What goes into the writing of a textbook? It certainly involves a passion for teaching, steadfast determination and a lot of sweat equity. In this episode, Dr. Caroline Nelson talks about the many hats she wears: educator, inpatient and complex medical dermatologist, and author to a newly published board-review book for dermatology residents. Spoil…

Are you curious about the important work taking place inside the Veterans Affairs (VA) Healthcare system? Are you interested in learning more about melanoma epidemiology and clinical research? Then you don't want to miss this episode with our very special guest, Dr. Rebecca Hartman. Email: topicalpod@gmail.com Twitter: @TopicalPod @KristinaLiuMD @A…

We are delighted to welcome Dr. (and Assistant Dean) Daniel Butler back on our podcast! Dr. Butler shares his valuable insights on how to find purpose and balance in life, and how he turned his passions into a career in geriatric dermatology and medical education. Bonus: we also discuss his recent article on "research fever," and the challenges and…

Finding the "right" research mentor or research fellowship can be an exciting - and daunting - process. We meet with three current research fellows to talk about what to look for in a mentor, how to gauge the right fit, the goals of the fellowship year and the mentor / mentee relationship. Talk to us: Email: topicalpod@gmail.com Twitter: @TopicalPo…

Happy 2023, dear listeners! We are back in the studio for a January roll call: aka what you should be doing right now depending on your year of training in medical school. We talk about clinical rotations, research years, applications and more. Spoiler alert: the "product" of a research year is not publications!…

If you couldn't get enough of the candid conversations with Dr. Dewan, neither could we. In Part II, we learn about the wonderful Vanderbilt dermatology residency program. It has it all: comprehensive training learning from complex patients, a revamped curriculum, fantastic faculty and a warm and tight-knit community. And of course, we can't help b…

Topical is back (back again) after Kris brought home the newest baby team member this summer. We are excited to kickoff our new season wtih a special guest, Dr. Annie Dewan. She is a dermatologist extraordinaire, a residency program director and mom of three. Join us as we learn about her path to dermatology, her passion for complex medical derm, a…

In this special episode, we join Jonny Hatch on the DIGA podcast to talk about - what else - our love for dermatology! We discuss Med-Derm programs, cosmetic dermatology, tips for dermatology applicants, and much more. Talk to us: Email: topicalpod@gmail.com derminterestpod@gmail.com https://derminterest.com/diga-podcast/ Twitter: @TopicalPod @Kris…

Hi listeners, have you missed us? We have certainly missed you. Arash and Kris return from our hiatus to share a life update and to introduce the latest season of Topical. We will be returning with monthly episodes, exploring the world of dermatology from different and innovative angles.

Can't get enough of these honest, powerful conversations with Dr. Oyerinde? Neither could we. In Part II, we talk about the "minority tax," the need for universal Skin of Color dermatology education, and how diversity & inclusion efforts should a valuable part of the academic currency. Talk to us: Email: topicalpod@gmail.com Twitter: @TopicalPod @K…

Oceanographer, poet, doctor - all these were aspirations of Dr. Oyetewa Oyerinde, and she has achieved many of these and more. We talk about her path to dermatology and her interests in diversity, equity and inclusion. We delve deep into how to combat micro-aggressions, minimize implicit bias and how to take action toward being upstanders in medici…

We have finally made it to the other side of the Match! In part one of this two part series, we invite Olivia Davies (future Harvard dermatology resident and woman with more Twitter followers than Arash) to reflect on the applicant experience with virtual interviews. We talk about efficiencies, challenges, and what parts may be here to stay. Talk t…

Dr. Vinod Nambudiri is a dermatologist who has worn many hats: medical educator, program director, clinician, researcher and Director of Business Development (intrigued yet?). He shares with us how a broad passion for learning and teaching has led him to the unique and fulfilling job he has today. **SPECIAL NOTE** Brigham and Women's Hospital Depar…

You won't want to miss this inspirational interview with Pearl Ugwu-Dike, medical student and aspiring dermatologist. She talks to us about how she sought out research opportunities and mentorship (spoiler alert: through cold emails!) and her amazing work capturing the the way patients of color live with their skin conditions and navigate the healt…

Are you a foreign medical graduate considering dermatology training in the U.S.? Then you don't want to miss this episode with Dr. Alex Ortega Loayza. Dr. Ortega Loayza grew up in Peru, and through incredible tenacity, intellectual curiosity, creativity and a bit of serendipity, he has created a powerhouse career in pyoderma gangrenosum and complex…

We are delighted to cross-pollinate with another amazing dermatology podcast, Dermasphere, which is hosted by two savvy, funny dermatologists with the goal of bringing the latest dermatology research direct to listeners. They take the hard work out of keeping up-to-date with the dermatology literature! You can find Dermasphere anywhere you can find…

Welcome to Season 3, listeners! We are excited to kick off our new season and the new year with a special guest, Dr. Sadaf Hussain. She shares with us her path to becoming a pediatric dermatologist, a journey fueled by a thirst for knowledge, passion for service and, of course, love for taking care of the cutest kiddos. Talk to us: Email: topicalpo…

What will online residency interviews be like? We answer some frequently asked questions: How to answer the question "tell me about yourself"? (Hint: it's like an elevator pitch) What to do during the virtual resident dinner? (Should you eat something exotic?) Is there such a thing as a perfect answer? (Hint: be prepared but not too rehearsed...may…

Are you tired of hearing the words "unprecedented times" yet? When it comes to residency interviews this year, those overused words definitely apply. We share some practical tips and easy tricks to turn your online interviews up a notch. (Note: We initially recorded this as a video episode, but...surprise...ran into some Zoom technical difficulties…

Dr. Kristin Nord, Program Director of the Stanford Dermatology Residency, joins us on our show to talk about her path to medicine and dermatology. We also learn about wellness, a vitally important aspect of thriving (not just surviving) in our jobs and lives. (Spoiler alert: we reveal the meaning behind JOMO) Follow us on: iTunes: https://itunes.ap…

Holistic review. Preference signaling. Application caps. Have you wondered how these buzzwords relate to the residency application process? In this episode, Dr. Ilana Rosman, Program Director of the Washington University dermatology residency and Twitter #MedEd thought-leader (@ilanarosman), talks to us about ideas for improving the application pro…

It is our absolute pleasure to invite Dr. Kanade Shinkai on our show. She is a distinguished clinician, medical educator and the current Editor-in-Chief of JAMA Dermatology. (Spoiler: this wonderful educator got her start by teaching "stuffies" as a child) Follow us on: iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/topical-the-dermatology-podcast/id1…

Like fine wine, discussions with Dr. Misha Rosenbach gets better with time. Due to popular demand, he returns to Topical (for Round 3!) to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on trainees and residency applications. Talk to us: Email: topicalpod@gmail.com Twitter: @TopicalPod @KristinaLiuMD @AMostaghimi @MishaRosenbach Follow us on: iTunes: https://itune…

We invite Dr. Esther Freeman on our show because many of our listeners wanted to learn how to combine their interests in global health and dermatology. Dr. Freeman does exactly that - travel the world, combining her love for epidemiology, public health and dermatology, and representing our specialty by being on the forefront of HIV and COVID-19 res…

Over the past decade, financial investment funds, known as private equity groups, have been rapidly acquiring and consolidating many dermatology practices. We invite a special guest, the newly minted Dr. Kira Seiger, on our show to discuss what this trend means and how it affects dermatologists and our field as a whole. Talk to us: Email: topicalpo…