Didactics
Medplex Dermatology Clinic: This clinic, operated by residents under attending supervision, is held on Mondays, Wednesday afternoons, and Friday mornings. The clinic offers comprehensive training of general and surgical dermatology in both the adult and pediatric population. Residents are able to diagnose, treat, and follow the course of dermatological disease in patients assigned to their clinic. Continuity of care enables residents to get a better understanding of treatment outcomes and the natural course of diseases in dermatology. Direct supervision is provided by attendings and guidance regarding diagnosis and treatment is provided when necessary.
VA Dermatology Clinic: This clinic, operated by residents under attending supervision, is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The primary focus is on skin cancer prevention and treatment, however a variety of skin conditions in the adult veteran population are treated. Continuity of care is maintained for each resident, allowing them to follow patients throughout the course of their disease. Comprehensive surgical training is provided via a combination of didactic, demonstrative, and hands-on experiences. Many surgical techniques are also demonstrated at a conference using surgical skin models given by the chief of surgery, allowing residents to get hands-on practice. Residents are the primary surgeons for all cases. Skin cancer surgery, chemical peels, and other surgical procedures are performed by the resident in mentored surgical suites. Residents progress from performing simple excisions, electrosurgery and cryosurgery to larger and more complex procedures requiring advanced repair techniques including reconstruction with flaps and grafts. Proper patient selection and pre- and post-operative care of the surgical patient are also taught.
Consultation Services: Residents of all levels operate a consult service on evenings and weekends covering the Medplex, VA, Le Bonheur, and Methodist hospitals beginning midway through the first year. In the second year of training, each resident participates in 6 months of weekday inpatient consultation at the VA hospital with direct attending supervision. During the third year of training, each resident participates in 6 months of weekday inpatient consultation services covering the Medplex and Methodist hospitals. Patients are initially evaluated by the resident, who then presents each case to the attending dermatologist on service.
Clinical Image Conference: Unknown clinical images are presented to residents in an interactive format held weekly. Residents gain proficiency in pattern recognition and clinical description of both pediatric and adult dermatological diseases.
Journal Club: Residents and faculty critically review pertinent literature relating to adult and pediatric topics in dermatology during a casual weekly conference.
Phototherapy Clinic: First year residents become proficient in the delivery of ultraviolet radiation for treatment of various dermatological diseases. Phototherapy clinic is held three times weekly and is staffed by first year residents. Each resident is required to learn how to operate broadband and narrowband UVB and UVA phototherapy devices and to run efficiently a busy phototherapy clinic unit. Patients from the dermatology residents’ continuity clinics are referred for phototherapy for treatment of a wide variety of skin disorders.
Wednesday Noon Conference: This conference for residents covers weekly assigned readings from one of the major general dermatology texts. Residents review clinical images pertinent to the assigned reading and often complete practice board review questions pertaining to the material. Readings are frequently from Dermatology (Bolognia), and Genodermatoses: A Clinical Guide to Genetic Skin Disorders.
Grand Rounds: Weekly conferences at which speakers from the Division, from other Departments or Divisions of the University of Tennessee, or extramural speakers from local, regional and national sites are invited to lecture on a wide array of topics to supplement the educational mission of the Dermatology Resident Training Program.
Thursday Morning Dermatopathology Conference: The dermatopathology fellow reviews important histologic findings pertaining to the weeks assigned reading from Skin Pathology by David Weedon in the form of kodachromes, powerpoint presentation, or video.
Weekly Independent Dermatopathology Slide Review: Approximately 15-20 slides are selected by a faculty member and given to the residents for a Tuesday afternoon resident-only study session at the multi-headed microscope. The slides are then discussed with the faculty member later in the same week at the Thursday afternoon pathology conference.
Monthly Unknown Dermatopathology Conference: Once each month, the residents formally present their independent analysis of several unknown slides to Dr. Slominsky, a dermatopahtologist who has selected the slides from the most current interesting cases submitted to his laboratory.
Thursday Afternoon Dermatopathology Conference: Dermatopathology faculty present residents with unknown slides of cases pertaining to the weeks assigned reading from Skin Pathology by David Weedon at the multi-headed microscope. This is often accompanied by lectures on various topics in dermatopathology given by the faculty via a variety of formats.
Wednesday morning/Friday afternoon self-study: Residents are given this time to pursue academic activities of their choice. During these times, residents can rotate with other clinical faculty to gain further experience in areas of dermatology such as Mohs micrographic surgery, cosmetic dermatology, or general dermatology in the private setting. Residents can also use this time for self-directed study and board preparation.
Extramural Educational Activities:
1. Each year the PGY2 and PGY3 residents are sponsored by the Division of Dermatology to attend “Introduction to Cutaneous Biology,” a two day course offered by the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis. This course, conducted by the Department of Dermatology at Indiana University, exposes residents to renowned faculty from Indiana University and beyond. The basic sciences are extensively covered as well as many other pertinent topics in dermatology.
2. All residents are sponsored by the Division of Dermatology to attend either the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology or the Summer Academy Meeting every year of their training. All residents attend the basic science course entitled “Structure and Function of the Skin." Other courses are selected based on individual resident interests.
3. All residents are invited to attend monthly or bimonthly meetings of the Tennessee Dermatology Society. Speakers discuss a variety of current topics in dermatology and CME credit if offered to dermatology physicians in the community. Meetings are held at various restaurants in the Memphis area and give local dermatologists and residents a chance to meet in a casual yet educational setting.
4. All residents attend the Annual Meeting of the Tennessee Dermatology Society held at alternating locations in west, middle, and east Tennessee. This annual meeting allows dermatologists and residents from all across the state a chance to receive continuing medical education via guest lecturers speaking on a variety of current topics in dermatology.
5. Residents are invited to attend the Internal Medicine Grand Rounds series presented every Wednesday morning. Renowned speakers from around the U.S. give provide excellent lectures on a variety of topics pertaining to internal medicine.
|
