The Dermatology Residency Training program at the
State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate
Medical Center was established in 1964 and remains
the only dermatology residency program in Brooklyn, New
York providing a broad range of dermatologic services to
Brooklyn's diverse patient population. In 1975, Dr. Alan R.
Shalita became Associate Professor and Head of the Division
of Dermatology and remained chairman of Dermatology until
his passing in February of this year. The Department of
Dermatology flourished under Dr. Shalita’s leadership and
grew from four full-time faculty and six residents in 1975,
to eight full-time faculty, 21 residents, four fellows in dermatopathology
and one procedural dermatology fellow. Our
faculty have expertise in the fields of medical dermatology,
pediatric dermatology, dermatopathology, immunodermatology,
dermatologic surgery (aesthetic and micrographic)
and cosmetic dermatology.
A pioneer in the field of acne, Dr. Shalita continues to be recognized
nationally and internationally for his expertise as a
clinician, researcher, and educator. Our acting chairman, Dr.
Ed Heilman, is no stranger to our program as he is a former
Downstate resident and has been the chief of dermatopathology
since 1981. He has worked closely for years with our
Program Director, Dr. Sharon A. Glick, a well-established pediatric
dermatologist with expertise in genetic analysis.
The Downstate Dermatology Residency program trains approximately
seven residents per year. The program comprises
a number of clinical facilities, including several ambulatory and
consultative inpatient services at Kings County Hospital (KCHC),
University Hospital, the Brooklyn branch of the New York Harbor
Health Care System (NYHHCS, formerly the Brooklyn Veteran’s Administration Hospital), Brookdale Hospital Medical Center,
Woodhull Medical Center, Maimonides Hospital Center, North
Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System (Northshore-LIJ), and
St. Alban’s Medical Center. Each medical center has a unique
patient population and residents frequently encounter complex
and rare dermatologic conditions. In fact, our program has reported
five cases of leprosy to the Centers for Disease Control
(CDC) in just the last two years.
Given the large number of clinical training sites, our rotations
are divided into blocks ranging from four to seven weeks. The
bulk of our surgical training is performed at NYHHCS, where
one resident from each level of training comprises a three
member surgical team. Every year each resident spends at
least two block rotations as a member of the team performing
excisions and Mohs micrographic surgery. In addition, the
Pigmented Lesions Clinic at this facility gives residents the
opportunity to get hands-on training in dermoscopy, optical
coherence tomography and confocal microscopy.
