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Dermatology

Professor and Chair
Anthony A. Gaspari, MD

Dermatology faculty teach in the second-year Immunology, Host Defenses and Pathophysiology and Therapeutics blocks.  During the ambulatory block of the third year medicine students rotation, all students attend eight half-day sessions in the clinic with faculty and residents.

DERM 541
Dermatology Elective. Dermatology may be taken as an elective during the fourth year.  Students work together with the dermatology residents and attending physicians in the diagnosis and treatment of a large number of patients with cutaneous disorders.  Emphasis is placed on developing proficiency in dermatologic examination and description.  Students actively participate in grand rounds, daily seminars and the weekly journal club.  They also attend the clinical sessions of the Maryland Dermatological Society.  A brief oral presentation and short final examination are required.

Graduate Program
The University of Maryland has a three-year residency program in dermatology which stresses both the clinical and research aspects of this specialty.  One year of internship in a primary care field is required.  The usual conferences in a dermatology program, such as pathology, mycology, immunology and allergy, basic sciences, journal club, radiation therapy, pharmacology and clinical textbook review, are included in the program.

Dermatology Residency Program
The University of Maryland has a three-year accredited program in dermatology, which stresses both the clinical and research aspects of the specialty.  Each house officer will be assigned his/her own patients during this time, and will average at lease 15 patients individually per day.  We have the largest clinic in the area and have affiliations with the adjacent Veteran’s Administration Medical Center.  Our program offers a cooperative attending staff, a large number of patient encounters, excellent facilities, and a clinic experience where you see your own follow-up patients over an extended time.  A good dermatologist requires knowledge of the progress of the therapy of chronic disorders. This knowledge can only be obtained by following patients for months to years.  There are one or two residency positions available each year.

Conferences
The didactic training sessions are conducted by the faculty, selected by the residents and regulated by the resident staff.  Conferences, including pathology (unknowns and test review), immunology and allergy, basic sciences, mycology, journal club, pharmacology unknown kodachromes and clinical text reviews are included in our program.

Clinical Dermatology
The clinics at the University of Maryland Medical Center and the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center meet in the mornings and afternoons respectively.  All of the patients are under residents’ care with monitoring by chief residents and/or attending staff.  The fact that residents attend these clinics daily and have primary responsibility for the patients over the course of three years is unique in American dermatological training programs.  Every afternoon, one resident serves as in-hospital consultant.  Every morning, one resident runs a busy phototherapy unit at the VA.  Surgical clinic meets weekly.

Research
Research experience is available at the University of Maryland dermatology service. Residents are required to participate in a project during their residency years.  Adequate funds for supplies and technical help are in place.  Any research proposal requiring the guidance of faculty in another department can be pursued in the laboratories of those departments within the medical complex.

Surgery
The dermatological surgery experience is excellent.  “Hands on” procedural instruction is routine.  The Department of Dermatology has a full-time Mohs’ surgeon and an excellent surgical conference schedule.  A busy skin cancer surgery practice is available at the VAMC.  Cosmetic dermatology clinics are also held once a month at our clinics. Residents, under the supervision of an attending, gain experience with these procedures.

Electives
Elective time to pursue students’ own interests with dermatology or other related fields has been made available for senior residents.  This has been usually taken during the winter months, in such fields as pathology, immunofluorescence diagnoses, phototherapy or dermatological surgery.

Student Electives/Fellowships
We do not offer surgical or other types of fellowships.  While we do not offer research positions or research electives, we do offer a clinical elective for 4th year students who have completed their internal medicine rotation.  The elective is very popular, and priority is given to University of Maryland students.  Interested students from other institutions should apply to the University of Maryland Office of Student Affairs with several months notice.

Application Process
Applications will be accepted THROUGH ERAS ONLY.  The deadline for completed applications is December 1 of each year.  Interviews are held in January by invitation only. We participate in the NRMP match.  We will accept applications from individuals who have completed more than one postgraduate training year.  Please address questions to the residency coordinator at (410) 328-5766.