Resident Rounds: Part 1 – Program Spotlight: Department of Dermatology, University of Utah

July 2015 | Volume 14 | Issue 7 | Features | 754 | Copyright © July 2015


Sandeep S. Saluja MD and Scott R. Florell MD

Department of Dermatology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT

Abstract
Resident Rounds is a section of the JDD dedicated to highlighting various dermatology departments with residency training programs. Resident Rounds includes 3 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 Department of Dermatology at University of Utah. The editor of Resident Rounds is Dr. Ali Alikhan. If you are interested in highlighting your training program in a future issue, please contact Dr. Alikhan at alialikhan1@yahoo.com.
Collegiality among all faculty and residents is the hallmark of the University of Utah Department of Dermatology. The residency program started in 1990, and currently has 9 residents (Figure 1). The department is proud of its high faculty to resident ratio, with 33 full-time faculty members including 22 medical dermatologists, 5 dermatologic surgeons, 1 pediatric dermatologist, and 5 dermatopathologists, all with diverse investigative and clinical interests.

Department Highlights

Strong emphasis is placed on acquiring the clinical skills and knowledge base necessary to manage both straightforward and complex dermatology conditions. We have over 80,000 patient visits a year at our various sites. Clinical training is divided into monthly rotations split among 5 different sites -- including the Veteran's Affairs Medical Center and Primary Children's Medical Center -- as well as a continuity clinic held every week. Recently, we opened a brand-new state-of-the-art University Dermatology Center with the vision to create a place for collaboration, compassion, and cutting edge care (Figure 2).
Residents also participate in the Same Day Dermatology Clinic, TeleDermatology, and free cancer screenings in the community. In addition, residents learn from multidisciplinary clinics such as the Ulcer Clinic, Rheumatology-Dermatology Combined Clinic, Patch Testing Clinic, and Autoimmune Clinic.
Residents receive hands-on experience in Mohs Surgery and in cosmetic dermatology, including lasers, intense pulsed light (IPL), fillers, and neuromodulators during their surgery rotation and resident cosmetic sessions. Residents also spend 1 to 2 months per year on the dermatopathology service. During the 2nd and 3rd year, the residents have elective/sub-specialty rotations to focus on their personal career interests.
The department is committed to fostering investigative efforts and intellectual curiosity in both the clinic and the laboratory. We offer a broad range of research activities, and residents are encouraged to pursue academic endeavors including publications, clinical or basic science research, and presentations at regional and national meetings.
table 1