From the Director

Welcome to the UMass Chan Medical School Dermatology Residency Program website! Here you will find information about our current residents, faculty, educational program, and details on the application process. We have had a fully-accredited residency program since 1991 and currently have 12 outstanding residents. We pride ourselves in a collegial environment, devoted faculty, and comprehensive training in the breadth and depth of dermatology. I am excited to share with you what makes UMass Dermatology special.

Our program provides training in all aspects of dermatology. Clinics are almost exclusively formatted in the continuity model, whereby residents are involved in the care of their patients from initial presentation through follow-up visits. This system offers residents exposure to the natural course of care and gives the experience necessary to be successful immediately upon graduation. Our medical dermatology clinics offer exposure to a wide variety of pathology: from common diagnoses with known solutions, to undifferentiated presentations requiring extensive work-up, to recalcitrant chronic disease where we as physicians are partners in the ongoing management of life-altering issues. Our subspecialty training is similarly robust, including advanced care of hidradenitis suppurativa, cutaneous lymphoma, connective tissue disease, epidermolysis bullosa, laser/cosmetics, contact dermatitis, vitiligo, and more. The inpatient consultative service is led by a dedicated dermatology hospitalist and time on this service is protected to allow residents to fully care for these patients. Surgical and pediatric clinics are staffed by fellowship-trained experts and care for the most complex patients in the region and beyond.

Outside of the clinic, residents learn through a robust didactic program (8 hours per week) led by our committed faculty. Teaching, volunteerism, research, and quality improvement are all domains where residents are involved, lead, and grow their passions during training. Two half-days per week are provided to support work on these interests. Our residency has been commended by the Dermatology Residency Review Committee and our own Graduate Medical leadership for the quantity of research our residents perform. Fellowships are offered at UMass in procedural dermatology, dermatopathology and pediatric dermatology, and a formal mentorship system is in place to help residents navigate the next steps in their career, wherever that may be.

At UMass Dermatology, we serve the people of Worcester and surrounding Central Massachusetts. Our patients are diverse in every aspect (20% of the Worcester population was born outside the United States) and we care for those from every background. As a trusted local institution known for world-class healthcare, we are a proud part of the community, and outside our clinic walls provide service through local free clinics, skin cancer screenings, Teddy Bear clinic, AAD Camp Discovery Connecticut, and more.

Our department’s collegiality and longstanding history of a highly supportive culture makes UMass a wonderful place to work. We are immensely proud of our current residents and graduates, and look to continue to train the next generation of world-class dermatologists who will dedicate themselves to making positive impacts on the field and their communities.

Patrick Mulvaney, MD MPH

Welcome from the Assistant Program Directors

I am what you call a UMass Lifer! After finishing medical school at UMass, I then experienced three fabulous years of residency training here at UMass followed by a peds derm fellowship. I have been on faculty every since.  
After being introduced to my dermatology family, I knew I wanted to help perpetuate that unmatched homey feeling for others going through their training. Now every day I look forward to seeing the residents that join my clinic. Sure, we talk esoteric dermatology differentials at length, but we also know about each other’s families, discuss careers plans, and know what each other watches on Netflix.  

I look forward to working with new members of the family! 

Leah Belazarian, MD

I have been extremely lucky to be a part of the Department of Dermatology family for almost 16 years! After finishing my dermatology residency and then Mohs surgery fellowship, I stayed on to join the wonderful faculty that had trained and inspired me. Since then I have had two exciting roles: assistant program director for the residency and program director for our surgical fellowship. I truly feel that UMass Chan gave me the best possible training in the areas of medical, surgical and pediatric dermatology and prepared me, as it does all our graduates, to either start practicing or enter into highly competitive fellowships.  Working with our residents in surgery, cosmetic and Mohs clinics, and watching their surgical skills and confidence blossom is one of my favorite things about my job.  We have an amazing group of residents and fellows who are fun, dedicated and talented.  Thanks for taking a look at our program!

Dori Goldberg, MD

UMass takes pride in fostering a warm and supportive environment where every faculty member is dedicated to your growth and success. Having trained at UMass for both my dermatology residency and pediatric dermatology fellowship, I can personally attest to the nurturing atmosphere and outstanding camaraderie that defines our program. In my first year, one of our attendings even personally put snow tires on my car after clinic to make sure I was prepared for my first New England winter! I love coming to clinic to work with our residents and students, and look forward to continuing the positive and inclusive culture that makes our department exceptional. 

Isabella Plumptre, MBBS

I  am very proud and fortunate to be part of the UMass Dermatology Residency Leadership team. During my time at UMass, I've enjoyed working closely with both our medical students and our resident/fellow housestaff. We have a very diverse group of faculty and trainees, and everyone brings something different and exciting to the table. At UMass, you will be an integral part of the team and a dermatologist from day 1! Our trainees play a vital role in patient care and I not only do I enjoy teaching/imparting wisdom, I also learn something new from the residents almost every day. We offer a wide breadth of experiences, from bread-and-butter dermatology to complex medical subspecialties (hidradenitis suppurativa, rheumatologic dermatology, vitiligo, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, and more), unparalleled experience in surgical dermatology, world-class pediatric dermatology, and cutting-edge basic science and translational research. However, what truly makes UMass Dermatology special is the incredible team that we have, which lends itself to a unique and fostering environment. We look forward to having you join us!

 Ryan Svoboda, MD, MS