Fellowship Program

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

MOHS MICROGRAPHIC SURGERY/PROCEDURAL DERMATOLOGY FELLOWSHIP

DERMATOLOGIC SURGICENTER,

PHILADELPHIA, PA

From left: Dr. Robert Sollitto, Dr. Chris Conti, Dr. Anthony Benedetto, Dr. Ernest Benedetto, Dr. Stu Shanler.

ANTHONY V. BENEDETTO, DO, FACP, FCPP
PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Overview

This Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Procedural Dermatology Fellowship, under the direction of Anthony Benedetto, DO, FACP, FCPP, offers an intense and broad-based training experience in the field of dermatologic procedural surgery. This is a one year fellowship that includes training in Mohs micrographic and reconstruction surgery, the use of different lasers, sclerotherapy, liposuction, and other cosmetic procedures including the administration of fillers and neurotoxins. The Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Procedural Dermatology Fellowship Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and approved by the American College of Mohs Surgery (ACMS). Dr. Anthony Benedetto personally performs over 2500 cases of dermatologic procedures per year. The fellow is expected to participate in those cases assisting and eventually acting as primary surgeon on all aspects of patient care.

Goals

The fellow will become proficient in all phases of Mohs surgery, i.e., the excision of skin cancers; tissue orientation, tinctorial coding and mapping of tissue specimens; frozen tissue cryostat mounting and sectioning, specimen staining and glass slide mounting and microscopic interpretation. In addition, at least 90 percent of all cases treated at our SurgiCenters are reconstructed, thereby allowing the fellow to become proficient in various reconstructive surgical procedures. The fellow will become confident and adept at performing the Mohs technique for even the largest and most complicated cases of skin cancer. The other 5-10 percent of cases are referred elsewhere because of their referral source or complexity of the wound defect. When indicated, the fellow will accompany these patients to the operating room to observe the attending oculoplastic, head and neck, or plastic surgeon during the reconstruction of those referred post-Mohs excisions.

Structure

During a fellowship year, the fellow will be expected to complete a minimum of 500 Mohs cases, 200 cases of which the fellow performs as primary surgeon and at least 300 as the first assistant with the Program Director. Fifty of these Mohs cases and 50 of the reconstructive procedures done by the fellow as the primary surgeon are expected to be of a complex nature. The fellow will be expected to complete a minimum of 1000 dermatological procedures for the Procedural Dermatology fellowship, which will include biopsies, injections of fillers and neurotoxins, laser and light device treatments, excisions and revisions, cryosurgery, dermabrasion, sclerotherapy, liposuction and various other dermatologic procedures. All of these procedures will be documented in case log format in compliance with the ACGME. The documentation for the ACGME will be done online by the fellow as required. The case log will be submitted to the ACMS and ACGME at the completion of the fellowship. The fellow will be expected to complete all of the above mentioned procedures and documentation to graduate from the program. Fellows are expected to keep track of their case log and update it routinely. The fellow's progress and surgical expertise will be supervised directly by the Program Director on a daily basis.

Mohs Micrographic Surgery

The main surgical experience is at two ambulatory surgical centers. In addition there also is exposure to other practice settings. These include attendance at The Philadelphia Veterans Administration Hospital, University of Pennsylvania dermatologic surgery clinic; Dermpath Diagnostics for general dermatopathology review; Wills Eye Hospital for a periorbital dissection course; Thomas Jefferson Medical College of Medicine for head and neck cadaver dissection as well as observational sessions in liposuction, aesthetic and reconstructive surgeries with well known area cosmetic surgeons.

Lasers

The fellowship experience also includes ample exposure to the operation of the Carbon Dioxide Ultra Pulse Encore laser used in the continuous wave mode for different surgical procedures or in fractional or nonfractionated superficial and deep tissue resurfacing. Other lasers utilized during the fellowship are the Light Sheer Duet 800nm diode laser for hair removal, the Extrac 312nm excimer laser for the treatment of psoriasis and hypopigmented conditions, the V-Beam 595nm pulsed dye laser for the treatment of vascular lesions, the Q-5 1064/532nm Nd:YAG Q-switched laser for the treatment of pigmented lesions and tattoo removal and the Gentle YAG long pulse 1064nm Nd:YAG laser for the treatment of vascular lesions and hair removal.

Cosmetics

Other cosmetic surgical procedures performed during the fellowship include injections of neurotoxins and various soft tissue fillers as well as sclerotherapy, chemical peelings, wire brush and diamond fraise dermabrasion, tumescent liposuction, and different types of scar revision and subcision procedures. The fellow receives additional experience through various optional rotations at different cosmetic surgery clinics in the immediate vicinity for experience in hair transplantation, blepharoplasty and rhytidectomy, when time permits.

Research and Academic Activity

Research is a key component of fellowship training and the fellow is expected to participate in various clinical research projects during the course of the program year. Furthermore, the fellow is expected to participate in the review of manuscripts prior to publication from different journals of dermatology and dermatologic surgery.

The program seeks highly motivated, energetic individuals who are interested in making contributions to the field of dermatologic and procedural cosmetic surgery. During the fellowship a clinical research project resulting in publication in a peer reviewed journal is a requirement. The fellow also is expected to prepare a presentation for the annual meeting of the American College of Mohs Surgery. The fellow also is expected to prepare an abstract for presentation at other annual meetings, including but not limited to the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery. The fellow is required to attend monthly journal club meetings of the Philadelphia Society for Dermatologic Surgery as well as the bimonthly meetings of the Philadelphia South Journal Club, along with the monthly meetings of the Philadelphia Dermatological Society and the quarterly meetings of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, Section on Dermatology, all of which supplement the fellow's solid surgical didactic experience with a more well-rounded, general dermatology familiarity understanding comprehension.

Requirements for application, eligibility, selection and recruitment

The Dermatologic SurgiCenter is a participating member of the San Francisco Match Program. Applicants must meet the following minimum requirements as prescribed by the ACGME in order to be considered as a potential candidate for fellowship at the Dermatologic SurgiCenter. The applicant must be:

1. A graduate from a medical school of the United States that is accredited by the ACGME or of Canada that is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME);
2. A graduate from a college of osteopathic medicine of the United States accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA).
3. A graduate from a medical school outside the United States or Canada who has:
4. A certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) and that is valid and current; and
5. A license to practice medicine in the United States licensing jurisdiction; and
6. Completed an ACGME accredited residency in dermatology or its equivalent before commencing the fellowship; and is
7. Eligible to sit for the American Board of Dermatology Examination.

Eligible applicants will be considered based on their preparedness, ability, aptitude, academic credentials, communication skills, and personal qualities such as motivation and integrity. The Dermatologic SurgiCenter will not discriminate with regard to sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

All applications are reviewed and evaluated by the Program Director. The selection of applicants for interviews is based upon credentials (medical school and dermatology residency performance and board scores), publications, research activities, letters of recommendation, and extracurricular activities. The required two-day fellowship interviews are granted to the best qualified candidates.

All applicants are required to submit the following before the application is considered complete and before an interview can be granted:

1 Original copy of Medical School Transcript

2 Current color photograph, passport size

3 A Dermatologic SurgiCenter's individual application

4 Three letters of reference:

1. One letter of reference should be mailed from the Chairman of the Department of Dermatology in which the applicant currently is a resident/or from the Chairman of the Department from which the applicant has completed his or her Dermatology Residency

2. A second letter of reference should be from an individual familiar with their dermatologic surgical skills preferably from a staff member of their training institution

3. A third letter of reference should be from a member of the teaching staff from the Department of Dermatology of their Residency

1 Current Curriculum Vitae

2 Personal Statement

3 Original copy of the National Board (or Flex) Scores, Part I, Part II, and Part III

The interview process requires two days of onsite participation. During this time the applicant is asked to observe surgeries performed at the Dermatologic SurgiCenters including Mohs surgeries. If the Program Director approves of the applicant, he or she is ranked according to the rules outlined by the San Francisco Match Program for Procedural Dermatology.

After an applicant has matched with this program, the prerequisite documentation and licensure must be completed prior to commencing the fellowship and are as listed below:

1 PA State Medical License

2 Medical Malpractice Insurance

3 DEA License

4 ACLS Certification

5 National Provider Identification Number

6 Medicare Provider Enrollment

7 Blue Shield Provider Enrollment

8 Fitzgerald Mercy Hospital Privileges (if applicable)

9 Delaware County Memorial Hospital Privileges (if applicable)

10 Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center Privileges

ANTHONY V. BENEDETTO, DO, FACP, FCPP Procedural Dermatology Program Director

Ashley Radcliffe, Procedural Dermatology Fellowship Coordinator

OUR FORMER FELLOWS
AND THEIR YEAR OF FELLOWSHIP TRAINING
DERMATOLOGIC SURGICENTER

Fellowship Year: 1990-1991
Harry Humenick, M.D. (February 7, 1958 - May 11, 2010)

Medical School: The University of Toledo - College of Medicine, Toledo, Ohio, 1986
Internship: (PGY-1) The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, 1987
Residency (PGY-2-4): Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 1990
Practice: Dermatologic Surgery/Cosmetic, Sylvania, Ohio

• Former Head MOHS Surgery Medical College of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio
• President, Ohio Society for Dermatologic Surgery (2000-2010).

Fellowship Year: 1991-1992
Ernest A. Benedetto, M.D.

Medical School: University of Rome Medical School, Rome, Italy, 1983
Internship: (PGY-1-3): SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, 1980
Residency in Internal Medicine: The Cleveland Clinic Foundation - 1987
Residency in Dermatology: The Cleveland Clinic Foundation - 1990
Practice: Dermatologic SurgiCenter, Philadelphia and Drexel Hill,
Pennsylvania

Fellowship Year: 1992-1993
John Martinez, M.D.

Med School: Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
Residency: (PGY1-3): University of California, Irvine, Dept. of Family Medicine, Irvine, CA
Fellow: Immunology/Melanoma, University of California, San Francisco, CA
Residency (PGY1-3): State University of New York, Buffalo, NY
Practice: Kaiser Occupational Medicine, Irvine and San Diego, CA

• Chief of Service, Kaiser Permanente Hospital
• Co-Director, Procedural Dermatology, Irvine, CA

Fellowship Year: 1995-1996
Robert Sollitto, M.D.

Medical School: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
Internship: (PGY-1) Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT
Residency:

• (PGY-2,3) Boston University/Tufts University Integrated Program in Dermatology, Boston, MA
• (PGY-4,5) National Institutes of Health, NCI/NIAMS with Fellowship in Dermatological Clinical Research, Bethesda, MD

Practice: Robert B. Sollitto, M.D., PC (Dermatological Surgery), Voorhees, NJ

• President and CEO of Voorhees Surgery Center, LLC, a multi-specialty accredited ambulatory surgery center.

"My fellowship experience with Dr. Anthony Benedetto provided breadth and depth of dermatological surgical techniques, with particular focus on Mohs micrographic surgery and reconstruction that simply could not be excelled in the timeframe. I graduated the fellowship with the skill set and the confidence to embrace and tackle the scope of challenges facing the dedicated Mohs surgeon, as well as an ignited passion for further learning and creativity towards excellent patient care. The American College of Mohs Surgery is blessed with numerous fine training program directors, but I can think of none better than Dr. Anthony Benedetto. His clinical teaching, incorporating the best classical and innovative approaches integrated with legendary caring and compassion for patients, make him not only a superior surgical mentor, but moreover, a role model of the first order."

Fellowship Year: 1998-1999
Stu Shanler, M.D.

Medical School : Albany Medical College of Union University, Albany, NY
Internship in Internal Medicine: Beth Israel Medical Center Program, New York, NY
Residency in Internal Medicine: Beth Israel Medical Center Program, New York, NY
Fellow: Dermatologic Oncology and Investigational Cutaneous Laser Therapeutics, Buffalo, NY
Residency: State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
Practice: Vicept Therapeutics, Inc., Malvern, PA

Fellowship Year: 1999-2000
Chris Conti, M.D.

Medical School: New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY
Residency: University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
Practice: Panzer Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery, Newark, DE
"Dr. Benedetto is a true mentor in the art of Mohs Surgery and Reconstruction."

Fellowship Year: 2000-2001
Alan Lewis, M.D.
Medical School: Louisiana State University, New Orleans, LA
Residency: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
Practice: New Orleans, LA, and Gulfport, MS
Practice: Tulane Dermatology Affiliates, New Orleans, LA and Gulfport, MS

• Former Head of Mohs Surgery, Tulane University

Fellowship Year: 2001-2002
Andrew Herbst, M.D.

Medical School: New York University School of Medicine, New York City, NY
Internship in Internal Medicine: Columbia Presbyterian, New York City, NY
Residency: SYNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY
Practice: Dermatology, Laser & Plastic, Plainview, NY

Fellowship Year: 2002-2003
Jim Lahti, M.D.

Medical School: Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
Internship: PGY-1: Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, MA
Residency in Internal Medicine: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Residency in Dermatology: University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD
Practice: Dermatology Partners of the North Shore, Northbrook, Illinois

• Clinical Instructor at Northwestern Department of Dermatology

Fellowship Year: 2003-2004
Stephen Romagnolo, M.D.

Medical School: DartmouthUniversity, Hanover, NH
Internship in Internal Medicine: Hahnemann University, Philadelphia, PA
Residency in Dermatology: Hahnemann University, Philadelphia, PA
Practice: Center for Dermatology and Skin Surgery, Hudson, Florida

Fellowship Year: 2004-2005
Michael Lehrer, M.D.

Medical School: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
Internship in Internal Medicine: Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Residency: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Practice: Dermatology and Skin Surgery Center, Exton, PA
Dermatology Associates of Plymouth Meeting, Plymouth Meeting, PA
"My favorite times at Dermatologic SurgiCenter were definitely
performing the difficult cases under Dr. Anthony's guidance."

Fellowship Year: 2005-2006
Anthony Papadopoulos, M.D.

Medical School: University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, NJ
Internship: Brown University, Providence, RI
Residency: Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC
Practice: Advanced Dermatology Associates of Sussex County, Sparta, NJ
"A day doesn't go by when what I've learned in Philadelphia isn't applied to my daily practice."

Fellowship Year: 2006-2007
Stephen D'Addario, M.D.

Medical School: SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY
Internship:
Residency: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR
Practice: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Dept. of
Dermatology Arkansas, Little Rock, AR

Fellowship Year 2007-2008
Otter Aspen, M.D.

Medical School: Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Internship: Caritas Carney Hospital, Dorchester, MA
Residency: Boston University/ Tufts University, Boston, MA
Practice: The Permanente Medical Group, Inc., Elk Grove, CA

Fellowship Year: 2008-2009
Daniel Shurman, M.D.

Medical School: Temple Medical School, Philadelphia, PA
Internship: Christiana Care Hospital, Newark, DE
Residency: Thomas Jefferson University Dermatology, Philadelphia, PA
Practice: Family Dermatology of PA, Reading, PA
"It was a big happy family with many clinical and practical pearls of wisdom passed on from the two amazing directors. Staff was warm and caring."

Fellowship Year: 2009-2010
Philippe Lafaille, M.D.

Medical School: University of Montreal, Montreal, CAN
Residency: University of Montreal, Montreal, CAN
Practice: Maisonneuve- Rosemont Hospital, Montreal, CAN
"It was a great year and a great learning experience."

Fellowship Year: 2010-2011
Matthew Petrie, M.D.

Medical School - Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
Internship - Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center Department of Internal Medicine
Residency in Dermatology - Thomas Jefferson University Hospital,
Philadelphia, PA
Practice: Annapolis Dermatology Center, Annapolis MD

"The SurgiCenter is a fun place to work and offers an amazing variety of surgical procedures!"

Fellowship Year: 2011-2012
Edward Monk, M.D.

Medical School: SUNY Downstate Medical Center, College of Medicine, Brooklyn, NY
Internship in Internal Medicine: Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT
Residency: SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY

OUR CURRENT FELLOW

Khaled M. Hassan, M.D.

Medical School: Duke University School of Medicine, Durham NC
Internship: Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance CA
Residency: UC Irvine, Irvine CA