic made possible in part through the voluntary support of UTMB students, residents and faculty (see http://acs.etxahec.org/LinkClick.aspx?link=09-Shoemake+Student+Brochure.pdf&tabid=76&mid=423 ). Tickets are $7 now and $10 at the door. Dr. Dacso is currently a PGY3 Dermatology resident at UTMB . This is her 7th consecutive year performing at this fundraising event. Please come and enjoy a night out for a very worthy cause.

UTMB PGY3 Dermatology Resident Dr. Mara Dacso Publishes in Archives of Dermatology

Congratulations, Dr. Mara Dacso, for your first author, February 2012 publication in the Archives of Dermatology (Dacso MM, Petitt MS, Berlingeri-Ramos AC, Kelly BC. Progressive sclerodermoid skin changes - quiz case, diagnosis. Arch Dermatol 2012;148(2):247-252.) Her co-authors are former dermatology resident, Dr. Matt Petitt, and dermatology faculty, Drs. Cris Berlingeri and Brent Kelly.

Good Luck, UTMB Dermatology Residents

The American Board of Dermatology "Practice Board" examination is Thursday, February 23, 2012. Good luck!

Volunteer Opportunity: Santa Fe High's Community Health & Wellness Fair

The UTMB DIG is looking for volunteers for this fun event:

Community Health & Wellness Fair
Hosted by Santa Fe High ISD
When: THIS Saturday, February 25th, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: Santa Fe High School Cafeteria, 16000 Highway 6, Santa Fe, TX 77510

Please email Rebecca Philips (rcphilip@utmb.edu) for details.

UTMB MS4 Donnie Warren's Dermatology Honors Research Thesis Presentation Scheduled

UTMB MS4 Donnie Warren has scheduled his UTMB Dermatology Honors Research Program thesis presentation, “Preventing ultraviolet radiation hand injury: hand cancer awareness and protective behaviors,” for Monday April 9th at 12 pm. His thesis committee members are Drs. Simon Lewis, Richard Wagner (faculty advisor), Brent Kelly and Sharon Raimer. Preliminary results of this research were previously presented at UTMB's 15th Forum on Aging Poster Session in 2011. His UTMB collaborators on this research were UTMB MS4 Ryan Riahi, UTMB MS3 Jason Hobbs, Dr. Daniel Freedman (UTMB Office of Biostatistics), and Dr. Richard Wagner (UTMB Department of Dermatology). All are welcome to attend this presentation in the UTMB Dermatology Conference Room, 4.112 McCullough Building. It is the only Dermatology Honors Research Project scheduled for presentation during the 2011-2012 academic year.

American Board of Dermatology (ABD) Changes Policy on Board Eligibility

According to the February 2012 issue of Dermatology World (page 29), as of January 1, 2012, residents completing an approved dermatology residency will not be allowed to take the ABD certification examination more than 5 years following their training. However, the ABD reserves the right to grant a brief extension in the event of military deployment or catastrophic illness at their discretion. This new policy will generally serve to prohibit dermatology residency graduates who have not passed the certification examination within 5 years of completion to claim being “board eligible.” This new rule will also apply to subspecialty fellows that have certification examinations available.

Neurotoxins and Fillers Remain Popular With Patients

According to a recent article by Kim Painter in USA Today (please see http://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/healthyperspective/post/2012-02-10/plastic-surgery-numbers-rise-with-economy-stay-below-peak/624550/1 ), in 2011 Americans had outpatient procedures such as neurotoxin injection (5.7 million), fillers (1.9 million), peels (1.1 million), hair removal (1.1 million) and microdermabrasion (900,000) performed. The UTMB Dermatology Residency Program is fortunate to have premier cosmetic dermatologist, Dr. Erica Kelly on faculty because of her subspecialty interest and expertise in this area. UTMB dermatology residents learn these techniques during their three years of dermatology residency in Galveston, and are able to offer them immediately to patients when they begin to practice independently.

The UTMB DIG presents "Stay Shady!" to Odyssey Academy

A huge thank you to UTMB DIG Community Outreach Co-Chairs, André Pitt (MS2, right) and Ryan Riahi (MS4, middle), and UTMB DIG member, Jeremy Hall (MS2, left), for bringing our new and improved "Stay Shady!" presentation to Odyssey Academy in Galveston this morning. They taught sixty 4th graders about the importance of sun safety.


After the presentations, students made UV bead bracelets. The UV beads change colors when exposed to UV rays, reminding the students that their skin is being affected by the sun. Additionally, each student was given sunscreen and a pamphlet summarizing key points of the presentation to share with family and friends.

Thank you, Odyssey Academy, for hosting the UTMB DIG and for being such a wonderful audience!

Dr. Brent Kelly Named as Inaugural Holder of Professorship

Dr. Brent Kelly, Associate Professor of Dermatology at UTMB, was named as the inaugural holder of the A. Dearl Dotson Providential Distinguished Professor in Dermatology. It was established by former UTMB medical student, dermatology resident and dermatology faculty member, A. Dearl Dotson, MD (now in private dermatology practice in San Antonio) “…for the purpose of sustaining excellence in clinical teaching in the Department of Dermatology.” Thank you, Dr. Dotson, and congratulations, Dr. Kelly!

Academic Characteristics of 2012 Outside Dermatology Applicants Interviewed at UTMB

UTMB medical students considering dermatology as a career are interested in feedback about how competitive their applications would be at other programs. One way to evaluate competitiveness is through comparison with outside applicants who recently completed dermatology interviewing at UTMB for our 3 NRMP dermatology residency positions. The 21 (out of 25 invited) outside applicants completing interviews last week had a mean Step 1 score of 252 (236-265). For the 11 applicants submitting Step 2 scores, the mean score was 260 (251-274). Only one applicant had a Step 3 score (228). All but one were selected for AOA at their medical schools. They were from 14 medical schools located in 10 states.

Overall, UTMB interviewed 30 applicants for the 3 available positions, including 4 of our own students and 5 outside applicants who were interviewed in November. There was only one visiting medical student this academic year. We will learn who matched with our program on Friday, March 16th. Good luck to everyone who interviewed with us!

"Stay Shady!": Looking for Volunteers

The UTMB DIG is looking for volunteers to present our sun protection presentation, "Stay Shady!," to Odyssey Academy's 4th grade classes.

When: Tuesday, February 7th, 10:30-11:15am
Where: Odyssey Academy (2412 61st Street, Galveston, TX 77551)

This is always a fun event! Interested in participating? Please email Rebecca Philips (rcphilip@utmb.edu).

CNN Report Critical of American Board of Dermatology (ABD) Certification Examination

CNN reported that the ABD uses previous examination questions on its certification examination (see http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/03/health/doctor-cheating-dermatology/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 for the full report). According to this article, about 20% of previously used test questions appear on the current dermatology certification examination. One solution to this criticism is for the ABD to cease using all old questions on its certification examination immediately. Each year a new examination could be prepared and administered. Alternatively, the ABD could publish all of its test questions with an answer key after each examination as a “study guide” for those preparing for the next test. That way, if the ABD decides to reuse previous questions, all test takers would have an equal opportunity to prepare for the test. Regardless of its decision, the ABD needs to act quickly to protect dermatology residents from this type of criticism.

UTMB Dermatology Resident Accepts Dermatopathology Fellowship at UT Southwestern

Congratulations to Dr. Mara Dacso, a current PGY3 dermatology resident at UTMB. Dr. Dacso has accepted a dermatopathology fellowship at highly prestigious UT Southwestern (Dallas) for the 2013-2014 academic year, following her completion of dermatology residency at UTMB.

Dermatology UTMB Summer Research Program Opportunity for MS1

Dr. Wilkerson has a dermatology laboratory position available for a first year UTMB medical student from May 27th to June 29th. His laboratory research involves basic science studies about nanoparticles and the skin. Cell culture techniques, mutagenicity assays and electron microscopy imaging are used to study nanoparticles and their impact on cell viability. UTMB DIG members participating in this type of research have been able to present posters at national meetings and use this type of research as a topic for their UTMB Honors Research Program in Dermatology. Students interested in learning more about this unique research opportunity should contact Dr. Wilkerson at mgwilker@utmb.edu

National Concern About Dermatopathology Workforce Impacts UTMB Dermatopathology Fellowship

There is growing national concern that too many dermatopathologists are being trained for the current job market (Suwattee P, et al. Dermatopathology workforce in the United States: A survey. J Am Acad Dermatol 2011;65:1180). UTMB Dermatopathology has recently announced that it will decrease the number of dermatopathology fellows it trains from two to one, beginning in the 2013-2014 academic year.