Dermatology Residency Program Curriculum

Dermatology residents split time between rotations through Loyola Dermatology and Hines VA Dermatology.

PGY2 residents:

• 6 months at Loyola Dermatology Clinic (3 month blocks)
• 6 months at the VA Dermatology Clinic (3 month blocks)

PGY3 & PGY4 residents:

• 2 months at Loyola Dermatology Clinic
• 4 months at the VA Dermatology Clinic
• 2 months on a surgical & procedural dermatology rotation
• 2 months on a dermatopathology rotation
• 2 months on an inpatient dermatology consult rotation

Hines VA Dermatology Clinic Rotation

The dermatology clinic at Hines is by our residents under the supervision of Section Chief, Dr. David Eilers, and faculty of Drs. Dana Griffin, Monika Kaniszewska, Kelly Park, Eden Lake, Mariam Mafee and Owen Kramer. The VA dermatology experience includes a mix of general dermatology, procedural dermatology, and inpatient consults.

The typical week schedule at the VA is generally as follows:

Loyola Dermatology Clinic Rotation

Loyola outpatient dermatology is run through two main locations: Oakbrook Terrace and Burr Ridge. Both sites are approximately 15 minutes from the main Loyola University Medical Center/Hines VA Hospital. Three to four Wednesdays a month, our pediatric dermatologist has clinic in Orland Park.

Loyola dermatology clinic is staffed primarily by Dr. Eden Lake and Dr. Wendy Kim, our fellowship-trained pediatric dermatologist.

While at the Loyola outpatient clinic, residents spend time with various different attending physicians. This may include procedural clinics throughout the week. Loyola uses EPIC electronic health record for charting, and the excellent nursing and support staff allow for an optimal learning environment focused on developing clinical skills and knowledge.

Surgery Rotation

The surgery rotation is spent primarily with our Mohs surgeon, Dr. Mariam Mafee. Dr. Mafee performs Mohs approximately four mornings per week. Afternoon clinics with Dr. Mafee are often filled with procedures, cosmetic dermatology and skin cancer surveillance.

Dr. Mafee also performs Mohs surgery at the VA twice monthly. This surgical service is resident-led. Additionally, residents have opportunities to interact with the Loyola plastic surgery and ENT surgery teams to obtain additional exposure to surgical reconstruction cases.

Inpatient Consult Rotation

During the inpatient consult rotation, the resident manages all inpatient consults at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood. This resident is responsible for establishing initial diagnostic and treatment plans with the consult attending. This dedicated inpatient consult rotation affords our residents the opportunity to learn complex medical dermatology management.

Residents also benefit from working closely with our Loyola Burn Unit team to manage severe blistering and desquamating conditions. As a tertiary referral center, our dermatology residents learn how to care for the most severe dermatological conditions.

Dermatopathology Rotation

The Dermatopathology rotation is run out of the main Loyola University Medical Center. Loyola has one board-certified dermatopathologist as well as one dermatopathology fellow annually. While on this rotation, residents spend a month at a time reviewing slides, signing out cases and honing their dermatopathology skills. We believe comprehensive education in histopathology translates into superior clinical care at the bedside.

Resident Continuity Clinic

While every effort is made to maximize continuity of care throughout residency, Thursday afternoons are devoted solely to resident continuity clinic at all sites. Residents are assigned to a continuity clinic at a Loyola outpatient clinic or Hines VA at the beginning of residency.

Over the course of residency, every Thursday afternoon is dedicated to continuity clinic. Here, the resident guides care his or her own patients under the supervision of an attending physician.

Weekly Educational Conferences

Wednesday and Friday afternoons are protected for educational sessions. These didactic sessions include a variety of educational lectures (i.e. textbook review, medication review, journal club, genoderm review, kodachrome review, etc.). Occasionally, guest speakers will deliver lectures on these afternoons.

Wednesday afternoons also includes dermatopathology educational sessions for all residents. These sessions typically consist of a dermatopathology lecture followed by slide review lead by one of our dermatopathologists or dermatopathology fellow.

Resident Cosmetic Clinic

Resident cosmetic clinic occurs in place of the educational didactic session on the first Friday of every month. While residents have exposure to cosmetic dermatology during their other clinical rotations, resident cosmetic clinic provides a dedicated opportunity for residents to practice procedural skills including injectable neurotoxins, soft tissue fillers, microneedling, laser resurfacing, chemical peels, sclerotherapy, PRP and a variety of other cosmetic procedures.

Grand Rounds

Every month, Loyola dermatology hosts a ‘grand rounds’ conference at the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine campus in Maywood. Grand rounds consists of a guest speaker as well as live patient viewing and case presentations. Grand rounds are typically held on a Wednesday afternoon, in place of regular didactics.

In addition to dermatology grand rounds, the internal medicine and pediatric residency programs host grand rounds that intermittently involve dermatology speakers. The dermatology residents can attend these specialty-focused conferences, as well.

Chicago Dermatological Society

The faculty and residents are all active members in the Chicago Dermatological Society. Meetings are held in Chicago monthly and generally consist of interesting case presentations and a guest speaker.

Each of the six dermatology residency programs in the Chicago area host a meeting, and present interesting cases to the greater Chicago dermatology community. This is an excellent educational opportunity that takes advantage of the many great area dermatologists across academic programs and private practice.

Other Conferences/Educational Opportunities

Loyola’s location in Chicagoland provides many additional opportunities to residents. Many of the area dermatology residency programs host conferences and workshops open to all dermatology residents. The opportunity to learn from experts at other programs diversifies the educational experience for all area dermatology residents.

Additionally, many national meetings are held in Chicago throughout the year, giving residents opportunities to attend and learn at these conferences.