FAQ

How many fellows are accepted each year?

Our program is approved to accept one fellow per year.

Who will I work with?

The fellow is supervised by Mohs fellowship-trained surgical faculty- Drs. Marta Van Beek, Elizabeth Cusick, Kirk Sidey, Jennifer Powers, and Nicole Negbenebor. All of our Mohs surgeons have dedicated Mohs clinic days at the University Campus, the VA Mohs clinic, and the IRL Mohs clinic, allowing the fellow equal time with each surgeon.

The fellow will also have experience working with health care personnel from dermatology, dermatopathology, medical oncology, oculoplastic surgery, and radiation oncology.

Where will I be training?

Training locations walkable from the University of Iowa Health Care University Campus:

  • UI Health Care Dermatology Clinic at the Pomerantz Family Pavilion
  • Iowa City VA Medical Center

Off-site Training Locations (10-minute drive from University Campus):

  • UI Health Care Iowa River Landing East Clinic

What is the on-call schedule?

Fellows never take first call. The resident assigned to Mohs surgery will take first call. The fellow will take second call (at home) from residents for problems relating to dermatologic surgery patients on a rotating schedule with surgical faculty. A faculty member will also always be available to help manage patients after regular clinic hours.

What is the surgery schedule?
  • Mohs every day (Monday-Friday) at UI Health Care University Campus for the first 9 months, with VA assignment at the end of the year
  • Mohs at the VA or Iowa River Landing periodically when Mohs is cancelled at the University Campus

How many cases can I expect to complete?

The Program Director requires submission of the fellow Case Logs for review and confirmation. Most fellows far exceed the fellowship case requirement. 

Recent experience:

  • 2024-2025: 1 Fellow: 1,100 cases
  • 2023-2024: 1 Fellow: 1,121 cases
  • 2022-2023: 1 Fellow: 1,093 cases
  • 2021-2022: 2 Fellows: 862 cases, 901 cases
  • 2020-2021: 1 Fellow: 1,018 cases
  • 2019-2020: 2 Fellows: 712 cases, 816 cases
  • 2018-2019: 1 Fellow: 993 cases

How does fellow education extend beyond clinic?

Didactic sessions include regularly scheduled and held lectures, tutorials, seminars, and conferences that consider surgical complications, outcomes, and utilization review. Dermatology Grand Rounds are held weekly and presentations cover a wide range of clinical and research topics in the field of Dermatology. The fellow will also participate in weekly and biweekly multidisciplinary tumor board (Head & Neck Tumor Board; Melanoma Tumor Board) for presentation of patients with advanced or aggressive cutaneous malignancies.

Do you have a research project requirement for graduation?

Each fellow must complete an original research project (clinical trial, cohort study or systematic review/textbook chapter on a topic relevant to dermatologic surgery). The fellow must submit an abstract to ACMS by January. Any additional research is highly encouraged. All faculty have ongoing projects, and many UI Health Care Dermatology residents work on surgery projects. 

The fellow must also complete one Quality Improvement project during their fellowship.