Welcome from the Dermatology Chair

David C. Reid, Associate Professor

Chair, Department of Dermatology

It is with great pride that I welcome you to the Rush Dermatology Residency. As Department Chair, I am honored to lead a team of outstanding clinicians, researchers, and educators who advance the field of dermatology through their commitment and creativity. With six clinical sites throughout the Chicagoland area, we are dedicated to providing the Chicago community with the highest level of cutaneous care across the full spectrum of dermatological services, including medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology.

Through our residency training program, we aim to build the dermatological clinical and academic leaders of tomorrow. And with our advanced research, we seek to pioneer new treatments and discover novel insights regarding cutaneous disease. Indeed, here at Rush Dermatology, we aspire to excellence in all things.

Education and Training

We are incredibly dedicated to the education of medical students, residents, and other health care providers in the diagnosis and management of cutaneous diseases. The department has seven residents in our program, in which there is a very favorable faculty-to-resident ratio.  Residents and medical students work alongside faculty daily, where they see a wide range of both common and rare skin diseases.  Teaching is constant and stimulating. Training is focused on the diagnosis, pathogenesis, and treatment/prevention of skin diseases, and there is a special emphasis on complex medical dermatology.  The understanding of procedural dermatology, dermatological surgery, aesthetics, and the mastery of cosmetic treatments is also an important aspect of the training program.

Patient Care

Rush Dermatology is dedicated to providing the highest quality of comprehensive and specialized care for patients with skin, hair, nail and mucous membranes diseases not just in the region, but in the country. We have several internationally recognized faculty with a wide range of clinical expertise. One of the strengths of the division is the breath of the faculty training and experience in treating complicated dermatological problems. We have a range of interests, including psoriasis, skin cancer, autoimmune blistering diseases, connective tissue diseases, skin of color, oncodermatology, hidradenitis suppurativa, vasculitis, and vitiligo. The department also offers a wide range of aesthetic services and procedures. We provide dermatologic care, with more than 30,000 patient visits annually, at six different locations: the Rush central campus, Rush Oak Brook, Rush Oak Park, Rush River North, Rush South Loop and Rush West Loop.

Research

The department is invested in both basic and clinical research, with a mission to better understand the pathogenesis of complicated skin disorders that ultimately will lead to new, leading treatments. We perform basic research in immune-mediated diseases such as pemphigus vulgaris and bullous pemphigoid. In addition, we conduct epidemiological investigations and research into medical education. Home and visiting students are welcome to contact us for research opportunities.

History

Rush University and Rush Dermatology have a rich legacy. Founded in 1837, Rush Medical College was the first medical school in Chicago. The Department of Dermatology was established by Frederick Malkinson in 1970. A distinguished national and international leader in dermatology, Malkinson served as department chair for 25 years. Michael Tharp, a prolific researcher and esteemed clinician, then held the role another 25 years. I had the privilege to follow in their footsteps beginning in 2021.

We encourage you to learn about our residency—explore the rotation opportunities, meet our current residents, and see where previous residents are today—and we hope you will consider Rush for your graduate medical education.