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 sign out cases daily from the
Dermatopathology Labs at UTMB, Baytown, Methodist and Galveston and
also the dermatopathology cases from the staff clinic. Over 25,000
cases are accessioned each year. 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 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
spend the equivalent of six months in pathology, including two
weeks in autopsy pathology, and rotations through surgical
pathology, hematopathology, cytology and special techniques. They
are also assigned at least ten cases each day for gross description,
sign-out 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, for a
minimum of one thousand patients. Fellows are required to attend
dermatology teaching conferences and to do the appropriate reading
as required for these conferences. The trainee takes biopsies, does
small surgeries, potassium hydroxide preparations, cultures,
Tzanck smears, and mineral oil preparations for parasites on the
patients. The fellow attends yearly mycology, bacteriology and
entomology 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.
Applications are being accepted for the 2020 - 2021 academic year. Deadline to submit applications is November 1, 2018
Application requirements are as follows:
- complete CAP application
- three letters of reference including one from the program director of your most recent program
- FSMB original transcript
- personal statement
- AOA status (must indicate at bottom of application)
- Current CV
- Not mandatory but highly suggested that pathology trained candidates have an additional fellowship (ie. hempath, cytopath or surgpath)
Please send completed materials to:
UTMB - Dermatopathology Fellowship Program
Kimberly Cooper, Fellowship Coordinator
301 University Boulevard
4.112 McCullough Building
Galveston, TX 77555-0783
Or you may email them to: dermpath@utmb.edu
For more information about applying to our fellowship program please contact Kimberly Cooper at kjcooper@utmb.edu