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, as well as cases from outside laboratories. Over 35,000
cases are accessioned each year. The trainee also reviews Mohs frozen
sections with the Dermatology Mohs surgeon. The fellow becomes familiar with the specific
markers for epithelial, mesenchymal, neural and hematopoietic
tissues, as well as immunofluorescence. 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 four months in pathology, surgical
pathology, hematopathology, cytology, molecular diagnostics 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 scholarly project, which is to be completed
during the fellowship year or shortly thereafter. Typically they will be involved in poster presentations and oral presentations at several regional and national meetings.
Applications are being accepted for the 2023 - 2024 academic year. Deadline to submit applications is November 15, 2021.
Application requirements are as follows:
- complete CAP
- three letters of reference including on from the program director of you most recent program
- USMLE official transcript
- personal statement
- AOA status (must indicate of bottom of application)
- Current CV
- Not mandatory but suggested that pathology trained candidates have an additional fellowship (i.e. hematopathology, cytopathology or surgical pathology, etc.)
Please send completed materials to: dermpath@utmb.edu
After reading the above requirements, if you still have further questions, please contact Sarah Zarazua at slzarazu@utmb.edu