Graduates-of-foreign-dermatology residencies and military dermatology residencies and women in academic dermatology.

BACKGROUND: It is well known that there is a growing shortage of academic dermatologists in the U.S. The number of graduates of foreign dermatology residencies (GFDR) and graduates of military dermatology residencies (GMDR) who take full-time academic dermatology positions are currently unknown. It is likely that a higher proportion of GFDRs and GMDRs are more likely to enter academics and practice medical dermatology. The percentage of women in academic dermatology has not been reported since 1994. OBJECTIVE: To determine the total number of GFDRs, GMDRs, and women who are full-time faculty members at U.S. dermatology residency programs. METHODS: The educational background of all full-time faculty members of the 107 U.S. dermatology residency programs that were active as of December 2004 were determined through extensive Internet searches, telephone, and email correspondences with residency coordinators and faculty members. Pure PhDs, physicians who did not complete a dermatology residency program at an allopathic school, PharmDs, DDSs, and FNPs were excluded. The University of Puerto Rico was not considered a foreign residency program. RESULTS: As of December 2004, there were 988 full-time dermatology faculty members in the US, 813 of which met our inclusion criteria. There were 30 GFDRs, accounting for 3.7 percent of full-time academic dermatologists. There were 29 GMDRs, accounting for 3.6 percent of all full-time academic dermatologists. Women accounted for 44.42 percent of academic dermatologists and 15.9 percent (14/107) of dermatology chairs/chiefs. CONCLUSION: GFDRs, GMDRs, and women comprise important proportions of full-time faculty members at U.S. dermatology residency programs.

Occurrence of nonmelanoma skin cancers on the hands after UV nail light exposure.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to tanning beds, which contain mostly high-dose UV-A emitters, is a known cause of photoaging. Evidence is also accumulating for an association between tanning bed use and the development of skin cancer. Another source of high-dose UV-A is UV nail lights, available for use in the home and in beauty salons. OBSERVATIONS: Two healthy middle-aged women with no personal or family history of skin cancer developed nonmelanoma skin cancers on the dorsum of their hands. Both women report previous exposure to UV nail lights. CONCLUSIONS: It appears that exposure to UV nail lights is a risk factor for the development of skin cancer; however, this observation warrants further investigation. In addition, awareness of this possible association may help physicians identify more skin cancers and better educate their patients.

MD/PhDs are more likely than MDs to choose a career in academic dermatology.

There are fewer dermatologists entering and being retained in academics. We investigated the hypothesis that MD/PhDs are more likely than MDs to enter a career in academic dermatology. This retrospective study of university dermatology departments and divisions studied MDs, DOs, and MD/PhDs who completed a dermatology program in the U.S. and were serving as full-time dermatology faculty members at a US dermatology program as of December 2004. The main outcome measures were percentage of MD/PhDs who chose a career in academics compared to the percentage of MDs who chose a career in academics; MDs, DOs, MD/PhDs and serving as full-time faculty members and the number serving as chair or chief of dermatology. The total number of MD/PhDs and percentage of MD/PhDs as full-time faculty in 107 U.S. dermatology programs were determined. As of December 2004, there were 782 full-time faculty MDs who completed a residency in the US, with 72 (9.2%) MD/PhDs who completed a US dermatology residency program. MD/PhDs were 1.63 times (p < or =0.001) more likely to go into academics compared to MDs. The programs with the highest number of MD/PhDs as full-time faculty and the programs with the highest percentage of MD/PhDs as full-time faculty were tabulated. Seven out of an eligible 101 dermatology chiefs/chairs were MD/PhDs. The assumption that 5.8 percent of dermatology residents who were MD/PhD during 2004-2007 could be extrapolated to the 35 year period of 1970-2004. MD/PhDs are an important source of physician-scientists in academic dermatology and were 1.63 times more likely compared to MDs to choose a career in academics and remain in academics.

Ranking the dermatology programs based on measurements of academic achievement.

BACKGROUND: The only dermatology rankings in the past were based on National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding and journal citations. OBJECTIVE: To determine the highest ranking academic dermatology programs based on 5 outcome measures and on an overall ranking scale. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to rank the dermatology programs on 4 of the following outcome measures of academic achievement and with an overall ranking. METHODS: We collected extensive 2001 to 2004 data ranging from total publications to grant funding on 107 U.S. dermatology programs and their full-time faculty. Data from part-time and volunteer faculty were not used. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Publications in 2001 to 2004; NIH funding in 2004; Dermatology Foundation grants in 2001 to 2004; faculty lectures in 2004 delivered at national conferences; number of full-time faculty members who were on the editorial boards of the top 3 U.S. dermatology journals and the top 4 subspecialty journals RESULTS: We used the 5 outcome measures to tabulate the highest ranking programs in each category. Using a weighted ranking system, we also tabulated the overall top 30 dermatology programs based on these 5 outcome measures. LIMITATIONS: We were not able to determine the total amount of NIH funding in dollars of the dermatology divisions. The impact factors of the journal in which these publications appeared was not factored into our calculations. Since faculty members may collaborate on the same publication, some publications may have been double-counted. CONCLUSION: In descending order, the 5 highest ranked academic programs are the University of Pennsylvania; University of California, San Francisco; Yale-New Haven Medical Center; New York University; and University of Michigan. This ranking system may allow residents and faculty to improve the academic achievements at their respective programs.

Dermatology residency program characteristics that correlate with graduates selecting an academic dermatology career.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the characteristics of 107 dermatology residency programs to determine which factors are correlated with producing academic dermatologists to help reverse the trend of a growing shortage of academic dermatologists. DESIGN: We collected data ranging from total publications to grant funding. Extensive Internet searches were completed to obtain most of the data. Individual programs were contacted as needed to obtain any missing data that were not found on the program's Web site. SETTING: Dermatology residency programs (departments and divisions) in the United States. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Factors that correlated with producing full-time academic dermatologists. RESULTS: We tabulated and analyzed characteristics of 107 dermatology residency programs. Total full-time faculty members in 2004, total publications in 2004, and total publications from January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2004, were the 3 factors most strongly correlated with producing full-time faculty. National Institutes of Health and Dermatology Foundation grants and American Skin Association grant recipients were the 3 characteristics most strongly inversely correlated with producing full-time faculty. Those who entered academic dermatology tended to stay at the same program where they completed a dermatology residency, especially if this program was considered a "smaller" program. CONCLUSIONS: The programs' characteristics of total publications in 2004 and from 2001 to 2004 were 2 of the 3 factors most strongly positively correlated with dermatology residents entering academic dermatology. Encouraging residents to publish may be a window to motivate them toward a career in academic dermatology.