AAD 2014: Resident Highlights From Denver

Another year, another meeting for the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) over, and this one certainly took the AAD to new heights! The “mile-high city” graciously welcomed us as dermatologists from all over the world convened in Denver. Luckily, the big blue bear (pictured here) never did break through the convention center wall, and a bit of chilly weather notwithstanding, the meeting was a great success!

^{Photograph courtesy of Benjamin Lin, MD, Los Angeles, California.}

As always, with so many interesting things going on and so many dermatology luminaries speaking at the same time, it can be quite difficult to navigate the conference and decide which lectures to attend. If there is a specific research topic that sparks your interest, no doubt there was a captivating and focused talk for you to attend. For example, those interested in the use of biologics in dermatology aside from psoriasis may have attended the excellent, standing room only forum “Biologic Therapy in Dermatology Beyond Psoriasis.” But for those who just wanted a sampling of hot topics and board-relevant facts, there certainly was already a very full schedule.

If your program allows you to arrive a day early for the conference, the “Practice Management Symposium for Residents” is highly suggested. Although it does seem geared toward more senior residents with topics such as contract evaluation, how to set up an office, and coding, this information takes some time (and perhaps repetition) to settle in. Because it is free for residents, why not attend more than once during your residency?

“Resident Jeopardy” always is a popular event. Whether or not you have a horse in the race, it is exciting to watch the team try to answer the minutiae of the minutiae, and it is always a great and fun learning experience. Along a similar strain, “Boards Blitz” is another highly attended session for residents. Bridging basic dermatology to dermatopathology to an intense dermatologic surgery session, this symposium paints a broad brushstroke of what is important for dermatology residents to know.

If you could get in, “High Yield ‘Power Hour’ for Residents,” which actually spanned more than an hour, was a great experience. Rapid-fire, boards-style questions: what dermatology resident does not love that? But maybe you were one of those people who could not get in because the room was at capacity; you could have gone next door to watch your peers present their findings at the “Residents and Fellows Symposium,” spanning a broad range of both clinical and basic science research.

If dermatopathology is your cup of tea, there were many forums, symposia, and lectures right up your alley. Either way, a very good session for all dermatology residents is the “Basic Self- assessment of Dermatopathology.” Over 2 hours you get to go through 60 slides (2 minutes each) and pick your preferred answer in a multiple-choice format. The discussion session the next morning could be either reassuring or maybe a bit of a wake-up call! For those dermatopathology pros, there is the “Advanced Self-assessment of Dermatopathology” too. Of course, if you are ready for that course, you probably were also excited for the dermatopathology bowl, conducted yearly at the Dermpath Diagnostics booth on the exhibition floor. Compete head-to-head against other programs around the country and make the diagnosis!

Every year, the plenary session is a signature series of lectures. It is a real privilege to hear from the leadership of the AAD about the most pressing issues in our specialty along with a spotlight guest lecture.

This year’s meeting also saw a change in the late-breaking research symposium with a new name, “The Latest in Dermatology Research,” now with a 2-day format. Who does not want to be on the cutting edge of dermatology?

Lastly, if you are not too comfortable with that little polarized light doohickey in your pocket, numerous sessions focusing on dermoscopy were available from “Basic Dermoscopy” to “Advanced Dermoscopy” and specialized sessions on topics such as “Hair and Scalp Dermoscopy.”

Of course, the AAD would not be the AAD without some fun, so make sure to hit up the resident’s reception to see old friends, fellow interns, people from the interview trail, and “that” guy or girl who everyone remembers (for good or bad). If you signed up early enough, perhaps you got one of the complimentary resident spots at the Women’s Dermatologic Society luncheon, which is a great event with interesting talks and great company; you do not have to be a woman to go!

I hope you enjoyed the AAD this year; are you excited yet for San Francisco next year?

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