Clinical Experience

The goal of our Pediatric Dermatology Fellowship Program is to obtain comprehensive training in Pediatric Dermatology through inpatient and outpatient clinical experience, exposure to procedures relevant to Pediatric Dermatology, participation in research, and an introduction to skills necessary for a career in academic medicine.

The Pediatric Dermatology Fellow participates in a variety of general Pediatric Dermatology and specialty outpatient clinics. We staff approximately 15,000 outpatient visits per year as we are the only Pediatric Dermatology clinic in the region that serves a diverse patient population with a variety of skin diseases. We also provide inpatient consultation services at both the main hospital campus and at the Children's Mercy Kansas campus in Overland Park, Kansas, with approximately 700 consultations per year. The Pediatric Dermatology Fellow plays an integral role in the inpatient consultation service. The fellow gains valuable experience communicating with referring physicians and various specialty services through our inpatient consultation service and being on call for referring physician questions.

Pediatric Dermatology Clinic

We see a broad spectrum of skin disease in our general Pediatric Dermatology Clinics, with patients ranging in age from newborns to 18 years old. We care for patients with various pediatric skin disorders including atopic dermatitis, infantile hemangiomas, melanocytic nevi, viral skin infections (warts and molluscum contagiosum), bacterial skin infections, fungal skin infections, disorders of pigmentation, hair loss, psoriasis, cutaneous disorders associated with underlying systemic disease, genodermatoses, and other rare skin disorders in children.

Laser Clinic

The Laser Clinic is held approximately two to three times monthly at both the main hospital campus and the Children's Mercy Kansas Specialty Center. Children with a variety of vascular birthmarks including port wine stains, infantile hemangiomas, and spider angiomas are treated in these clinics. Older children as well as younger children with smaller lesions are successfully treated in the clinic setting. Younger children and patients with larger lesions receive laser therapy under general anesthetic in the operating room.

Excision Clinic

An Excision Clinic occurs approximately once weekly at the main hospital site and in the operating room approximately monthly. Excisional surgeries are performed for a variety of skin conditions, including melanocytic nevi, nevus sebaceous, epidermal cysts, keloids, pilomatricomas, and other cutaneous neoplasms.

Melanoma Clinic

The multidisciplinary Melanoma Clinic meets approximately monthly and represents the collaboration of an experienced hematologist/oncologist and a pediatric dermatologist with expertise in melanoma and pigmented lesions.

Genetic Skin Disorder Clinic

The quarterly Genetic Skin Disorder Clinic is a collaboration of a clinical geneticist, genetic counselor and several of the dermatology faculty. This clinic is intended for the comprehensive evaluation of children with complex skin and systemic disorders suspected to be genetic in nature.

Vascular Anomalies Clinic

The Vascular Anomalies Clinic represents the collaboration of dermatology, plastic surgery, diagnostic and interventional radiology, hematology, ENT, and social work. It meets once monthly to address patients with complex vascular anomalies, including vascular malformations, unusual vascular tumors, and complicated multisystem infantile hemangiomas.

Neurocutaneous Disorder Clinic

Started in 2012, this new clinic represents the collaboration of the Sections of Neurology and Dermatology. It is designed for patients with atypical presentations of neurocutaneous disorders including neurofibromatosis, tuberous sclerosis, neurocutaneous melanosis, Sturge Weber syndrome, PHACE syndrome and incontinentia pigmenti. It is also intended for further evaluation of complex patients with neurologic and dermatologic abnormalities of uncertain etiology. This clinic meets every three months.

Phototherapy Service

The Section of Dermatology has recently implemented a pediatric-focused phototherapy service utilizing narrowband UVB light to treat a variety of chronic skin disorders, including psoriasis, severe atopic dermatitis, vitiligo, and pityriasis lichenoides. This is the only pediatric focused phototherapy unit in the region.

Clinical Continuity Experience

The Pediatric Dermatology Fellow obtains ongoing continuity in the general Pediatric Dermatology clinics throughout the year through consistent assignment to clinics staffed by the same faculty. The fellow will also participate in a fellow-run continuity clinic. The fellow is the primary Pediatric Dermatologist for the patients seen in their continuity clinic. The fellow will independently evaluate the patient, perform any necessary workup, and formulate a treatment plan which they communicate with the patient and family. Faculty provides supervision during these clinics, but the fellow is mainly responsible for the care of these patients.