UTMB Creates Blue-Ribbon Panel

According to the Sunday February 2, 2014 issue of the Galveston County Daily News (Laura Elder, "UTMB creates blue-ribbon panel after CFO scandal," pages A1, A3), UTMB has named a 7 member panel "...to review the medical branch's investigation practices and procedures and how it handles requests for public information and records." The members of this new panel are: Shauna Johnson Clark (Norton Rose Fulbright), Ann S. Masal (DRDA), Thomas J. Perich (Andrews & Kurth), Leon J. Leach (MDA), Dr. Lawrence Sowers (Chair, Department of Pharmacology UTMB), Dr. Barbara Thompson (Chair, Department of Family Medicine, UTMB), and Julie Cantini (UTMB).

As a reminder: DIG@UTMB Blog co-editor is conducting a short anonymous survey study that will pop-up when the blog is accessed. For direct access to the survey: http://www.rationalsurvey.com/s/10928.Your participation would be much appreciated!  

Camp Discovery: Call for Applications

Camp Discovery is a program supported by the American Academy of Dermatology. It is a one week summer camp experience, where young people ages 8-16 with a chronic skin condition come together to participate in fun camp activities. It also offers volunteers to learn more about the effects of dermatological conditions as you interact and work with these patients. For more information, please email Janine Meuller, jmueller@aad.org

Applications for this opportunity are now available (deadline: April 11, 2014)

http://www.aad.org/forms/CampDiscoveryVolunteerApplication/Default.aspx

As a reminder: DIG@UTMB Blog co-editor is conducting a short anonymous survey study that will pop-up when the blog is accessed. For direct access to the survey: http://www.rationalsurvey.com/s/10928.Your participation would be much appreciated! 

Teen Center 2014 Health Fair: Volunteers needed

DIG is looking for volunteers to help spread awareness on sun protection and skin cancer at a Community-Wide Health Fair on 2/8 from 9am-1pm. This annual event is located at the Boys & Girls Club 4420 Ave P Galveston, Texas 77550. Please email our Community Outreach Chair (dhmac@utmb.edu) if you would like to help out. This is a great way for students interested in dermatology to get involved!

As a reminder: DIG@UTMB Blog co-editor is conducting a short anonymous survey study that will pop-up when the blog is accessed. For direct access to the survey: http://www.rationalsurvey.com/s/10928.Your participation would be much appreciated! 

More Details About Houston Dermatology Osteopathic Residency Program

More details are available here ( http://opportunities.osteopathic.org/search/search_details.cfm?program_id=328842&hosp_id=328841&returnPage=1) about the new TCOM Dermatology Osteopathic Residency Program in Houston.

As a reminder: DIG@UTMB Blog co-editor is conducting a short anonymous survey study that will pop-up when the blog is accessed. For direct access to the survey: http://www.rationalsurvey.com/s/10928.Your participation would be much appreciated! 

TCOM Expands Osteopathic Dermatology Residency Programs in Texas

The Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM) has recently announced plans to expand its Fort Worth/Dallas dermatology residency program to south Texas (see http://web.unthsc.edu/info/200215/graduate_medical_education/1515/dermatology). This program uses a problem-based learning approach to teach residents about dermatology. Only osteopathic school graduates may apply for osteopathic dermatology residency programs.

As a reminder: DIG@UTMB Blog co-editor is conducting a short anonymous survey study that will pop-up when the blog is accessed. For direct access to the survey: http://www.rationalsurvey.com/s/10928.Your participation would be much appreciated!

LSU Shreveport Establishes Peer-Reviewed Journal for Medical Student Research

UTMB medical students with an interest in medical publication should be aware of a new online peer-reviewed medical journal from LSU Shreveport. Additional information about this academic publication, The American Medical Student Research Journal, is available at http://www.amsrj.org/index.php?journal=amsrj 

As a reminder: DIG@UTMB Blog co-editor is conducting a short anonymous survey study that will pop-up when the blog is accessed. For direct access to the survey: http://www.rationalsurvey.com/s/10928

Your participation would be much appreciated!

UTMB Dermatology Expands Administrative Rolls for PGY4 Chief Residents

Starting the 2014-2015 academic year, our UTMB dermatology chief residents will serve in 4 distinct administrative functions. The scheduling resident and academic resident for resident education will be retained as in past years, and two additional positions (academic resident for medical student education and quality assurance/improvement resident). It is a UTMB tradition that all of the incoming chief residents meet and decide what resident will be assigned to each role during their final year of dermatology training.

As a reminder: DIG@UTMB Blog co-editor is conducting a short anonymous survey study that will pop -up when the blog is accessed. For direct access to the survey: http://www.rationalsurvey.com/s/10928. Your participation would be much appreciated!

UTMB Dermatology PGY-3’s Honors Research Project Published

Congratulations to Dr. Lindsey Hunter-Ellul, PGY-3 UTMB Dermatology Resident, for the recent publication of her basic science research, “Is the Photosuturing Agent, Rose Bengal, a Mutagen?” in the Journal of Cosmetics, Dermatological Sciences and Applications. Dr. Hunter-Ellul received summa cum laude honors for her medical student research in dermatology, in addition to the UTMB Dean’s Award for Research Excellence in 2011. Her co-authors on this project include, Michael Wilkerson, M.D., UTMB Professor of Dermatology, Jeffrey Wickliffe, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, and Shuguang Wang, Ph.D. Department of Department of Global Environ-mental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana.

The article can be accessed at: http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=42585#.UugpHvnnbDc

L. Hunter-Ellul, S. Wang, J. Wickliffe and M. Wilkerson, "Is the Photosuturing Agent, Rose Bengal, a Mutagen?," Journal of Cosmetics, Dermatological Sciences and Applications, Vol. 4 No. 1, 2014, pp. 24-30. doi: 10.4236/jcdsa.2014.41004.

Dermatology Night at St. Vincent's Clinic on 1/28 Cancelled!

Due to the inclement weather, St. Vincent's clinic will be cancelled tonight. The patients will be rescheduled into a dermatology clinic at St. Vincent's on a future date.

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

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

When: Tuesday, January 28th 4:30-8:30pm

Faculty: Dr. Sharon Raimer

We anticipate more than 20 patients, so your help would be much appreciated!

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

New York Times Article Critical about Dermatology Costs

This article from last weekend begs for further analysis: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/19/health/patients-costs-skyrocket-specialists-incomes-soar.html?_r=1

UTMB Dermatopathology Selects 2015-2016 Dermatopathology Fellow

Congratulations to Dr. Michael Sedrak, a current PGY4 UTMB pathology resident, who has accepted one of the two available UTMB dermatopathology fellowship positions for the 2015 - 2016 academic year. Dr. Sedrak plans on completing a surgical pathology fellowship at UTMB before beginning dermatopathology fellowship.

DIG Vice-President Publishes Case Report

Congratulations to UTMB MS4 and Dermatology Interest Group Vice-President William Tausend for his recent publication, “Primary Amyloidosis-induced Nail Dystrophy.” This case report was published in the Dermatology Online Journal (20(1): 6). This article can be found at http://escholarship.org/uc/item/96m531vj. William’s co-authors on this paper were Dr. Megan Neill (UTMB PGY-4 Dermatology Resident) and Dr. Brent Kelly (Associate Professor of Dermatology and Dermatopathology at UTMB).

Another Article About Tzanck Smear Diagnosis from UTMB Dermatology

Congratulations to Drs. Ryan Riahi, Mika Yamazaki and Brent Kelly for their excellent case report about the diagnosis of scrotal Hailey-Hailey disease through a diagnostic Tzanck smear cytopathology examination. This paper was published in the peer-reviewed dermatology journal, The International Journal of Dermatology (“Tzanck smear utilized in the diagnosis of Hailey-Hailey disease mimicking genital herpes,” 2014;53:85-87). Dr. Riahi is currently a PGY2 dermatology resident at LSU in New Orleans, Louisiana and Dr. Yamazaki is in private dermatology practice in Hawaii following completion of her dermatology residency at UTMB. Dr. Brent Kelly is an Associate Professor of Dermatology at UTMB and the Director of the UTMB Dermatopathology Service.

UTMB Proposes Pay Raise for House Staff on July 1, 2014

This proposed salary increase still needs approval by the UT System Board of Regents:

UTMB Receives Funding for Additional PGY1 Residency Positions

In an effort to provide enough residency programs for Texas Medical Students to remain in our state for residency training, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has provided funding for additional PGY1 residencies in primary care and some specialties (anesthesiology and psychiatry). UTMB is one of the 7 Texas institutions will benefit from this new funding source for postgraduate medical education.

Procrastination is the Enemy of Success

Procrastination can stand in the way of academic success. Dr. Kathleen Franco offers some sound advice about how to prevent procrastination from adversely impacting your career goals:

http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/medical-school-admissions-doctor/2013/11/20/think-like-a-physician-to-avoid-procrastinating-in-medical-school

Do Dermatology Residents Need More Tests?

Dermatology residents are typically tested once during each academic year, during the scheduled in-service examination developed by the American Board of Dermatology. Is one test enough? A recent study reported in the New York Times and reprinted by the Houston Chronicle (Study: Frequent tests can enhance college learning, November 29, 2013, page A28) suggests that more frequent testing could be beneficial to learning. Purdue psychology students who took a short quiz every class based on assigned reading and lecture material improved their performance. The testing also incorporated previous questions that students had answered incorrectly. 

UTMB MS4 Publishes Original Manuscript about Acne in Media

Congratulations to UTMB MS4 Adrian Subrt for his recent publication, “Comparative depictions of acne vulgaris in movies and in animated television cartoons.” This original research was published in the Journal of Medicine and Movies (2013;9:178-187). His article is available at http://revistamedicinacine.usal.es/index.php/volumenes/volumen9/num4/766 . Adrian’s co-author on this research is Dr. Richard Wagner (UTMB dermatology faculty). The original concept for this research developed from a class assignment in Dr. Wagner’s popular film class, DERU-4007 (Skin Diseases Depicted in Film). Several of Dr. Wagner’s students have now gone on to publish manuscripts related to their class work about skin diseases, dermatology and media.

Medical Economics Reports on Dermatology Salaries

According to Medical Economics (http://medicaleconomics.modernmedicine.com/medical-economics/news/physician-owners-take-6-pay-cut-2012-other-incomes-relatively-flat-survey-say) dermatologists averaged $360,000 in salary last year (the median was $313,000). Only cardiologists ($381,000), surgeons ($374,000) and urologists ($388,000) had higher average salaries according to this survey. The average salary for plastic surgeons was $345,000.

Texas Medical Board Limits Use of Local Anesthesia in Many Dermatology Offices

During the December 2013 meeting of the Texas Medical Board, new rules related to office based level I anesthesia were adopted. Use of local anesthesia that exceeds 50% of the recommended safe dose is now level II and requires additional patient monitoring. However, Mohs micrographic surgery is exempted under the new rule.

 

CHAPTER 192. OFFICE BASED ANESTHESIA

 

22 TAC §192.1

 

The amendment adds language providing that except as provided by §192.2(b)(9), the administration of certain local anesthesia, peripheral nerve blocks, or both in a total dosage amount that exceeds 50 percent of the recommended maximum safe dosage per outpatient visit is a level II service, in accordance with SB 978 (83rd Reg. Session).

 

22 TAC §192.2

 

The amendment revises language in subsection (b)(1) providing that rules under Chapter 192 do not apply to outpatient settings in which only local anesthesia, peripheral nerve blocks, or both are used in a total dosage amount that does not exceed 50 percent of the recommended maximum safe dosage per outpatient visit, in accordance with SB 978 (83rd Reg. Session).  Additionally, new subsection (b)(9) is added, providing that the rules under Chapter 192 do not apply to the performance of Mohs micrographic surgery.

New York Times Article Criticizes Current Resident Surgeon Work Hour Rules

According to New York Times physician writer Dr. Pauline W. Chen (Are Today’s New Surgeons Unprepared? New York Times, December 12, 2013) the current limitation of physician work hours during surgical residency is having unintended consequences. In her well researched article, Dr. Chen presents substantial evidence that well intended regulations by the ACGME have adversely impacted the clinical proficiency of many new surgeons. Unfortunately, the solution for this problem is not currently known. A link to this article can be found below.  http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/12/are-todays-new-surgeons-unprepared/?emc=eta1&_r=0

Is the Dream of Solo Dermatology Private Practice Over?

Many dermatology residents aspire to establishing a solo private dermatology practice once they complete residency training. This type of practice setting will become less likely according to an article in the December 2013 issue of Houston Medical Journal (Physicians’ Forum: Solo physician practice on the decline, pages 7 and 10). Steve Sanders, the CEO of Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital is quoted, “Solo practice isn't dead, but it’s on its last legs.” Expanded regulatory requirements and higher administrative costs were cited by this article as factors for the expectation that solo private practice will decline.

Dr. Neda Nosrati’s Published Dermatology Resident Scholarly Project Update

Dr. Nosrati received an email from the Journal of Cosmetics, Dermatological Sciences and Applications (JCDSA) about her dermatology resident scholarly project paper that was published in 2012. Her original clinical research paper, “Efficacy of Nd:YAG laser for the Treatment of Hidradenitis Suppurativa”  has been downloaded 620 times. The journal’s editorial assistant, Kimberly Garcia wrote, “It proves to be one of the most popular papers in the journal. Congratulations!” Dr. Nosrati’s coauthors on this research were Drs. Lindsey Hunter (current PGY3 UTMB dermatology resident) and Dr. Erica Kelly (UTMB dermatology faculty). This paper may be read online at: http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=20122

Dr. Nosrati is currently in private dermatology practice in Bellaire, Texas.

Dermatology Residency Update Information from Annual JAMA Medical Education Issue

Every year JAMA publishes an issue devoted to medical education. Data from the December 4, 2013 issue (page 2329) about dermatology residency includes the following:

 

Number of dermatology residency programs: 114

 

Number of dermatology residents: 1191 (95.4% USMDs, 64.4% female)

DIG participation at St. Vincent Well-Fair on Nov 9, 2013

On November 9, 2014 DIG members volunteered at the St. Vincent’s Well-Fair to educate the local community members on the ABCDs of skin cancer and sun protection as part of DIG’s Stay Shady Project. We gave out sunscreen samples, skin moisturizers, and educational brochures at the event to encourage sunscreen use. Many participants at the fair had expressed confusion as to who can get skin cancer and what exactly are the ABCDs of skin cancer. They were very appreciative of DIG volunteers for the education and for clarifying their confusion. Special thanks to DIG volunteers: (pictured) Dung Mac (MS2), Suhas Kochat (MS1), William Tausend (MS4), and Alexandra Martirossian (MS1, not pictured).

How did the UTMB dermatology residents score in the top 70th percentile on dermatology boards this year?

The UTMB dermatology residents scored in the top 70^th percentile on the dermatology boards this year. We recently asked the recent graduates what they did to score so well and if they could identify anything about the UTMB dermatology residency that helped them achieve this academic excellence.

“I think it is hard to pinpoint exactly what prepared us for this test...we have so much clinical exposure in our clinics at UTMB that I think that is #1. I think our Friday academic day was important (Kodachromes in particular). My suggestion regarding journal club would be to read through “Journal Watch”, they publish the Top 10 "stories" of the year and also list the 10 most important/impactful articles). It would be great to definitely read and analyze those articles as a group.  The other residents and read those together this year and I think it helped. DermPath unknowns (I think we stress DermPath quite a bit in our program which came in very handy on the boards). The two board review courses that I attended really helped as well (Galderma Review in Dallas and Barron's DermPath review in Cincinnatti, OH).”

“I don't think there is one thing in particular that helped us to score well on the boards, however I do think that the academic curriculum at UTMB is very strong, and this has been demonstrated over the years with the program's very low fail-rate on the boards over the years. I have always thought that giving lectures in your third year is one of the best ways to solidify your knowledge (after learning the material for the 3rd time - "see one, do one, teach one" method). I also think our faculty members were very helpful in gearing their lectures and teaching sessions toward high yield and board-relevant material. A lot of the studying comes down to your own methods and integrating all of the materials you have. I think a combination of Galderma, referencing (and studying) Bolognia, looking at as many clinical photos as possible (including the AAD kodochrome database on the website), and doing tons and tons of practice questions worked best for me. Also, I attended several review courses including the Galderma course in April and the Dermpath100 course in Ohio. It was helpful to get a sense of the types of questions and topics that were high yield (as well as those topics that I was weaker in). All in all, I don't think there is a "magic bullet" for this test. It really comes down to how prepared you are to choose the "best" answer on the exam, as well as stamina to do hundreds of questions in one day. I don't think anyone felt super confident after this exam, which shows you that it really is variable.”

“I agree with my fellow residents, however, I didn't attend any of the extra review courses, which made me nervous I was missing out, but I think we are prepared well enough. I personally didn't want to spend the money on the reviews and travel and it was difficult to be away from my family.  But, yes, Galderma binder, lots of review questions, clinical reading and presentations throughout residency. Reviewing lots of slides (UTMB has large study sets).”

Thank you for your very useful information!

DIG member attends Innovations in Dermatological Sciences Conference

On November 19, 2013 DIG member, Dung Mac (MS2), attended the Innovations in Dermatological Sciences Conference hosted by Rutgers University in East Brunswick, New Jersey. There were numerous topics for discussion including optical nanoparticles (Dr. Rox Anderson), toxicology of nanoparticle (Dr. Nancy Monteiro-Riviere), the utilization of nanomaterials for the diagnosis and treatment of skin disease (Dr. Adam Friedman), drug delivery with nanospheres (Dr. Bozena Michniak-Kohn), StrataGraft tissue as an alternate to autografting deep partial thickness burns (Dr. Cathy Rasmussen), alopecia areata (Dr. Angela Christiano), treatment of dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa intravenously with recombinant collagen 7 (Dr. Mark de Souza), and soy skin care products (Dr. Miri Seiberg).

Is skin a portal for nanoparticle exposure? How can nanoparticle be used to deliver drugs through the skin? In Dr. Monteiro-Riviere’s talk, it was discovered that the majority of nanoparticles do not penetrate past the epidermis layer. In Dr. Michniak-Kohn’s talk, the development of a novel nanoparticle, Tyrosphere, could be used as a delivery system for lipophilic drugs across the skin. Although currently, tyrosphere particles do not penetrate past the epidermis, it was demonstrated that they continually release drug into deeper layers of the skin (increasing the solubility of candidate drugs by as much as 5000 fold without penetration to the vasculature).

What are the developments in optical nanoparticles? Dr. Anderson discussed how gold-antibody nanoparticles could be used to target CD8 lymphocytes and selectively kill them with a laser pulse.  This provided the potential for novel tumor therapy. Additionally, recent development in tattoo removal uses microencapsulated soluble pigments that could serve as an alternative to tattoo ink. These pigments have the benefit of being readily degraded with a laser without scarring. Dr. Anderson also spoke about the use of silica core coated with gold particles that are used to selectively target sebaceous glands and damage them with laser, hinting at a possible use for acne treatment.

UTMB Dermatology Invites 30 Medical Students from Outside Institutions to Interview for Dermatology Residency Positions

From over 400 dermatology residency applications received this year, the UTMB Department of Dermatology has selected 30 medical students to interview in late January 2014 for the 4 dermatology residency positions available through the upcoming 2014 NRMP match. Of the selected students, 29 will receive an MD degree by 2014, while one will receive a DO degree. Students from 17 different medical and osteopathic schools were invited to interview, including every school in Texas and Louisiana. Twenty five of these applicants were AOA members. Their Step 1 scores ranged from to 235 to 273 (mean 252, median 250, mode 250). One applicant will complete a pediatric residency in 2014. Additional applicants were placed on the waiting list, and will be notified if an opportunity for an interview becomes available.

In addition to these 30 invitations to interview, all 7 applying UTMB students and house staff were invited to interview with the department on December 6, 2013. Six visiting medical and osteopathic students who took a clinical rotation at UTMB during the 2013-2014 academic year were also interviewed for a dermatology residency position at the time of their summer or fall rotation in Galveston.

Dr. Julie Martin Publishes UTMB Dermatology Residency Scholarly Project

Dr. Julie Martin, currently in private dermatology practice in Austin, recently published her scholarly project entitled, “Dermatology Procedural and Surgical Skills Workshop for Medical and Physician Assistant Students,” in the Journal of Cosmetics, Dermatological Sciences and Applications (JCDSA, Volume 3, Number 3A2, 2013). Her coauthors on this educational research were UTMB MS4 DIG President Sheila Jalalat and Dr. Richard Wagner from the UTMB Department of Dermatology. This open access publication is available at: http://www.scirp.org/journal/JCDSA/ ( http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/jcdsa.2013.33A2011  ).

Dr. Martin completed three years of general surgery residency at UTMB before taking a one year fellowship in cutaneous oncology at Harvard and then starting dermatology residency at UTMB. She completed her dermatology residency at UTMB in June 2013.

Dermatology Research: Ways to Get Involved

Students interested in dermatology often ask how to get involved with research. Dr. Tyring’s clinical research fellow has given us some recommendations on ways students can find dermatology research opportunities:

1. Many faculty members have research opportunities for medical students but it must be sought out. A better approach may be meeting dermatology faculty at interest meetings, rotations, and inquiring in person or by email.
2. On 3rd/4th year medicine or ICU rotations patients will present with interesting dermatological complaints that can be written up as case reports. Express interest to your attending/resident that you would like to write your patient up.
3. Enroll in research elective during 4th year (details in previous DIG@UTMB blog post)
4. While generally reserved for residents, medical students can present patients at conferences (ie. Texas Dermatological Society meetings) if there is space and time available.
5. Some students applying to dermatology will elect to take a year off for research to make their application more competitive. Before considering this, talk to a mentor who can give you a realistic idea if you will match into dermatology given your current stats or if taking a year to conduct research would be beneficial.
6. Dr. Tyring is happy to have students rotate with him for a month to work in both his private clinic and do research.
1. His email address is styring@ccstexas.com. Just this year they had one UTMB medical student write and publish a paper in a major dermatology journal. It was accepted, too! Another student rotating for a month wrote a paper that was also recently accepted, helped input data for a project that residents were already working on, and presented a poster at the Texas Dermatological Society meeting.
2. Students can also contact Dr. Tyring’s clinical research fellow at cdowning@ccstexas.com to inquire about any projects. 

DIG would like to thank Dr. Tyring’s research clinical fellow for providing all of this helpful information!

UTMB Dermatology to Interview Internal Candidates for Residency Positions

UTMB Dermatology will interview all of its internal applicants for a dermatology residency position on Friday morning, December 6th. Invited to this interview are current UTMB MS4 ERAS applicants as well as ERAS applicants from within UTMB who have already graduated from medical school.

UTMB Dermatology Resident selected to serve as a member of AAD's Residents/Fellows Committee

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Lindsey Hunter-Ellul, UTMB PGY-3 Dermatology Resident, was recently appointed to serve as a member of the American Academy of Dermatology's (AAD) Residents/Fellows Committee from 2014-2016. This committee serves to support the interests of and address issues of concern to residents and fellows in training during post-graduate education.

Lack of Research Interest Among Medical Students Investigated

Researchers at King Edward Medical University in Pakistan conducted a case-controlled study in 2007 at their institution with MS4s about why some medical students were not interested in research. They found that student attitudes of considering research useless (odds ratio 4.570) and lack of internet facilities (odds ratio 0.218) were statistically significant. However, further research is needed to determine why some of their medical students view research as useless. This article, “Factors contributing to lack of interest in research among medical students,” was published in Advances in Medical Education and Practice 2013;4:237-243.

UTMB DIG President Publishes Dermatology Education Article

Congratulations to UTMB MS4 Dermatology Interest Group (DIG) President, Sheila Jalalat on her new publication, “Medical student dermatology interest groups,” that was published in the September-October issue of Clinics in Dermatology (31:656-60. doi: 10.1016/j.clindermatol.2013.02.001). Her coauthors on this paper were Drs. Lindsey Hunter-Ellul, a second year dermatology resident at UTMB and Dr. Richard Wagner, UTMB dermatology program director. The abstract for this article is available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24079594 and the entire article is currently available at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0738081X

DIGA Posts Dermatology Residency Interview Calendar

As in past years, DIGA (Dermatology Interest Group Association) has posted a calendar and additional program information for the current dermatology match. It is available at: http://interviews.derminterest.org/ UTMB participated in the request for interview information, and our interview dates for nonrotating outside applicants (January 30 or January 31) are listed along with other participating programs. This calendar is especially useful for applicants trying to avoid interview conflicts, as it is often difficult to change an interview date once it is set.

Dr. Nate Davis Publishes UTMB Dermatology Residency Scholarly Project

Dr. Nate Davis, currently in private dermatology practice in Corpus Christi, recently published his scholarly project entitled, “Dermatology Resident Generated Textbook Questions as a Resident-centered Educational Strategy,” in the Journal of Cosmetics, Dermatological Sciences and Applications (JCDSA), Vol.3 No.3B, 2013). His coauthors on this educational research were Kimberly Cooper, UTMB Dermatology Residency Program Coordinator, and Drs. Erica Kelly, Sharon Raimer, and Richard Wagner from the UTMB Department of Dermatology. This open access article is currently available at: http://www.scirp.org/journal/JCDSA/ Dr. Davis’ UTMB residency group (Drs. Nate Davis, Ashley Group and Neda Nosrati) was the first from our medical school to have everyone in the class publish their scholarly project!

Medical School Graduates Without a Residency Offer an Increasing Concern

Atul Nakhasi, a medical student at Johns Hopkins, published an opinion piece in the October 31, 2013 Wall Street Journal (One Quick Fix to Ease the Coming Doctor Shortage, page A15). He reported that last year, 1761 MDs could not find residency positions. He thinks this situation may become worse as more US medical schools are opening (a 30% increase in the number of first year medical students by 2017) coupled with less federal funding for residency education (proposed $11 billion budget cut over the next 10 years).

Should Standardized Test Scores be Included in CV?

Should residency applicants include their Step scores in job resumes? How about MCAT scores, or going back further, SAT/ACT scores? The December 2013 issue of Kiplinger's published an interesting article by Knight Kiplinger (A College Degree Isn't Enough, page 16). Some applicants are now including their GRE scores to demonstrate that their GPAs are not inflated and that they are intellectually capable of doing the work demanded by employers. This article also mentions that some references provided by applicants are not reliable.