Dermatology
Dermatology is one of the oldest specialties of medicine and represents a unique and interesting part of the medical field. Skin is the largest organ of the body and provides numerous vital functions to support individual well-being. With its cellular elements, the skin serves an important immunologic function. Recent advances have brought immunology and dermatology closer together, creating the new field of immuno-dermatology. Advances in the immunodermatology and molecular-dermatology bases have moved dermatology to the forefront of investigative research and have shed light on the understanding of the pathogenic mechanism of various skin disorders, the development of new diagnostic tools, and molecularly based designer drugs for dermatology.
The history of the Dermatology Department at New York Medical College (NYMC) begins in 1873 with P. E. Arcularius, M.D., as a special lecturer on Dermatology at New York Homeopathic Medical College and Flower Hospital, the Department’s first hospital affiliate. In 1893, Henry Dearborn, M.D., became a lecturer and professor at NYMC and later held clinics at Metropolitan Hospital, which has a long history of affiliation with NYMC that continues today. In 1927, Dr. Dearborn became the head of the Dermatology Department, a position he held until 1940. Over the years, the Department continued to grow under the leadership of many distinguished chairs, and hospital affiliations expanded. Today, under the leadership of chair Dr. Bijan Safai, whose early work on Kaposi’s Sarcoma led him to be among the initial investigators of the AIDS epidemic, continues to advance the field of dermatology.
Research
Research is a major focus of the Department. Faculty undertake research on a wide variety of dermatological topics in conjunction with residents and medical students that has been published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national conferences.
Medical Student Education
Third-year medical students can learn more about dermatology during an elective in which they work closely with dermatology residents to gain a broad understanding of the field. During the fourth-year dermatology elective, students work alongside residents and attending physicians to learn about the many aspects of dermatologic diagnosis and treatment through active participation in the evaluation and management of patients with skin disease.
Dermatology Residency Program
The NYMC Dermatology Residency Program is a three-year program designed to provide excellence in clinical and surgical dermatology and dermatopathology and is primarily based at two sites: NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan and Coney-Island Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. Applicants must be students at or graduates of approved medical schools in the United States or Canada and must complete a preliminary (PGY-1) year in one of the following programs (transitional year, internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, general surgery, emergency medicine or OB/GYN). International applicants will be considered only if they have completed PGY-1 training in the U.S. and hold a current, valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates.
Learn more about the NYMC Dermatology Residency Program.
Meet the Team
Department of Dermatology
New York Medical College
(212) 423-7467
Bijan Safai, M.D, Sc.D.
Chair and Professor of Dermatology
Marian Russo, M.D.
Program Director
russom1@nychhc.org
Magali Cruz
Secretary
magali.cruz@nychhc.org
