“Likability” Key Factor in Getting Hired

According to Kimberly Thompson, a columnist (“Career Rescue”) for the Houston Chronicle ("Likability factor can win the interview," October 14, 2015, p. 6), some job candidates are not liked by their interviewers. “Unlikability” usually translates into no job offer.  Unliked applicants may come across as too focused on their past achievements and goals. Thompson also noted that nonverbal communication plays a role in likability. Applicant facial expressions and posture may help to create a poor first impression.  Thompson advises that likability begins with self-awareness. Self-awareness may be hard to achieve, but practice interviews and candid feedback may help applicants develop more insight about their interactions with others. Often the employer's priority interest is hiring a qualified applicant who “…is easy to get along with and who works well with others.”

UTMB Internal Dermatology Residency Applicants Interview Date

The UTMB Department of Dermatology will offer optional interviews for all UTMB MS4s applying to dermatology residency on Friday morning, December 4, 2015. In the past, most UTMB internal applicants have taken advantage of this opportunity to formally interview at their home program. UTMB dermatology residents often offer internal applicants feedback and offer interviewing tips following this process that may be valuable at upcoming outside interviews.

UTMB Department of Dermatology Welcomes Nurse Practitioner

Ms. Stephanie Kemmerling, BSN, MSN, FNP-C has recently been hired by the UTMB Department of Dermatology as a Clinical Specialist. She sees dermatology patients at the UTMB Bay Colony Clinic. Ms. Kemmerling received her nursing education at Lamar University (BSN 2006) and UTHSC (MSN 2010) and previously provided care for dermatology patients in Austin, Texas at a private dermatology practice.

2015 American Board of Dermatology Certification Test Results for UTMB Dermatology

All 4 UTMB dermatology residents who completed training in 2015 passed the American Board of Dermatology (ABD) Certification Examination (“Boards”) on their first attempt. According to ABD analysis of UTMB’s test results, our dermatology residency program scored in the 90^th percentile overall compared to 121 other programs. Only 1.2% of first time test takers failed the certification exam in 2015.

Tips on Presenting at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology

The chance of acceptance for presentation by the AAD at its annual meeting for medical students and others depends on the format selected for submission. Over 90% of posters submitted are accepted for electronic presentation (and publication in the abstract book). However, only about 50% of case reports submitted to the Gross and Microscopic Symposium are accepted.

Dermatology Residents Panel Recap

DIG hosted a Dermatology Residents Panel on Sept 30, 2015. We received valuable advices and insights from several of the UTMB dermatology residents (Drs. Phillips, Wilson, Schepp, Pierson and Tausend) regarding dermatology residency preparation and interview. DIG would like to thank the UTMB dermatology residents for meeting with us. For a recap of this meeting, please see link below:

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1X_P-TTWEkiWnZDNEdWUGlzajg/view?usp=sharing

Event Reminder: Walk to Cure Psoriasis on Oct 10th, 2015

The UTMB DIG will be participating in the National Psoriasis Foundation’s “Walk to Cure Psoriasis” on October 10, 2015 in Houston, TX! We’ve set a team fundraising goal of $250.00 and would greatly appreciate it if YOU helped us reach our goal by joining our team and walking with us or by donating to our team! In order to support our efforts, follow these steps:

1. Go to: http://npf.donordrive.com/team/utmbdig15
2. Click “Join Our Team” to join the UTMB DIG group and walk with us!
3. Click “Support Us” to donate and select or enter a donation amount to make your donation to the UTMB DIG group.

Here are the details of the walk:
Where: Discovery Green Park, 1500 McKinney, Houston, Texas 77010
When: Saturday, October 10, 2015
Check-In: 8:00AM
Walk Begins: 9:00AM
Distance: 1K and 5K walks

Please contact UTMB DIG member Ngoc Mui (uqmui@utmb.edu) or Katherine Tinkey (kttinkey@utmb.edu) for questions and/or concerns regarding the walk!

DIG Volunteers at League City Fair

On Sept 26^th, DIG members volunteered at the Hometown Heroes Park Community Health Fair in League City, TX. We offered education on sun protection and melanoma awareness. Numerous questions regarding sunscreen, SPF, and other aspects of sun protection were answered at the fair. We also provided generous samples of sunscreen (courtesy of Dr. Tausend) and skin moisturizers for the fair participants. Thanks to DIG members for your hard work and to Dr. Robert S. Tausend for the sunscreens!

DIG Volunteers: (Left to Right) Paige Hoyer (MS2), Julie Croley (MS4), Tara Akunna (MS2), Ngoc Mui (MS4), and Dung Mac (MS4)

Dermatology Night at St. Vincent’s Clinic on Oct 1st, 2015

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

When: Thursday, Oct 1st, 5:30-9PM (volunteers should arrive at 5:15)
Where: St. Vincent's House, 2817 Post Office Street, Galveston, Texas 77550
Volunteer link: http://www.stvsc.org/index.php/students/

Upcoming DIG Meeting: Dermatology Residents Panel on Sept 30th

Join the Dermatology Interest Group (DIG) for a panel discussion featuring UTMB dermatology residents as they share their experiences and advice about the preparring for a career in dermatology, the process of applying to dermatology residency, interviews, and what it is like to be a dermatology resident.

Date & time:  September 30th at 5:30-6:30 pm

Location: Dermatology Conference Room 4.112 McCullough Building

Texas Dermatological Society Fall Meeting 2015

TDS will be holding its Annual Fall Meeting on October 23- 24 in Lubbock, TX.  Medical students are eligible to register and attend this event at no cost. Simply complete the registration form (see link below), select the Resident Member options, and email to Sylvia Hall (sylvia.hall@texmed.org). Indicate in the email that you are a medical student.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1X_P-TTWEkibThOZm41Z1Z2Rzg/view?usp=sharing

You can also register online via the link below:

http://texasdermatology.org/tds-meetings/2014-tds-fall-conference/

Be sure to choose the Resident’s $0 option at payment screen. Check your email for confirmation of the registration (it may be in your junk box).

UTMB Dermatology Residents Receive Dermatology Jackets and Scrubs

The UTMB Department of Dermatology has purchased jackets (black) and personalized blue scrubs (blue sky) for the current 12 dermatology residents. Requesting faculty also received personalized blue scrubs. Each jacket has the “Department of Dermatology” and UTMB’s logo. Watch for them around campus! Blue scrubs in the dermatology clinic will help patients identify dermatology faculty and residents during procedural time.

Norman D. Guzick, MD (1937-2015)

The UTMB Department of Dermatology was sad to recently learn about the death of Dr. Norman Guzick following a brief illness. Dr. Guzick graduated from UTMB SOM in 1972 and completed dermatology residency in Houston at Baylor in 1976. Throughout the years he benefited our department by sharing his astute clinical insights. He is best remembered for attending the weekly TDCJ clinic with our dermatology residents and medical students. In 2006 he was the first to receive the Dermatology Resident Award for Excellent Dermatology Faculty Teaching by a Community Dermatologist, an award created in his honor. We will all miss learning from this seasoned Texas dermatologist. Additional details and service information is available at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/houstonchronicle/obituary.aspx?n=norman-guzick&pid=175853989&fhid=7433

Community Health Fair in League City on Sept 26th, 2015

DIG will be participating in the upcoming Hometown Heroes Park Community Health Fair in League City, TX. We will be offering education on sun protection as well as melanoma awareness! We are looking for volunteers to help us with the event. Please use the link below to sign up for the fair as well as to indicate when you can be there!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1E-0oGCC9C90G3wjwGNZlgexCYTOQV89mq4l1kpnRoAE/edit?usp=sharing

Where: Hometown Heroes Park. 2105 Dickinson Ave, League City

When: Saturday, September 26, 2015, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Please contact UTMB DIG members Tim Allen (tirallen2@utmb.edu) or Tara Akunna (taakunna@utmb.edu) for questions and/or concerns regarding the event! 

UTMB PGY4 Dermatology Resident Publishes Second Article in JAAD

The UTMB DIG once again has the pleasure to recognize UTMB dermatology resident, Dr. H. Malone for her second Surgical Pearl published in JAAD. The article is it titled, “Temporary ear to cheek suture technique for improved posterior ear surgical access,” and it relates to a Mohs wound reconstruction performed on the Mohs service earlier this year when Dr. Malone was on the required three month PGY3 Mohs rotation at UTMB. Her co-author on this article was Dr. Richard Wagner, the UTMB dermatology program director, and director of the Mohs service at UTMB. The article is available at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190962215018538  (doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2015.06.047)

Walk to Cure Psoriasis on October 10, 2015

The UTMB DIG will be participating in the National Psoriasis Foundation’s “Walk to Cure Psoriasis” on October 10, 2015 in Houston, TX! We’ve set a team fundraising goal of $250.00 and would greatly appreciate it if YOU helped us reach our goal by joining our team and walking with us or by donating to our team! In order to support our efforts, follow these steps:

1. Go to: http://npf.donordrive.com/team/utmbdig15
2. Click “Join Our Team” to join the UTMB DIG group and walk with us!
3. Click “Support Us” to donate and select or enter a donation amount to make your donation to the UTMB DIG group.

Here are the details of the walk:

Where: Discovery Green Park, 1500 McKinney, Houston, Texas 77010
When: Saturday, October 10, 2015
Check-In: 8:00AM
Walk Begins: 9:00AM
Distance: 1K and 5K walks

Please contact UTMB DIG member Ngoc Mui (uqmui@utmb.edu) or Katherine Tinkey (kttinkey@utmb.edu) for questions and/or concerns regarding the walk!

Meeting Recap from 09/02/15 Talk with the Director, Dr. Wagner

UTMB DIG had a successful first meeting on Sept 02, 2015, which was also our annual Talk with the Director, Q and A session.  For a summary of the Q and A with Dr. Wagner, see below link.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1X_P-TTWEkiR1o0VUpjVVpvcWM

Other items on the agenda included:

1.     St. Vincents derm night- Occurs first Thurs of every month. Sign up via volunteer spot http://www.stvsc.org/index.php/students/

2.     League City Fair on 9/26- DIG will be participating in this fair.

3.     Psoriasis Walk on 10/10- DIG will be fundraising for this event.

4.     Q and A session with dermatology residents- tentative date is 09/30

UTMB Dermatology Residents Pass American Board of Dermatology Certification Exam on First Attempt

Congratulations to UTMB's recently graduated PGY4 dermatology residents, Drs. Audra Clos, Brandon Goodwin, Lindsey Hunter-Ellul, and Tanya Trynosky. They all passed the Certification Examination given by the American Board of Dermatology (ABD) this past July on their first attempt. They are all now a Diplomates of the American Board of Dermatology! Please congratulate them when you see them for this high academic achievement in dermatology! Graduating UTMB dermatology residents have a 100% pass rate for the past 4 years on their first attempt.

Latest UTMB Dermatology Department Publication a Collaborative Effort with UTMB Plastic Surgery

A combined effort between the UTMB Division of Plastic Surgery and the UTMB Department of Dermatology has resulted in a peer-reviewed publication. UTMB PGY4 plastic surgery resident Dr. Stephanie Nemir combined her expertise with former UTMB dermatology chief resident Dr. Lindsey Hunter-Ellul, 2016 incoming UTMB dermatology resident Dr. Vlad Codrea, and UTMB dermatology faculty Dr. Richard Wagner in their case report, “Reconstruction of a large anterior ear defect after Mohs micrographic surgery with a cartilage graft and postauricular revolving door flap.” The article was published in the open access journal, Case Reports in Dermatological Medicine, Volume 2015, Article ID 484819, 5 pages, doi:10.1155/2015/484819. Their article is available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/484819

New Medical Director for UTMB Dermatology Clinics

Dr. Ashley Group has accepted medical directorship of the UTMB Dermatology Clinics. She replaces Dr. Michael Wilkerson in this departmental role. We wish Dr. Group good luck in her new leadership role! Dr. Wilkerson will continue in his departmental role as Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs. He has also become a Co-Director of the POM2 course given to second year UTMB medical students.

Annual DIG “Talk with the Director” Meeting on 09/02/15

The UTMB Dermatology Interest Group will be holding our first meeting on 09/02 (Wed) at 5-6PM. Our guest speaker for this meeting is Dr. Richard Wagner, the UTMB Dermatology Residency Director. It is an informal Q and A session; where you can ask the director any questions you have regarding how to be competitive for a dermatology residency. Other topics for discussion include how to be involved in dermatology and how to take a year off to do research. Don’t miss out this highly informative session!

When: Wednesday, 9/02/15, 5PM-6PM
Where: Dermatology conference room, 4.112 McCullough Building (Not sure where this is located? Meet us at MOD café in the library at 4:45pm and we can take you there)

In order to make the Q and A more efficient, please post your questions for Dr. Wagner to the following link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1abcDsmlasSxL4tqZy6051ilpJSbe4xnHieoDrtBNFfU/edit?usp=sharing

UTMB DIG Officer Receives Herzog Awards

Congratulations to DIG president, Dung Mac (MS4), for receiving the Herzog Awards. This competitive scholarship (established by funds from the Carl J. Herzog Foundation endowment) supports outstanding students with plans for further education in the Clinical Science Graduate Program that indicate great promise for future contributions to clinical research. Dung Mac will be taking a year off from medical school to obtain a Masters in Clinical Sciences as part of the MD-MS dual degree program at UTMB. His research will be focused on Porphyria Cutanea Tarda (PCT).

Upcoming Dermatology Night at St. Vincent's Clinic

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

When: Thursday, Sept 3rd, 5:30-9PM (volunteers should arrive at 5:15)
Where: St. Vincent's House, 2817 Post Office Street, Galveston, Texas 77550
Volunteer link: http://www.stvsc.org/index.php/students/

Dr. C. Helen Malone Publishes Article in JAAD

The UTMB DIG congratulates UTMB PGY4 dermatology resident, Dr. Helen Malone for her original publication, “Recreation of the alar crease with the inverted horizontal mattress suture technique.” Her online article is available at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190962215017429 . Her co-author was Dr. R. Wagner (UTMB Dermatology Program Director). During her three month Mohs rotation that was completed in June 2015, Dr. Malone submitted two additional surgical articles that have already been accepted for publication in the JAAD, and abstracts for two posters at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology. In addition, she wrote two interesting case reports that related to unusual aspects of skin cancer she saw while on the Mohs service, one of which has already been submitted for publication. Two MS4 UTMB medical students were mentored by Dr. Malone during the Mohs rotation, one of whom is the first author of a case report, and the other is the first author of an academic review about skin flaps (both manuscripts are currently in preparation). One of these medical students is also assisting Dr. Malone with her dermatology residency program required scholarly projected that relates to improving dermatology resident education in Mohs wound repair with skin flaps.

Will I Pass My Specialty Certification Exam in Dermatology? Lessons Learned from US Pediatric Residency Programs

Applicants to residency programs rightly focus on program board certification examination pass rate. Many program characteristics are considered. A recently published educational study provides insight into key features of pediatric residency programs with high pass rates on their specialty certification examination (Atsawarungruangkit A. Residency program characteristics that are associated with pass rate of the American Board of Pediatrics certifying exam. Advances in Medical Education and Practice, 2015, 6:517-524 , http://www.dovepress.com/articles.php?article_id=23157 ) The author found that three elements of the residency program predicted high success rates on the certification examination by multivariate analysis: “ratio of full-time equivalent paid faculty to positions, percentage of US medical graduates, and average hours per week of regularly scheduled lectures or conferences.” This finding may help to explain the high board certification pass rate in US dermatology residencies, since most US dermatology residencies typically share the features of successful pediatric residency programs.

UTMB Dermatology Selects New Text for Dermatology Students

The UTMB Department of Dermatology has selected a new text (Clinical Dermatology by Drs. Carol Soutor and Maria Hordinsky) for use in UTMB dermatology MS3 and MS4 clinical electives and selectives during the 2015-2016 academic year. One nice feature for rotating medical students in our dermatology department is that they are not required to buy dermatology books and related materials. All of the needed academic material for all of our rotations may be borrowed by students from the dermatology lending library. Thank you UTMB Dermatology for keeping student costs low!

American Skin Association offers Competitive Research Grants to Medical Students

Competitive research funding for medical students in dermatology is scarce. However, one reliable funding source for medical student dermatology research in a melanoma and/or nonmelanoma skin cancer research funding is the American Skin Association (ASA). The ASA student research grants are for $7000. Complete applications must be submitted by the October 1, 2015 deadline. Only one student grant application is permitted per institution. Additional grant application information is available at the ASA web site ( americanskin.org ). Medical students interested in applying for this grant from UTMB should speak to their faculty mentor about their research idea, because support letters from the faculty mentor and department chair are needed as part of the grant application.

UTMB Hosts Famous Medical Speaker

On Thursday at noon (Research Building #6, 1.206 Auditorium), August 6, 2015 UTMB will host Dr. Thomas P. Stossel from Harvard Medical School and a Visiting Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. His lecture is entitled,

“Is the Medical Products Industry criminal – and are its physician partners delinquent children?” Everyone on campus is invited to attend.

New Student Center Announced at Jennie Sealy Hospital

In the Sunday, August 2, 2015 issue of the Galveston Daily News, John Wayne Ferguson reported that UTMB students and residents will soon benefit from an entire 5th floor at the new Jennie Sealy Hospital dedicated to their clinical education. The Siebel Students Center is expected to open in 2016.

Dermatology Night at St. Vincent’s Clinic on August 6th, 2015

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

When: Thursday, August 6th, 5:30-9PM (volunteers should arrive at 5:15)
Where: St. Vincent's House, 2817 Post Office Street, Galveston, Texas 77550
Volunteer link: http://www.stvsc.org/index.php/students/

UTMB Dermatology Clinic Recognized for High Patient Satisfaction

The UHC Dermatology clinic was presented the "Always Award" for the third quarter of 2015. UTMB dermatology faculty, residents, and staff work very hard to improve Patient Satisfaction and this university recognition is well-deserved!

LCME Gives UTMB SOM Good Grades

The results of the LCME (Liaison Committee on Medical Education) report from their December 2014 site visit at UTMB has resulted in full accreditation for UTMB over the next 8 years! This is another objective demonstration that UTMB is offering outstanding medical education to our medical students!

Second Dermatology Research Honors Project Approved!

Congratulations to Uyen "Ngoc" Mui for  her recently approved UTMB Dermatology Honors Research Project entitled, "Consumer's understanding of sunscreen and factors that affect their purchase."

Her dermatology faculty mentor on this research is Dr. Ashley Group.

Record Number of Visiting MS4 Medical Students Enroll in UTMB Dermatology Electives during 2015

The UTMB Registrar’s Office is reporting that 8 MS4s  plan on taking dermatology electives at UTMB this academic year. They are from other Texas medical schools and one is visiting from out of state. The UTMB DIG welcomes you and predicts that you will enjoy your clinical rotations in Galveston. You may want to stay here for dermatology residency! Our program offers broad exposure across the entire specialty of dermatology, with faculty expertise in many areas. UTMB dermatology residents are well prepared for their certification examination and professional practice. UTMB currently accepts 4 new dermatology residents each year through the NRMP.

Get a Head Start on Residency at UTMB

UTMB requires that all new house staff (residents and fellows) complete 6 Institute for Healthcare Improvement  (IHI)Quality Improvement Modules 101-106 at the beginning of training. Applicants who hope to work at UTMB in the future as a resident or a fellow can complete these units as a medical student and the credit will transfer, so this requirement will not need to be repeated. Medical students are encouraged to complete all of the available units, and receive a certificate from IHI. Such by recognition by IHI would communicate  expertise, commitment, and interest in Quality Improvement (an ACGME residency program priority) of an applicant to potential future residency programs.

UTMB Derm Secret: Getting BSHS Selective Writing Credit for DERU-4004

DERU-4004 (Dermatologic Basic Science, see http://ar.utmb.edu/BSHSselectives/bdisplay.asp?rec=122 ) is an option that is available as a dermatology Selective that will meet UTMB’s Basic Science and Humanities Selective writing requirement for MS4s. It is often taken by UTMB students who have been accepted into the UTMB Dermatology Honors Research Program, because the required proposal for our institutional honors committee is multidisciplinary and has to be reviewed by this group of select academic scholars before approval is given. The UTMB derm secret is that approved honors student research proposals meet the writing requirement for

DERU-4004. Dr. Richard Wagner, the UTMB Dermatology Program Director and DIG Faculty Advisor is the course director of DERU-4004. Students taking DERU-4004 use the time during this 4 week Selective period to gather research data on their project, analyze data and write their honors  thesis. Please contact him directly if you are interested in receiving graduation credit for your honors research proposal.

Latecomers: Recognition of a Professional Disruptive Behavior?

Wall Street Journal reporter Sue Shellenbarger published an insightful article in the Wednesday, July 8, 2015 edition ("Don't Be Late or You'll Be a Schedule-Wrecker", pages D1, D3). It is recommended reading for everyone who attends scheduled meetings. Tardiness to scheduled meetings and clinics can be disruptive to many others, and the habit can spread, negatively impact group morale, and diminish the effectiveness of an organization. Laura Stack, a productivity trainer and news source for the article, advised "...starting meetings on time and refusing to bring late arrivals up to speed on what they missed." For an example about how tardiness to scheduled meetings disrupts others, if 10 timely co-workers wait 10 minutes for a latecomer to arrive, the work group has jointly wasted almost 2 hours their workday (110 minutes), time that could be better used during the rest of the day.

How I Spent my 2015 Summer Vacation

UTMB MS4 Neil Jackson (left) is collecting data at a local Galveston beach for his UTMB Dermatology Honors Research Program. His thesis is entitled, “Understanding Ultraviolet Radiation Dorsal Foot Injury at the Beach,” and his faculty mentor is Dr. Richard Wagner, the UTMB Dermatology Program Director. UTMB MS2 Tim Allen (right) is collaborating on this research as a research surveyor. Mr. Jackson is the only UTMB MS4 for the 2015-2016 academic year with an approved dermatology research honors project.

UTMB PGY3 Dermatology Resident Recognized

Congratulations to Dr. Amber Gill, a current PGY3 dermatology resident who was recognized in UTMB’s June 2015 issue (page 9) of “Health System Friday Focus.” 
Dr. Gill’s “shout out” was from a positive UHC comment: “Dr. Amber Gil seems very attuned to questions and answers are easy to understand.” 
Congratulations Dr. Gill for this recognition!

Dermatology Night at St. Vincent’s Clinic on July 2nd, 2015

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

When: Thursday, July 2nd, 5:30-9PM (volunteers should arrive at 5:15)
Where: St. Vincent's House, 2817 Post Office Street, Galveston, Texas 77550
Volunteer link: http://www.stvsc.org/index.php/students/