Dermatology Residency Curriculum | NYU Langone Health

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Dermatology Residency Dermatology Residency Curriculum

Dermatology Residency Curriculum

The Dermatology Residency in NYU Langone’s Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology provides a comprehensive curriculum, giving residents the skills needed to pursue and achieve lifelong learning in dermatology.

Introductory Course for First-Year Residents

The initial four weeks of the year are dedicated to providing first-year residents with the basic tools they need as dermatology residents. A curriculum of reading centered around some of the more common dermatoses is coordinated with hands-on and small group workshops on simple procedural skills and basic dermatopathology. The goal is to arm residents with a sound approach to clinical diagnosis, as well as the basics of patient safety and clinical best practices. During this time, second- and third-year residents review recently published continuing medical education (CME) articles.

Morning Didactic Sessions and Case-Based Clinical Sessions

After the first four weeks of the academic year, first-year residents join second- and third-year residents for the morning didactic teaching sessions, which include lectures, seminars, and conferences. A committee directs resident didactic education. A core curriculum in medical and pediatric dermatology, dermatologic surgery, dermatopathology, and the basic sciences is supplemented by a journal club session, aimed at developing residents’ skills in critical review of the literature. Residents also participate in several clinical sessions that emphasize the translation of academic knowledge into clinical practice.

Residents meet daily from 8:00AM to 8:45AM for didactic sessions and twice weekly from 12:15PM to 1:00PM for case-based clinical sessions. All sessions are moderated or led by faculty members who possess a range of expertise in dermatology.

Weekly Didactics Sessions

All residents participate in the following weekly didactic sessions.

Textbook Review

This resident-run, faculty-directed session covers the medical and basic science dermatology curriculum. Residents become “mini experts” in the topics they review and are provided with a structured framework for their weekly reading. We encourage an interactive format with a focus on synthesis of the material in current major dermatology textbooks, clinical pearls, and pertinent information from the recent literature.

Residents’ Lecture Series

Senior residents invite faculty and other experts to lecture on a range of topics, including dermatologic surgery, pediatric dermatology, and the basic sciences. In addition, the medical dermatology curriculum is enhanced through lectures by specialists on a variety of topics and regular case review sessions, in which differential diagnoses and therapeutic strategies are discussed in an interactive manner.

Kodachromes

Members of our department’s full-time and voluntary faculty are invited to present their classic and interesting cases in a photo slide format. Residents are trained to hone their descriptive skills, to expand on their differential diagnosis building skills, and to recognize some of the salient and sometimes atypical features of a wide range of dermatoses.

Journal Club

Residents review journal articles from major dermatology journals and relevant non-dermatology literature; discussion takes place under the direction of multiple faculty. Other faculty members also attend. This session serves to keep residents and faculty abreast of advances in our field and encourages critical reading and knowledge of evidence-based medicine.

Dermatopathology Unknown Slides Discussions

Dermatopathology faculty members lead this discussion of unknown slides that have been reviewed by residents before the session. A well-established and successful curriculum is updated annually. Clinicopathologic correlation sessions are held approximately once per month.

Masters in Dermatology Series

Members of our senior faculty conduct an informal one-hour roundtable session in the morning or evening with our residents, discussing and sharing their own clinical experiences. As many of our faculty members are pioneers in the field of dermatology, this provides an opportunity for residents to learn from our own experts in dermatology in a relaxed environment. The series is held five to six times a year.

Grand Rounds (Howard Fox Guest Lecture Series)

Formal lectures on topics of dermatologic relevance are presented by leading members of the national academic dermatologic communities, as well as related experts from outside the field of dermatology. Residents are thus exposed to the latest advances across the spectrum of the specialty. You also have an opportunity to meet the grand rounds speakers the evening before the grand round series for an informal lecture or roundtable discussion directed toward residents.

Once a year, each resident and clinical fellow also has an opportunity to become the grand rounds speaker and discuss a subject of his or her choice at one of these conferences.

Noon Conference

Twice weekly at 12:00PM, residents attend clinical conferences during which NYU Langone faculty members lead a discussion on interesting cases from the clinics and consult services at NYU Langone locations and NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, particularly those that have presented diagnostic or therapeutic challenges. In addition to clinical images and patient viewing, histopathologic correlation is provided by dermatopathology faculty and fellows at NYU Langone Ambulatory Care Center East 38th Street.

Additional Educational Experiences

Residents also receive the following educational experiences in our program.

Tuesday Night Conference

The Tuesday Night Conference series provides residents with a live patient viewing session. Residents prepare protocols and present on interesting and unusual cases, and a member of the full-time clinical faculty facilitates an open-floor discussion with the residents based on these cases. Dermatologists throughout the New York metropolitan area attend the conference. The evening also provides a forum for residents to enhance their presentation skills. There are five conferences per academic year. Learn more about Tuesday Night Conference.

Faculty and Trainee Educational Seminars

The Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology’s educational seminars provide a comfortable and open environment in which participants learn, discuss, and review subjects that may occur in daily activities within their working environment. Faculty, trainees, and staff members work collectively while educating our faculty and trainees on dermatology advances. This boosts confidence and communication on all levels, creating a friendly working environment. At the conclusion of each seminar, participants are able to recognize important new developments in medical and procedural dermatology and in basic interpersonal situations.

Cutaneous Biology and Dermatology Annual Research Day

The department’s Research Day is an annual full-day educational, training, and networking event led by our chair. Postdoctoral basic and clinical fellows, residents, and faculty performing dermatologic research share their current research findings through presentations and poster sessions. The audience includes the basic science faculty and physician–investigators from the department’s Cutaneous Biology Program, in addition to our clinicians.

Each year, we invite a leading research expert to give a lecture on a topic of importance to the pursuit of research or to developing an investigative career. Past lectures have included how to conduct clinical research at NYU Langone; funding research; presentation skills; journal writing; building collaborative translational research teams; and designing multifaceted and multicentered clinical trials. In addition, poster sessions present ongoing research projects within the department. The event is a forum to openly discuss research findings and foster new collaborations for future studies.

Advances in Dermatology Symposium

Each year in June, the department hosts a two-day continuing medical education conference covering the latest information about a broad array of topics relevant to clinical dermatology. Presentations are made by NYU Langone faculty, fellows, and visiting faculty. This popular conference draws a national audience. Learn more about Advances in Dermatology.

Local and National Conferences

Residents attend meetings of the New York Academy of Medicine’s Dermatology Section and the Dermatologic Society of Greater New York, the country’s largest regional dermatologic organization. Highlights include annual resident competitions held by each society.

First- and third-year residents attend the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Second-year residents divide coverage for clinical responsibilities during the AAD meeting. Additionally, residents may be sponsored to attend other national dermatologic meetings, at which they present clinical or research findings.