Dermatopathology Fellowship Program

The UTMB Dermatopathology Fellowship Program accepts two new trainees each year for a one-year fellowship. The program is fully accredited by the American Boards of Pathology and Dermatology and is administered by the Departments of Dermatology and Pathology. Trainees attend conferences listed in the schedules of both departments, act as consultants for residents and faculty of both departments, and participate in the teaching of dermatology and pathology residents with review and interpretation of dermatopathology cases.

Fellows acquire special competence in this subspecialty in order to pursue a career in academia or private practice. Supervision is conducted by the faculty in charge of each of the rotations the fellow undertakes. An evaluation of the progress of the fellow is performed during the middle of the year and upon completion of the fellowship year.  

Fellows work on cases from the Dermatopathology Labs at UTMB, Baytown and Galveston and also review dermatopathology cases from the staff clinic after they have been signed out by the pathology staff. For fellows with previous training in pathology, the trainee spends approximately 50 percent of his/her time in the dermatology clinics. For fellows with previous training in dermatology, the trainee spends six months in pathology, including two weeks in autopsy pathology. The fellow attends yearly mycology, bacteriology and entomology conferences and  reviews mycology cultures and KOH preparations obtained from patients seen in the clinics. The trainee also reviews Mohs frozen sections with the Dermatology Mohs surgeon. A minimum of 5 cases are studied ultrastructurally, some 30 by immunoflorescence and 500 by immunoperoxidase stains. The fellow becomes familiar with the specific markers for epithelial, mesenchymal, neural and hematopoietic tissues. The trainee takes biopsies, does small surgeries, potassium hydroxide preparations, cultures, Tzanck smears, and mineral oil preparations for ectoparasites on the patients. The fellow also trains students and residents in dermatopathology, takes photographs for presentation at conferences, and organizes the unknown case conferences.

• Trainees with backgrounds in dermatology attend and participate in a minimum of five autopsies, including the dissection, gross description, gross pathology conference, provisional anatomic diagnoses, microscopic evaluation, signout with the faculty and final diagnoses. They are also assigned at least ten cases each day for gross description, signout with the faculty and final diagnosis during the surgical pathology rotation. Other duties in pathology include training of residents in dermatopathology, taking photographs for presentation at conferences, and organizing unknown case conferences.
  
  

• Trainees with backgrounds in pathology are assigned to clinical duties in the dermatology clinic where the fellow will function as a first- year dermatology resident under the supervision of faculty or upper level residents. Fellows are required to attend all dermatology teaching conferences and to do the appropriate reading as required for these conferences.
  
  

• Research. The fellow is required to work on at least one clinical research project, which is to be completed during the fellowship year or shortly thereafter.