Fellowship
Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology
The Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology Fellowship at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center is a one-year, ACGME-accredited program that admits one fellow per year.
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There are seven full-time Mohs surgeons on faculty at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, all hailing from a different training program, such that the fellow in the Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology program is exposed to a broad range of surgical and management styles.
Program Overiew
In the 2023/24 academic year, 4,658 Mohs cases were performed across four sites at Penn State Health, and the vast majority of reconstructions were performed by the Mohs surgeon. Complex, advanced-stage and rare tumors are frequently encountered, and numerous sophisticated facial reconstructions, including staged procedures, are performed within the Mohs units.
Throughout the training year, the fellow receives structured exposure to cutaneous oncology, Mohs surgery and reconstruction. The fellow also rotates through the Esteem Cosmetic Center to gain experience in cosmetic and laser procedures and the management of leg-vein disease, including endovenous ablation.
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While mastery of Mohs surgery and reconstruction remain the central focus of the program, the dermatology department maintains close relationships with facial plastic surgeons, oculoplastics, and cosmetic surgeons outside the department, and rotation with these practitioners is also incorporated. More exposure to particular disciplines, such as laser surgery or leg-vein disease, will be arranged dependent on fellow interest.
Developing teaching skills is a major component of the program. Fellows work closely with residents and medical students in the clinic and during various special training sessions throughout the year, including cadaver courses, evening cosmetics clinics, and suturing labs.
A structured reading and didactic series further supports the training. Dermatopathology faculty review a set curriculum with fellows during monthly multi-headed scope sessions. Fellows also serve as lead presenters in monthly multidisciplinary tumor board meetings, and they participate in additional monthly sessions led by Mohs faculty to review challenging oncologic cases and complex reconstructions.
We accept rotators through the Women’s Dermatologic Society and American Society of Dermatologic Surgery Preceptorship programs. Rotations last 1–2 weeks and require a Pennsylvania medical training license. Interested first- or second-year dermatology residents should contact Melissa Garner with their CV and a brief letter describing their motivation for pursuing Mohs surgery and outlining their career goals.
Interviews for the MSDO fellowship are conducted in person at Hershey Medical Center each fall and require a one-day commitment.
Four weeks of vacation, one week at a time, will be selected at any point during the fellowship year.
Electives include radiation oncology, head and neck surgery, medical oncology, plastic surgery, and skin oncology clinic. The fellow will also be responsible for setting up elective exposure on days when the assigned attending is away for vacation or CME.
Applicants for the Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology Fellowship must be board-eligible or board-certified in dermatology at the time the fellowship would begin.
Applications are processed through the central application service (CAS) of the SF Match Program.
The application deadline is Aug. 1.
For more information follow the links below:
Contact and Leadership
Program Coordinator, Dermatology Residency and Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology Fellowship, Dermatology
Mailing Address
Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
Department of Dermatology
500 University Dr.
Mail Code HU14
Hershey, PA 17033-0850
General Contact Information
Phone: 717-531-5898
Fax: 717-531-0114
Email: mgarner4@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
Fellow Honors and Recognitions
The annual Resident/Fellow Research Day is held each year (with exception of during the COVID-19 pandemic) on and around the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center campus.
The intent of the event is to provide an opportunity for residents and fellows to showcase their research accomplishments to their peers in other clinical departments, as well as their colleagues in the basic sciences.
Learn more about Resident/Fellow Research Day here.
Previous presentations from the Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology Fellowship are listed here.
