Clinical Services - Dermatology Residencies & Fellowships

Fletcher Allen serves as the regional referral center for a population base of approximately one million people, allowing trainees to care for patients with a wide spectrum of common medical illnesses, as well as evaluate and manage patients with more unusual illnesses from the referral population. More than 75% of the dermatology resident's time is devoted to direct patient care. A large percentage of patients present with basic cutaneous disease either by self-referral or by referral from their primary care physicians. A substantial minority of patients derives from referral by other dermatologists for complex dermatologic disease. An attending physician who is ultimately responsible for patient care and teaching staffs all clinics in which residents participate.

Dermatology Clinical Services

The Dermatology outpatient service at Fletcher Allen's Medical Center Campus consists of twelve exam rooms, one phototherapy suite, three nurse stations, and four Mohs surgery procedure rooms. The dermatology outpatient service operates from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday, with approximately 25,000 patient visits per year. Satellite outpatient services are offered at Copley Hospital in Morrisville, Cobblestone Health Commons in St. Albans, and Moses Ludington Hospital in Ticonderoga, NY.  Approximately 3,000 skin biopsies are performed each year. Over 2,000 Mohs surgeries are performed along with a broad range of repair procedures.The patient mix is excellent, and focuses on acne, atopic dermatitis,psoriasis, contact dermatitis, nevi and melanoma, bullous disease, cutaneous lupus, pruritus, nonmelanoma skin cancer, actinic damage, and cosmetic dermatology. This is an academic practice and many patients have complex medical and surgical issues.

Work Schedule and On Call

To ensure educational priorities are not diminished by service needs of the dermatology clinic, a number of valued resources have been developed. These include work hour restrictions, comprehensive clinic staffing, and excellent ancillary services. The average week will entail 45 to 50 hours of work, excluding call responsibilities. Residents will average call every third day and every third weekend. Call is from home. On average residents will spend 8 half-days per week in clinic, surgery, or dermatopathology.

Admissions

Admissions to the dermatology service are rare. Most patients admitted to Fletcher Allen are admitted through their primary physician with a dermatology consultation. Several patients per year are admitted directly to dermatology. These patients will be admitted and followed by the dermatology resident responsible for consultations.

Ancillary Services

The Pathology and Laboratory services available at Fletcher Allen are outstanding. The microbiology laboratory is located on site at the UHC Campus. Pathology specimens are accessioned daily at Fletcher Allen and reports are issued within 3 to 7 days. Two dermatopathologists are on staff and provide the highest level of dermatopathology service.