Why the University of Virginia?
First and foremost, it is our job to provide the trainee with a high volume of varied clinical experiences. The Dermatologist’s unique expertise in the “House of Medicine” derives from our ability to recognize, diagnose and treat a vast array of cutaneous pathology. To that end, your residency at UVA will include exposure to a high volume of patients with clinics that include specific experience in the following areas with increased individual responsibility as you move through three years of clinical training.
A key mission for our residency program
A key mission for our residency program is to curate the vast expanse of medical knowledge (literature, journals, online resources, lectures, meetings, digital resources, question, banks, etc.) that are available to learners in the modern medical landscape. It is our mission to teach you how to access, weigh the importance of, and judge the utility of this infinite array of information. Our goal is for you to leave the residency with the ability to target high quality, high yield resources and skills for lifelong learning in the field. A variety of conferences will hone these capabilities, including:
- Journal clubs and textbook conferences on a weekly basis.
- A wide variety of lectures from faculty within the department and in various specialties within the university, physicians from the community, and regional experts in niche dermatological specialties.
- Grand Rounds once a month with live patient viewing and discussion of complex cases with the entire faculty and physicians from the community.
- Monthly conferences reviewing how complex inpatient consult cases were approached and managed
- Residency Program and Quality Improvement Meeting
- Twice a year sponsorship of a the EP Cawley Forum, a 2 day regional meeting hosted within the department. The program invites a nationally recognized expert in the specialty to present on a topic selected by residents and faculty.
- Attendance at a variety of national and regional meetings including but not limited to the American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting, Southeastern Consortium of Dermatology Annual Meeting, Virginia Dermatology Society Annual Meeting, National Psoriasis Conference, the Chief Academy, the Association of Professors in Dermatology and others as determined by the interests of the trainee.
The mentorship our faculty provides
The mentorship our faculty provides is the most valuable resource we can provide to a trainee. What you will learn working with our faculty day-in and day-out is the art of medicine. You will learn how to truly connect with patients, how to work with staff and within an organization, how to navigate the increasingly complex issues and challenges of the modern medical system. Beyond the daily mentorship that is the historic bedrock of our residency training system, we have developed a formalized mentorship program that provides our trainees with a chance to meet with mentors within and outside the University who have experiences that align with their specific goals for professional development.
Our highest mission is to make your work here meaningful. The work of residency is not easy, but if it is meaningful you will never regret your choice to train in Dermatology at the University of Virginia. It is our goal to facilitate your career development in a way that brings you joy and satisfaction in the work you do and the path you are taking. UVA Dermatology would love to be the program where you “become the physician you always wanted to be”.