Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology Fellowship

About the Fellowship

The Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology Fellowship is offered by DermSurgery Associates in partnership with Houston Methodist. The program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). This position is one year in length and offers extensive training in Mohs micrographic surgery and reconstruction. Our goal is to train fellows who will continue to contribute to the field long after completing their training.

The fellowship is led by Leonard H. Goldberg M.D., FRCP, FAAD with support from Arash Kimyai-Asadi M.D., FAAD, Anna Drosou, MD, FAAD, and Lucile White, MD. Fellows spend alternate weeks with each surgeon, allowing them to gain exposure to different approaches and different practices to both Mohs surgery and wound closure. In addition, there are several other fellowship-trained Mohs surgeons at our practice and affiliated clinics. There are other dermatologist in the practice who do a variety of cosmetics, including lasers, neuromodulators, and fillers. The fellows will have a chance to interact with these physicians at various times throughout the year based on their interests. The surgical curriculum will include hands-on experience using the Mohs technique, reconstructive methods including second intention healing, primary closure, grafts, and flaps. All surgical closures are done in-house. Our faculty performs well over 4,000 Mohs procedures a year and the fellow will typically perform over 1,000 cases as the primary surgeon.

Structure

Fellows perform Mohs surgery every day of the week. On weeks spent with Dr. Goldberg, Mondays occur at the outpatient Dermatology Therapeutics center of the Houston Methodist Hospital. All other days with Dr. Goldberg are located at the main DermSurgery clinic. Dr. Goldberg performs between 10-15 Mohs cases per day on surgical days and 4-5 on surgical/follow up days. Fellows become familiar with reading Mohs surgery slides stained with toluidine blue, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), and MART-1. Fellows are expected to take general dermatology call for the Houston Methodist Hospital consult service for the duration of the fellowship year. This responsibility is shared equally between the two fellows.

Research

Fellows are expected to engage in several scholarly pursuits throughout the fellowship year. Previous fellows have completed work leading on average to several peer reviewed publications or book chapters. The faculty will do their best to support any interests the fellow may wish to pursue.

Selection Process

Two fellows are selected each year. The ACGME requires that the Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology Fellowship only accept applicants who have completed a Dermatology Residency in an ACGME approved program. Our program is ideally suited to those who would like to master Mohs micrographic surgery and reconstruction. Our ideal candidate is someone with a history of scholarship, strong letters of recommendation, and demonstrable interest in dermatologic surgery.

Our goal is to provide advanced training in an exceptional environment, creating exceptional leaders in dermatological surgery. Learn more about the fellowship program and application process.

Curriculum Highlights

In this unique and outstanding program, fellows have the opportunity to work closely with nationally and internationally known faculty, while perfecting their skills as dermatologic surgeons. Upon completion of this fellowship, the fellow will have achieved a broad base of knowledge and skills concerning the preoperative, operative, and postoperative care of patients requiring Mohs surgery and other procedural dermatologic procedures. The fellow will exceed the minimal standards established by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

This fellowship will also provide fellows with an experience in the principles and practice of dermatologic research. The overall goals of this rotation are: (1 ) to allow residents to make meaningful contributions to the field of dermatologic surgery, (2) to stimulate independent scientific thinking, (3) to permit residents to recognize the value of performing clinical or basic science research, and (4) to develop residents’ skills in research methodologies.

This fellowship will also provide fellows with an experience in the principles and practice of dermatologic research in order to meet specified goals:

Allow residents to make meaningful contributions to the field of dermatologic surgery
Stimulate independent scientific thinking
Enable recognition of the value of performing clinical or basic science research
Develop skills in research methodologies

The fellow is expected to oversee a minimum of two projects of interest under the guidance of Dr. Leonard Goldberg . The fellow will present three projects locally, regionally or nationally and submit at least two scholarly papers for publication. Interested residents will be encouraged to become as academically involved as possible with special programs and identify further opportunities for dedicated research.

The fellow will participate in didactic sessions with all faculty members. The fellow will have the opportunity to observe and perform laser and cosmetic techniques. The fellow will be competent and knowledgeable in the indications and possess the technical skills to perform a variety of dermatologic and cosmetic procedures.

In addition to the time spent at DermSurgery Associates, the fellow will spend one day each week working at the Houston Methodist performing Mohs micrographic surgeries. Houston Methodist Hospital is a U.S. News & World Report-ranked hospital listed as one of the top hospitals in the U.S. It is also a work environment praised by a ranking in Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For since 2006. Fellows have remote access to an extensive collection of online journals, books and other materials.

Mohs College Membership

Upon graduation, a case log documenting each case participated in or performed by the fellow is required. The case log should be submitted to the SISRB executive office by August 1 of the year the fellow graduates (if the program is completed on or before July 31; if graduation is after July 31, the case log and application must be submitted for membership to the ACMS for the following year). The case log must be accompanied by an associate member application and a $50.00 application fee. A letter of recommendation and/or the Final Evaluation of Fellow form is also required from the training director.

San Francisco Match
ACGME
Apply for Mohs College membership

Eligibility and Application

To be eligible for a fellowship position, certain requirements must be met:

Requirements

Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology fellows are selected through the Mohs Micrographic Surgery Fellowship Match, a centralized matching process administered by the San Francisco (SF) Match . Registration for candidates begins in May, interviews are conducted in the Fall and the match occurs in December for training beginning the following year. This training program runs for one year, July 1-June 30. Complete the SF Match application form . Be certain to list Methodist Hospital (Houston) ID# 3759 as one of the programs to which you would like your verified application sent. It is important to respond as quickly as possible as it takes 60 days to process your application. The sooner you submit your application, the sooner it will be sent to the training programs to schedule your interviews. Applications received after SEPTEMBER 1, will be subject to late fees for processing through the centralized system.

All applicants must meet specific requirements:

Must have a dean’s letter and at least two other letters of recommendation; preferably, one of the letters should be from the Chairman of the Department of Medicine; all letters of recommendation should be current or within the last two years
Must have graduated from medical school and have an official medical school transcript
Must submit a personal statement
Must have passed USMLE on first attempt; no minimum score requirement
Must be eligible for board examination (Dermatology)

Additional requirements exist for International Medical Graduates (IMGs):

Must be ECFMG-certified (except Fifth Pathway graduates)
Must submit USMLE Step 2 (CK/CS) results by application
Must submit an official English translation for all application materials
U.S. Clinical Experience (USCE) is preferred, but not required
Must document USCE/observerships with a letter of recommendation by a supervising physician
Only J-1 Visas are supported

Requirements for Fellowship Program
In order to participate in an ACGME accredited fellowship program at Houston Methodist Hospital, fellows must have either a Texas Medical Board (TMB) Physician-in-Training permit or a full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in Texas. To obtain a Physician-in-Training permit, certain TMB requirements must be met:

Be at least 18 years of age
Be of good professional character
Be a graduate of:
- A U.S. or Canadian medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education
- A college of osteopathic medicine in the U.S. accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA)
- A medical school outside the U.S. and Canada and have: a current valid certificate from the Educational Commission on Foreign Medical Graduates prior to appointment or completed a Fifth Pathway program through an LCME-accredited medical school

The TMB also requires that each resident applicant for a Physician-in-Training permit must not fall under any of these categories:

A medical license, permit or other authority to practice medicine that is currently restricted for cause, canceled for cause, suspended for cause, revoked, or subject to other discipline in a state or territory of the U.S., Canada or a uniformed service of the U.S.
An investigation or proceeding pending for the restriction, cancelation, suspension, revocation or other discipline of the medical license, permit or authority to practice medicine in a state or territory of the U.S., a province of Canada or a uniformed service of the U.S.
Prosecution pending in any state, federal, or Canadian court for any offense that under the laws of this state is a felony, a misdemeanor that involves the practice of medicine, or a misdemeanor that involves a crime of moral turpitude

Houston Methodist is committed to improving the health of our patients, employees, and communities around us. As a health care provider, it’s our responsibility to promote a healthier environment for our employees.

Responsibility

Drug and Tobacco Screening- Job seekers will be tested for nicotine and drug usage during the post-offer physical. If a job seeker tests positive for nicotine use, including nicotine gum and patches, the offer will be rescinded, and individuals will be given the opportunity to participate in a free Houston Methodist-provided tobacco cessation program. Job seekers wishing to reapply after testing positive for nicotine may do so 90 days after the date the initial offer was rescinded. If the job seeker tests positive for drug use, the offer will be rescinded. Job seekers wishing to reapply after the drug screening is positive may do so one year after the date the initial offer was rescinded.
Background Check - Prior to employment start date, job seekers must complete a criminal background check.
Non-discrimination - It is the policy of Houston Methodist to sustain selection processes that are free from discrimination. Accordingly, no applicant shall be subject to discrimination in the process of resident selection on the basis of gender, race, age, religion, color, national origin, disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation or veteran status.

Conditions of Appointment
The appointment to the position of fellow will be contingent upon:

Issuance of an active physician-in-training permit or medical license from the TMB prior to assuming duties at Houston Methodist

Successful completion of all requirements specified by the particular program offering the resident appointment

Every non-citizen applicant selected for appointment must have permanent resident status.

Essential Abilities

Residents may be required to sign a certificate that they possess the Essential Abilities required for training. The use of a third party to fulfill these attributes will not be considered adequate. However, individual residency programs may require different specific abilities for training. All necessary accommodations requested by a resident must be detailed and agreed to by the resident before training begins. Procedure GME09—Accommodation of Residents with Disabilities outlines the process by which a Resident may request accommodation for disability.

Agreement of Appointment

Residents will be appointed to the program. This agreement will contain provision for/or a reference to Houston Methodist’s policies regarding: resident’s responsibilities; duration of appointment; financial support; conditions for reappointment and promotion to a subsequent postgraduate year of training; grievance and due process procedures; professional liability insurance; hospital and health insurance benefits that start the first recognized day of the resident’s program; disability insurance; vacation, parental, sick, and other leaves of absence; effect of leave on resident’s ability to satisfy requirements to complete the program; access to information related to eligibility for specialty board examinations; and duty hours and moonlighting policies and procedures.

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