UNMC College of Med Adding Dermatology Department
June 1st, 2016

The University of Nebraska Medical Center was founded in 1881, as Omaha Medical College. The college became affiliated with the University in 1902. (Photo by Ryan Robertson, KVNO News)
The University of Nebraska Medical Center is expanding once again by adding on a new department.
Nebraska has a lot of farmers. Those farmers spend a lot of time out in the sun and many are around chemicals. When some of those chemicals get on the skin, they can cause everything from mild irritations, to burns, to cancer.
Helping to care for those farmers, and their skin, is just one reason why the University of Nebraska Medical Center is adding a department of dermatology.
The American Professors of Dermatology recommend 1 dermatologist for every 20,000-30,000 people. Nebraska has 1 dermatologist for every 52,000 people.
Dr. Bradley Britigan, Dean of UNMC’s College of Medicine, said the shortage impacts rural and urban residents alike.
“There is a shortage of dermatologists nationally, but it’s particularly a challenge in Nebraska,†Britigan said. “There are dermatologists in the larger cities, but when you get down to rural parts of Nebraska, they are few and far in between. Even in Omaha you can wait months to get an appointment to see a dermatologist.â€
UNMC said the creation of the dermatology department will begin with recruitment of a department chair, followed by a small number of faculty with focused subspecialties in dermatology.
This marks the second time in the past year the University’s Board of Regents has approved adding a new department at UNMC.
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