Dermatology Conferences

1. Basic Science Instruction: A one hour weekly conference covers basic anatomy, cutaneous physiology, biochemistry, photobiology, cytokines and inflammatory mediators, immunobiology, genetics, infectious agents, superantigens, cutaneous pharmacology, pathophysiology of the basement membrane, and other topics fundamental to the study of dermatology. A faculty member will be present for each conference, however the conferences will be prepared by and given by the residents.

2. Journal Club: Each month four journals are reviewed. The Archives of Dermatology, The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, and Dermatologic Surgery will be reviewed. The goals of journal club will be to learn about new aspects and advances in dermatology and to read the literature in a critical fashion.

3. Dermatopathology Didactic Instruction: A formal course is held weekly to instruct our residents in the basics and nuances of dermatopathology. The goal is to teach the resident to function independently in dermatopathology.

4. Dermatopathology CPC: Each week following Journal Club the residents and attendings review selected (interesting) cases from the prior week by comparing clinical photos and case histories with pathology slides

5. Unknowns/ Kodachromes: This is a weekly conference following CPC. A member of the faculty presents 6-12 challenging cases for differential diagnosis. Residents are called upon to describe lesions, formulate a differential diagnosis, and prune the differential to their favored diagnosis.

6. Dermatology professor's rounds / Grand Rounds: Held monthly, this conference begins with live patient presentations. A written protocol is presented for each patient brought to professor's rounds and photos are obtained. All patients are seen in the dermatology clinic space. Following this the conference is held in our conference room. Residents are called upon to offer descriptions and differential diagnoses. The history and pathology from the case are then reviewed, the diagnosis (when applicable) is presented, and suggestions for treatment are entertained. As a teaching exercise for the resident this conference is invaluable. It allows the resident to grow as a clinician and diagnostician. The conference is also useful to our faculty and community physicians, allowing for the presentation of challenging cases for diagnosis and treatment.

7: Professional Meetings: The residents will receive an annual stipend of $750.00 to attend the professional meeting of their choice, and they will be allowed time for one national meeting annually. In addition residents will be encouraged to attend our local dermatology meetings (Vermont Dermatologic Society and our Winter Dermatology Conference) free of charge.

In summary residents will be active participants in numerous conferences designed to educate them in all aspects of clinical dermatology and in the basic science underlying the disease mechanisms. The formats chosen for our conferences allow for independent thought, self learning, and didactic training. Attending physicians will be held responsible for insuring a high quality of education, while relying heavily on resident input. We believe that the addition of residents to our program will further elevate what we feel is already an active and thoughtful academic environment.

Application: Starting with the position available July 2005, the entering PGY-2 resident will apply through the ERAS/NRMP service and candidates will be interviewed on site. Residents will be selected through the NRMP.