Dermatology

Residency Information

The Division of Dermatology resident training program offers a three year position beginning each year on July 1st.  Three or four residents are accepted each year to begin the second July after acceptance.
At the University of Kansas, we believe that dermatologic training rests in patient exposure. Our program provides primary and tertiary care to the residents of Kanas City metropolitan area, as well as tertiary care to the regional Midwest.

We staff clinics at the following locations:

• University of Kansas Hospital (Kansas City, Kansas)
• Children's Mercy Hospital (Kansas City, Missouri)
• Kansas City Veterans Administration Medical Center (Kansas City, Missouri)

Areas of Interest and Specialty

The clinic patients represent a wide variety of dermatologic entities. Because of the tertiary nature of our institution and the individual interests and expertise of our staff, many patients are referred for treatment as well. These include:

Skin Cancers:

• We diagnose and treat skin cancers, including melanomas, squamous cell carcinomas, basal cell carcinomas and others.

Pediatric Dermatology

• Valuable exposure to this sub-specialty of dermatology occurs during the second and third years of residency.

Dermatologic Surgery

• Residents perform surgery daily. Simple procedures are performed within the general dermatology clinic. Intermediate surgery is performed at KUMC and at VAMC on Tuesday afternoons and Wednesday mornings. Second and third year residents also participate in Mohs micrographic surgery on selected Mondays and Thursdays.

Hair and Nail Disease

• Residents obtain detailed knowledge of dermatologic and non-dermatologic diseases which can affect the hair and nails. Procedures/biopsies of the nail unit are performed by residents in our clinic.

Photomedicine

• Residents gain detailed instruction in the diagnosis and treatment of light-induced disorders, such as photoallergy, phototoxicity, and other photosensitivity diseases. Residents also learn to appropriately select and administer ultraviolet radiation to patients needing phototherapy. This includes training in the determination of minimal erythema doses (MEDs) of UVA, UVB, and visible light. Photopatch testing, using the North American Contact Dermatitis Group's photoallergen tray, is also available in the clinic.

Lasers/Cosmetics

• Resident training includes experience with a variety of cosmetic procedures including laser and light based treatments, superficial and medium-depth chemical peels, aesthetic enhancement with fillers, scar revision, Botox  injections.

Occupational Medicine/Contact Dermatitis

• We offer patch testing of over 300 available antigens in our clinic. The resident gains knowledge and clinical skills in applying and interpreting patch tests. In addition, residents learn to obtain needed information from any of a variety of manufacturers, to handle Workmen's Compensation cases.

Psychocutaneous Disease

• This group of patients represents a challenging aspect of cutaneous medicine. The resident learns the physical and emotional manifestations of this destructive disease, and appropriate use of medications to improve not only the dermatologic component but the psychologic aspects of the illness.

Clinical Research

• The Division of Dermatology actively supports residents in clinical studies and other scholarly activities. 

Teaching and Learning Experiences

In addition to clinical experience, residents receive regular didactic teaching sessions. These sessions consist of both faculty and resident driven experiences. The following is a list of the lectures and conferences which all residents are expected to attend:

Textbook Review

• A resident directed course, Textbook Review, is held twice a week. During the course of the year, residents review the following texts:
• Dermatology (Bolognia)
• Dermatopathology texts (Elston and Rapini)
• Dermatologic Surgery (Elston)
• Pediatric Dermatology (Hurwitz)
• Drugs in Dermatology (Wolverton)
• A series of board-style questions are answered to reinforce the pertinent information in the text.  Selected portions of other dermatologic texts are incorporated as desired by the residents. Residents are expected to read other relevant text on their own.

Kodachromes:

• On a regular basis, the AAD kodachrome slide set is reviewed.  During this time, description and differential building skills are honed.

Genodermatoses:

• Every other week, the 2nd year resident rotating at Children’s Mercy Hospital presents a short review on a genodermatosis.

Dermatopathology Training:

• Unknowns: The chief resident prepares a weekly quiz of unknown pathology slides.  These are reviewed at the multi-headed scope every Tuesday.  Residents are expected to review these slides individually and study the corresponding chapter(s).
• Case Reviews:  This is a faculty guided two hour conference in which residents examine and explore the pathological and clinical manifestations of dermatologic diseases.  Slides corresponding to the reading assignments in our dermpathology texts are reviewed.
• Noon Time Lectures: Residents may choose to attend noon time lectures during their lunch hour where our dermatopathogist reads resident biopsies from clinic.  This provides an excellent opportunity for clinicopathologic correlation and review of basic dermatopathology.

Journal Club

• The faculty and residents meet monthly for Journal Club. Selected articles are assigned from leading dermatologic journals including the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology and Archives of Dermatology.

Invited Guest lecturers:

• On a regular basis, we are grateful to have multiple community-based dermatologists who share cases and lectures in their specific areas of interest.
• David Kaplan, MD
• John Hall, MD
• Christopher Rouse, MD
• David Borel, MD
• Brian Matthys, DO
• Holly McCoppin, MD

Kansas City Dermatological Society

• The Kansas City Dermatological Society meets for one-half day every month. The group consists of KU faculty, KU residents, and dermatologists from metropolitan Kansas City and Topeka. The meetings begin with a one-hour didactic lecture presented by world-renowned authorities in various aspects of dermatology.  The day finishes with patient-based viewing where interesting patients from KU and the local community are presented for diagnostic and therapeutic consideration. Typically, the residents receive an additional one hour lecture by the speaker prior to this meeting.

American Academy of Dermatology (AAD)

• All residents are expected to attend the winter session of the American Academy of Dermatology Meeting.  Two first year residents share the time of covering call during the conference.  The cost of attending this meeting is partially covered by grants from the AAD.

Conferences

• At the discretion of the Program Director, second and third year residents have five academic days per year to attend conferences other than the annual AAD meeting. Depending upon the nature of the resident's involvement in these conferences, the cost of attending the meeting may be paid for by the Division.

Resident Benefits/Stipends