Resident Responsibilities
Each resident is on call from home an average of one to two months per year. Calls average only one to five per week, a result of the medical center’s outstanding emergency capabilities. Faculty are available at all times for backup.
During the course of the three-year program residents assume progressively increasing leadership duties, including assessing faculty in the instruction of residents from internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, and emergency medicine. In addition, residents will instruct second and fourth-year medical students.
A typical weekly schedule for a first-year dermatology resident includes:
one half-day clinic in which the resident is primarily responsible for the patient, with direct faculty supervision
one half-day surgery clinic in which the resident operates under Dr. Williford’s supervision
five half-day “attending clinics” in which the resident works directly with the dermatology attending physician; inpatient service (average daily census: ½ patient)
two half-days of academic time (e.g. research, special projects, etc.)
one half-day of textbook, weekly dermatopathology (2 hours), and other conferences
Electives and Other Options
Second-year residents are assigned to the Consult Service, with 40-50 new consults per month and fewer assigned clinics. Senior residents may mix half-day general dermatology clinics and half-day dermatologic surgery clinics (advanced dermatologic surgery is a requirement) with specialty clinics, to create an individualized course. A total of six months of elective time is available.
Elective options include combinations of the following:
basic research or clinical research (also available in years one and two)
psoriasis and skin treatment center
dermatopathology
occupational and contact dermatitis
pigmented lesion clinic
vulvar disease clinic
pediatric dermatology
laser clinic
hair disorders
rheumatologic dermatology
flexibility to design own electives (with approval)
surgery (Mohs) – in addition to required surgery