NEW ORLEANS Some members of the dermatology community are getting in on the latest Internet crazeblogging.
A "blog," which is shorthand for "Web log," can be anything from an online diary to a list of Web links. Blogging has really taken off in areas like entertainment and politics, but now a group at the University of Texas, Galveston, is trying it out as a way to bring together medical students interested in dermatology.
Medical students at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) launched a blog last summer (www.digutmb.blogspot.com
Tasneem Poonawalla, Pharm.D., a medical student at UTMB, and Richard F. Wagner, Jr., M.D., a professor of dermatology there, presented information on the blog at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.
"People are just more cohesive now because of the Web site," said Dr. Poonawalla, who came up with the idea for the blog and operates the site.
Ms. Poonawalla said she doesn't consider herself to be technologically savvy but found that creating the site was fairly easy. She used one of a number of online services that help users to construct Web sites using customizable templates.
The site acts as an electronic newsletter and offers information on research, clinical experiences, and volunteer opportunities within the dermatology community. It highlights achievements by students, residents, and faculty at UTMB.
The site can also help students find dermatology mentors, and even offers information to patients about preventive measures to protect against skin diseases.
So far, the site has been dominated by announcements, Ms. Poonawalla said, but she is working toward creating more of a conversation on the blog.
"It's a great resource," said Dr. Wagner, who is also the faculty advisor for the student-run blog.
There has been a lot of positive response about the blog, Dr. Wagner said, and he has used it as a way to provide students with more information about pursuing a career in dermatology.
The Web site is unique, he said, because it is so comprehensive. "Ours is sort of like a diary of what is happening day to day," Dr. Wagner said.
The biggest plus, Ms. Poonawalla said, is having so much information accessible in one place.
Her advice to people thinking about starting a blog is to just go for it. "People tend to get intimidated by technology," she said.