Dermatology Residency Program

Program Director: Thomas P. Nigra, MD

Washington Hospital Center’s Dermatology Residency Program is a three-year program providing trainees with the education and clinical experience needed to become skilled and knowledgeable dermatologists. Fully accredited by the ACGME and the Residency Review Committee of the American Board of Dermatology, the program’s comprehensive curriculum, dedicated teaching faculty, and urban clinical setting create a dynamic and rewarding training experience.

As a well-reputed facility in the nation’s capital, the Hospital Center serves a diverse patient population, affording residents the opportunity to examine, diagnose, and treat a wide range of dermatologic conditions. Under the guidance and instruction of expert faculty, residents acquire a solid foundation in the practice of dermatology with opportunities for subspecialty experience.

The Department of Dermatology offers residents unique learning opportunities through its leadership in the field. The Department of Dermatology, in collaboration with the Washington Cancer Institute at Washington Hospital Center, has established the Melanoma Center, the only interdisciplinary group dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma in the Washington area. Dermatologists at the Melanoma Center perform pigmented lesion screening using epiluminescence microscopy and use computerized mole-mapping photography to follow patients with more than 100 nevi. The department, chosen as one of the original psoralen ultraviolet type-A (PUVA) centers in 1975, also maintains an active phototherapy program for psoriasis, mycosis fungoides, and other skin diseases. It has an extracorporeal photopheresis unit for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, scleroderma, and organ-rejection transplantation.