Resident Rounds: Part 1
Program Spotlight: The Mayo Clinic Dermatology Residency Training Program

January 2012 | Volume 11 | Issue 1 | Features | 104 | Copyright © January 2012


Ali Alikhan MD and Alison J. Bruce MBBS

Department of Dermatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

Abstract
Resident Rounds is a section of the JDD dedicated to highlighting various dermatology departments with residency training programs. Resident Rounds includes three sections: (1) a program spotlight, highlighting pertinent information about the department and residency training program; (2) a section presenting study materials used by residents at the program; and (3) a section designed to highlight recent interesting cases seen at the institution. This issue of Resident Rounds features the Mayo Clinic Dermatology Residency Training Program. The editor of Resident Rounds is Omar A. Ibrahimi MD PhD. He is currently the Director of Cutaneous Laser and Cosmetic Surgery and a Mohs surgeon at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Ibrahimi is also a Visiting Scientist at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. If you are interested in highlighting your training program in a future issue, please contact Dr. Ibrahimi at OIbrahimi@jddonline.com.
The Mayo Clinic Department of Dermatology has almost 100 years of providing unparalleled patient care, education, and research. There are 28 faculty members specializing in all areas of dermatology-dermatopathology, photodermatology, dermatological surgery, pediatric dermatology, immunodermatology, and general dermatology. We have outstanding ancillary support, including our compassionate nursing staff, secretaries, and administrators. One aspect that sets the Mayo Clinic apart from other academic centers is the multidisciplinary approach between various departments institution-wide.
Our residency program has 24 residents-eight per year. Our residents are from across the country, and the world (Figure 1). Additionally, we admit one research-track resident annually-this program involves one additional year of research. However, all residents are encouraged to participate in research endeavors, as well as community service, leadership and teaching activities. The Mayo Clinic has a very generous policy, funding residents to present their research at national conferences.
Our program has numerous strengths. Given our large dermatological surgery and dermatopathology divisions, we receive a great deal of training in these areas. Our general dermatology experience is quite unique. We rotate through our downtown site, seeing complex dermatology cases from across the world, as well as our local (Northwest) clinic where we see common dermatological conditions. We gain a tremendous amount of experience in all facets of general dermatology, including dermatitis, photodermatology, mucous membrane disease, hair and nail disorders, erythromelalgia, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, and rheumatologic disease.
table 1
Our residents rotate through two hospitals. At Rochester Methodist Hospital, we have an inpatient dermatology service (one of the few in the US), an outpatient dermatology service (primarily for wet dressing and Goeckerman therapies), a photodermatology service (one of the largest nationwide), and a consult service (where we see complex cases from throughProgram