Robert S. Tausend, MD (1955-2021)

The UTMB Department of Dermatology was deeply saddened to learn that Dr. Robert Tausend suddenly passed away on January 1, 2021.

He was well known to our medical students and dermatology residents, and he always welcomed them to learn about dermatology in his private practice (Bayshore Dermatology) in Pasadena, Texas. Many UTMB medical students interested in dermatology careers greatly benefited from having Dr. Tausend mentor them during the 4-week Ambulatory and Community Medicine Selective graduation requirement. He was the UTMB AOA Visiting Professor in 2015.

2021 UTMB Dermatopathology Board Review Canceled

Unfortunately, due to the current COVID-19 emergency, the spring 2021 UTMB Dermatopathology Board Review has been canceled. It was last held on the UTMB Galveston campus in 2019.

2021-2022 Proposed UTMB House Staff Salaries

 

ASLMS Student Membership

ASLMS (American Society for Laser Medicine & Surgery, Inc.), the world’s largest professional organization devoted to medical laser and energy-based applications, offers a student membership which includes a free Introduction to Laser course with special rates on live interactive webinars. Interested students can find more information here. 

Weather Disaster Does Not Stop UTMB DIG from Distributing Hats to Galveston Homeless

The sun is back in Galveston after many here lost electric power and water due to the arctic snow and ice. Today’s event was a success! We distributed 10 hats and some bottled Gatorade. Attached is the picture of the event. 

From left to right: Benjamin Garcia (MS2), Xavier Rice (MS3), Puja Shah (MS1), and Andrea Francis (MS2)

UTMB National Student Research Forum (NSRF) Goes Virtual in 2021

Medical students and residents are encouraged to participate in the 62nd Annual NSRF. This year the meeting is being held on May 14-15. Abstracts are due April 16, 2021, but are already being submitted. Early registration by March 3 will save registrants $25. Please see https://www.utmb.edu/nsrf/ for additional information. Historically dermatology awards are made for the best dermatology poster and the best dermatology podium presentation.

UTMB SOM Graduates Create The Bone Window Blog

2020 UTMB School of Medicine graduates Drs. Catherine and Wade Karam, resident physicians who couples matched into radiology and orthopedic surgery, created a blog to share advice to pre-med students, medical students, and residents about their journey through medicine. Blog posts include advice on away rotations, ranking programs, and couples matching. Students can follow along at their website here or follow them on Instagram at @thebonewindow.

Changes for UTMB 2021 Match Day

Match day is March 19, 2021 but only UTMB MS4s will attend due to COVID-19 (no guests). Please see https://www.utmb.edu/som/student-affairs/match-day.

Many MS4s are expected to celebrate remotely and not be on campus.

No Houston Rodeo This Year

The 2021 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo initially scheduled for May 2021 has been canceled due to COVID-19.

Congratulations Mohs Team

Current UTMB Mohs Fellow Dr. Julie Croley published a surgical tip that will be useful to clinicians about how to easily determine if the amount of undermining needed to close a wound meets the new criteria for complex closure. Her co-authors were Drs. Richard Wagner (UTMB Mohs Fellowship Director) and Aaron Joseph, UTMB Associate Program Director of the Mohs Fellowship Program. For additional information, please see:

Croley JA, Wagner RF Jr, Joseph AK. Use of a Cotton-Tipped Applicator to Measure the Extent of Undermining. Dermatol Surg. 2021 Jan 11. doi: 10.1097/DSS.0000000000002854. Online ahead of print. PMID: 33481432 No abstract available.

Step 2 CS Discontinued

On January 26, 2021, the USMLE announced that they are cancelling plans to relaunch a modified Step 2 Clinical Skills exam due to the COVID-19 pandemic and have decided to permanently discontinue Step 2 CS. In the statement, the USMLE states: "We have no plans to bring back Step 2 CS, but we intend to take this opportunity to focus on working with our colleagues in medical education and at the state medical boards to determine innovative ways to assess clinical skills." 

Link to the official announcement can be found here.

UTMB PGY3 Dermatology Residents Win Poster Competition

Congratulations to UTMB PGY3 Dermatology residents Drs. Morgan Arnold and Paige Hoyer for winning first place for their poster, “Clinical and Dermoscopic Improvement of Cutaneous Collagenous Vasculopathy with IPL” awarded at the 2021 ARTE (Advanced Resident Training and Education) Poster Competition at ODAC (Orlando Dermatology Aesthetic & Clinical Conference). Their coauthors on the poster were UTMB faculty Dr. Brandon Goodwin and Dr. Janice Wilson and MS4 Elise Weisert. 

January 2021 Hats for the Homeless

Thanks to all of our DIG volunteers for making our January 2021 Hats for the Homeless program a success!

From left the right: Will Meyer (MS2), Olivia Arriaza (MS1), Lilly Villarreal (MS2), and Andrea Francis (MS2)

UTMB MS2 Presents Stay Shady at Trinity Episcopal

UTMB DIG continues virtual "Stay Shady" presentations amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you to MS2 Andrea Francis, who presented Stay Shady to the students of Trinity Episcopal school on January 8th. 

 

Dermatology Residency Applications with No Step 1 Score

Dermatology Online Journal (2020, Volume 26, Issue 12) has published an interesting article of particular interest to medical students who will apply to dermatology residency programs without a Step 1 score (see https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4k1570vj ). In addition to traditional selections factors, the authors also include “the extras” on applications including, “Past   experiences   such   as   being   class   president, engaging in Step 1 tutoring, receiving the Gold    Humanism    Honor    Society    (GHHS)    award,    starting    a    nonprofit    organization,    obtaining    a    Masters  of  Public  Health  degree,  or  having  had  an  entirely  different  career  before  coming  to  medical  school …” as important.

How Burnout Impacts Dermatology Resident Career Choice

 Bottom line: “Residents with higher levels of burnout reported they were significantly less likely to pursue academia, full-time work, clinical research, and fellowships after residency. The results showed opposite effects for residents with higher qualities of life.” See https://escholarship.org/uc/item/26v1h7gc for additional information about this survey (DOJ Volume 26, Issue 12)

Continued Accreditation for All UTMB Dermatology Programs

The ACGME Review Committee for Dermatology met this month and determined that all three of UTMB‘s Dermatology Graduate Education Programs in dermatology, dermatopathology, and micrographic surgery/dermatologic oncology receive continued accreditation. The ACGME reviews every residency program in the United States every year.

Volunteers Needed for January St. Vincent's Dermatology Night

Five student volunteers are still needed for St. Vincent's Dermatology Night on January 7 starting at 5:30 pm. Interested volunteers may sign up here.

Hats for the Homeless Program Continues into 2021

UTMB MS2 Andrea Francis is organizing the Hats for the Homeless Program in Galveston during 2021. The current scheduled dates for this volunteer activity (7:50 am to 9 am) are:

1/16/2021

2/20/2021

3/6/2021

4/3/2021

5/15/2021

6/12/2021

 

Please contact her if you would like to participate!

UTMB PGY3 Dermatology Resident Receives Prestigious Thayer Award

Congratulations to UTMB PGY3 Dermatology Resident Dr. Paige Hoyer for her recent receipt of the fall 2020 UTMB Thayer Award for Excellence in Teaching. This recognition is sponsored by the John P. McGovern Academy of Oslerian Medicine and is awarded to residents and fellows nominated by medical students and selected by Osler Student Scholars. More information about this award is available at https://www.utmb.edu/osler/awards/thayer-award-for-excellence

Thayer Award for Excellence - utmb.edu William S. Thayer, M.D. William S. Thayer was born in Milton, Massachusetts and received his B.A. in 1885, and his M.D. in 1889, both from Harvard University. www.utmb.edu

Value of Mentorship and “Pipeline/Enrichment Programs” for Under-represented Minority Dermatology Applicants

JAAD 2020;83(6):1770-1773 presents data supporting the potential advantage of mentorship and “Pipeline/Enrichment Programs” for minority dermatology applicants. It was based on interviews conducted on dermatology applicants who applied to UT-Southwestern during two different application cycles.

2021 Galveston Mardi Gras Celebration Canceled

Due to COVID-19 there not be a Mardi Gras celebration in Galveston during 2021. New Orleans has also canceled its Mardi Gras parades.

Upcoming Dermatology Conferences

American Contact Dermatitis Society

Meeting Date: 3/17-18/21

Abstract link: https://www.contactderm.org/.../acds.../abstract-submission

Deadline for Abstracts: 1/3/2021

Atlantic Dermatology Conference

Meeting Date: 4/9-11/21

Abstract link: https://atlanticdermconference.org/call-for-abstracts/

Deadline for Abstracts: 1/4/2021

American Society for Laser Medicine & Surgery

Meeting Date: 4/24-25/21

Abstract link: https://www.aslms.org/annual-conference-2021/for-abstracts

Deadline for Abstracts: 1/10/21

American College of Mohs Surgery

Meeting Date: 5/6-9/21

Abstract link: https://www.mohscollege.org/.../2021-annual-meeting...

Deadline for Abstracts: 1/11/2021

Society for Investigative Dermatology

Meeting Date: 5/3-8/21

Abstract link: https://www.sidannualmeeting.org/abs.../abstract-submission/

Deadline for Abstracts: 1/5/21

Dr. Michael Wilkerson Named New UTMB Department of Dermatology Chair

Congratulations Dr. Wilkerson on you appointment as the UTMB Dermatology Chair effective January 1, 2021. We all look forward to working with you!

AAMC Concerned about Residency Interview Distribution

The AAMC has issued an open letter about their concern about interview distribution this year:
 
“We are seeing students in the highest tier receiving a larger number of interviews per person than in past years, leaving other students – including those in the middle of the class – with fewer interviews than we would anticipate based on their qualifications.”
 
For the entire letter, please see: https://www.aamc.org/media/50291/download?utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ERAS&utm_content=Interviews
 
Although not specifically addressed to dermatology applicants, it may apply.

100% Nine Years in a Row

All of the UTMB 2020 completing dermatology residents have passed the Certification Examination given by the American Board of Dermatology in October, and are now board certified dermatologists. Congratulations to Drs. Arathi Rana, Skyler Maher, Adam Nguyen, and Julie Croley on this outstanding achievement!

All UTMB Dermatology Residents Pass ABD CORE Exams on First Attempt

Congratulations to all of UTMB’s PGY4 dermatology residents for passing the 4 American Board of Dermatology CORE examinations in general dermatology, pediatric dermatology, Dermatologic surgery, and dermatopathology on their first attempt! They were in the first group of residents required by the ABD to pass these exams in order to be eligible to take the ABD Certification Examination following anticipated program completion in June 2021. The CORE examinations are given in January, July, and November. PGY3 dermatology residents are eligible to take their first CORE Exams in January 2021. More than 1 CORE exam may be taken on the same testing date.

UTMB DIG Presents Another Successful Stay Shady

UTMB DIG has continued to combat in-person restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic by presenting its Stay Shady skin cancer education program virtually. Thank you to UTMB MS1 Fareen Momin for presenting Stay Shady virtually to the 5th grade students at Trinity Episcopal school on Thursday, December 10.                                   

Hats for the Homeless a Success

UTMB medical students led by MS2 Andrea Francis began distributing hats to Galveston homeless on Saturday December 12, 2020. Ten hats were distributed during the first session, and recipients were taught strategies to avoid sunlight damage to their skin while outdoors during the day. This group has 90 more hats to distribute with initial grant funding from a 2020 UTMB President’s Cabinet Award. Dr. Richard Wagner, UTMB Dermatology Program Director, is Ms. Francis’s faculty sponsor for this grant and her related Quality Improvement Dermatology Honors Research project.

Inaugural UTMB participants from left to right: Nesiya Sheriff (MS1), Fareen Momin (MS1), Andrea Francis (MS2), and Lillianne Villarreal (MS2)

Dermatology Research Year Available at Johns Hopkins

Medical students interested in a clinical research year (or two) starting July 1 in the area of Transplant Dermatology and Cutaneous Oncology should contact Courtney Elcock at celcock1@jhmi.edu for more information. MS3, MS4, and MS5 are being considered.

UTMB Matches with 2021-2022 Mohs Fellow

Congratulations to Dr. Kristyna Gleghorn for matching into the UTMB Fellowship in Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology (Mohs) for the upcoming 2021-2022 academic year. Dr. Gleghorn is currently a PGY4 Dermatology Chief Resident at UTMB, where she also went to medical school. Her Fellowship Director is Dr. Richard Wagner, Professor Dermatology at UTMB, and her Associate Program Director is Dr. Aaron Joseph, Clinical Associate Professor of Dermatology at UTMB.

UTMB PGY3 Dermatology Resident Appointed to ASDS Work Group

Congratulations to Dr. Paige Hoyer for her recent appointment to a Work Group for the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) through 2023. She will work as a resident member of the ASDS Media Work Group. This Work Group is charged to ”Develop strategies to drive awareness and engagement in the society’s social media.”

UTMB Dermatology PGY2 Board Certified in Pediatrics

 Congratulations to UTMB PGY2 dermatology resident Dr. Ayezel Munoz for her recent board certification in pediatrics!

UTMB has Three 2020 Texas Dermatology Super Doctors!

Congratulations to 3 dermatology faculty who were recently named 2020
Texas Super Doctors at UTMB. Congratulations to Drs. Sharon Raimer (Legacy Member Super Doctor), Brent Kelly, and Erica Kelly for this well-deserved recognition!

Baylor Dermatology Chair Honored by UTMB

John E. Wolf, MD, MA, UTMB SOM class of 1965, has been named an Ashbel Smith Distinguished Alumnus.

This award is the highest honor bestowed by the university's School of Medicine Alumni Association and recognizes UTMB alumni for their outstanding service to the medical profession and to humanity. Congratulations Dr. Wolf!

Outside Applicants Invited for UTMB Dermatology Interview

This years outside applicants came from 22 medical schools in 12 states and countries and included 3 rotators from 3 different medical schools. Their mean Step 1 score (required) was 246 (range 202-266) and their mean Step 2 score (not required) was 256 (range 227-274). 18 were members of AOA.

UTMB MS3 Publication in JAAD Case Reports

Congratulations to MS3 Michael Phan for his publication "Ulcerative injection-site reaction associated with dupilumab therapy". His co-authors are PGY3 Dr. Anthony Linfante and UTMB Faculty Dr. Kathleen Kroger. The link to the publication can be found here. 

Join Us for Our Next Let's Talk Skin of Color Event

Join UTMB Dermatology Interest Group this Saturday, December 5th, 2020 at 10:00am-11:30am CST via zoom where we will be hearing from a panel of residents who have successfully matched into Dermatology. We will discuss an array of topics, including but not limited to how to successfully match into a dermatology program, life as a resident/intern, and the importance of diversity and inclusion in the field of dermatology. If you have specific questions that you would like to submit in advance, please submit them via the following link: https://forms.gle/vEuS314EP9Joyi876

You may join this Saturday's event by using the following zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/93549607734?pwd=bU1TOGdkS2JDUDUwcXZLOEtxRExYdz09

Please feel free to invite any friends or colleagues that you feel may benefit from this event. We look forward to seeing you all! 

UTMB PGY3 Dermatology Resident Receives ASDS Committee Appointment

Please congratulate Dr. Caroline Hagan for her recent invitation to participate as a resident member of the ASDS Patient Education Work Group. This Group works to “Develop strategies and tools for educating patients on  dermatologic surgery procedures/treatment options.”

Dr. Caroline Hagan Appointed to AAD Committee

Congratulations to Dr. Caroline Hagan, and current PGY3 dermatology resident at UTMB. She was recently appointed as a resident member of the American Academy of Dermatology Organizational Structure Committee beginning in March 2021 for a 2 year term. This committee is responsible for advising the AAD BOD about any changes to the organization.