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Open Access Publications from the University of California

Scholarly Works (41 results)

  • Article
Dermatology Online Journal, Volume 25, Issue 1 (2019)
Although most dermatologic procedures are done in an office setting, some providers are performing them instead in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). This relocation of care comes with significantly higher expenses for patients and insurers. Compounding the issue of increased costs is the paucity of evidence demonstrating better outcomes associated with the use of ASCs. The most common cutaneous procedures have low complication rates when performed in an office setting and regular use of ASCs for these procedures is not justified.
    Cover page: The doctor's office is the best setting for most cutaneous procedures
    • Article
    Dermatology Online Journal, Volume 22, Issue 3 (2016)
    As it grows increasingly difficult to match into a dermatology residency program each year, there is a widening gap in research accomplishments between those who have and have not matched successfully. Applicants should be aware of the current trends in order to maximize their chances of matching. Such research inequality may subsequently lead to increases in the pressure to publish and the incidence of academic misrepresentation. Academic dermatology programs should be aware of these issues in order to help their students successfully match and exercise caution when reviewing the curricula vitae of applicants. We believe that student mentors in dermatology are in the best position to help applicants navigate these challenges until effective checkpoints can be built-in to the application system.
      Cover page: Pressure to publish for residency applicants in dermatology
      • Article
      Dermatology Online Journal, Volume 23, Issue 6 (2017)

      Cultural competency continues to gain increased attention in medicine. Not only does it play a significant role in the delivery of health care and patient outcomes, but it also remains a major determinant of patient satisfaction. This study investigated how patients in an urban dermatology clinic rated their satisfaction with cultural competency. Compared to White patients, satisfaction scores were greater for Hispanic or Latino patients and less for Asian patients, while there was no significant difference for Black or African American patients. There were clear differences in patient satisfaction rates of various dimensions of cultural competency. A follow-up study with a larger sample size is needed for closer examination into the conclusions.

        Cover page: Evaluating cultural competency and patient satisfaction in an urban dermatology clinic
        • Article
        Dermatology Online Journal, Volume 24, Issue 4 (2018)
        Matching into a dermatology residency program has become increasingly more challenging for medical students. As students continue to explore various methods to help them standout to programs, recent medical literature has continued to show evidence of the important role that visiting clerkships play. Visiting clerkships offer several benefits to both students and programs. In order to optimize visiting clerkships, the perspectives of both students and programs are each examined with recommendations provided to help maximize its benefits.
          Cover page: Optimizing visiting clerkships in dermatology: a dual perspective approach
          • Article
          Dermatology Online Journal, Volume 23, Issue 2 (2017)
          This commentary addresses the emerging market forhealth-related smartphone applications. Specific todermatology, there has been a significant increasenot only in applications that promote skin cancerawareness and education but also in those meantfor detection. With evidence showing that 365dermatology-related applications were available in2014--up from 230 in 2012--and that 1 in 5 patientsunder the age of 50 have used a smartphone tohelp diagnose a skin problem, there is clearly a largesubset of patients participating in this growing trend.Therefore, we are obligated to take a closer lookinto this phenomenon. Studies have shown thatapplications are inferior to in-person consultationswith one study showing that 3 out of 4 applicationsincorrectly classified 30% or more melanomas aslow-risk lesions. Although the FDA gained regulatoryoversight over mobile health applications in 2012and recently released their statement in 2015, theirreach only extends to cover a selected portion ofthese applications, leaving many unregulated asthey continue to be marketed toward our patients.Dermatologists should be updated on our currentsituation in order to properly counsel patients on therisks and benefits of these applications and whetherthey are acceptable for use.
            Cover page: Challenges to smartphone applications for melanoma detection
            • Article
            Dermatology Online Journal, Volume 23, Issue 11 (2017)
            This commentary addresses the increasingly competitive nature of applying to dermatology residency programs and how both interest groups in medical schools and their dermatology departments can help to better prepare applicants. As previous literature argued that dermatology has been underemphasized in medical school curricula, we propose five fundamental options that interest groups can implement in order to offer increased exposure to our field in medical training. Furthermore, with therecent trend of many schools conferring certificates in various specialized concentrations, we also discuss interest groups pioneering certificate-grantingprograms in dermatology competency. The pros and cons of having a recognized certificate program in dermatology are presented.
              Cover page: Modernizing dermatology interest groups in medical school: Certificate programs
              • Article
              Dermatology Online Journal, Volume 26, Issue 3 (2020)
              The use of social media in medicine has been increasingly studied in recent years, especially concerning its role in patient outreach, education, diagnosis, and management. Dermatology is a unique field in that patients can post photographs of their skin ailments when seeking online medical advice and information. This study examines the role of public social media consultations for dermatologic conditions. A large portion of patients utilize social media for dermatologic consultations and many do not seek care from a dermatologist afterward. Future studies should trend this phenomenon, especially as the use of social media continues to expand.
                Cover page: Public social media consultations for dermatologic conditions: an online survey
                • Article
                Dermatology Online Journal, Volume 23, Issue 10 (2017)

                In dermatology, a particularly common ethical dilemma can arise when the skin lesions of bystanders are inadvertently viewed in public settings. Dermatology is a unique field, where a person’s organ of interest is readily visible to others. When lesions are suspicious for skin disease, unsolicited medical opinions may or may not be given depending on several factors. This study examined the actions and attitudes of dermatologists with different levels of experience through the use of case scenarios with various settings and skin lesions.

                  Cover page: Trends in unsolicited dermatologic opinions: a national survey
                  • Article
                  Dermatology Online Journal, Volume 24, Issue 6 (2018)
                  Simulation models are rapidly changing medical education, especially the training of dermatology residents. Various models are available, including cadaveric simulations. Our study evaluates the impact of a cadaveric simulation on the training of dermatology residents. Over a period of three years, cadaveric simulation was shown to increase the surgical knowledge of residents. Residents were more confident in their knowledge of surgical anatomy and also surgical skills. Cadaveric simulation may offer a positive impact on resident training in dermatology.
                    Cover page: Cadaveric simulation for improving surgical training in dermatology
                    • Article
                    • Peer Reviewed
                    UCLA Previously Published Works (2022)
                    Many traits are subject to assortative mating, with recent molecular genetic findings confirming longstanding theoretical predictions that assortative mating induces long range dependence across causal variants. However, all marker-based heritability estimators implicitly assume mating is random. We provide mathematical and simulation-based evidence demonstrating that both method-of-moments and likelihood-based estimators are biased in the presence of assortative mating and derive corrected heritability estimators for traits subject to assortment. Finally, we demonstrate that the empirical patterns of estimates across methods and sample sizes for real traits subject to assortative mating are congruent with expected assortative mating-induced biases. For example, marker-based heritability estimates for height are 14% - 23% higher than corrected estimates using UK Biobank data.
                      Cover page: Assortative mating biases marker-based heritability estimators
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