UNTHSC resident demonstrates leadership in dermatology field

Bridget McIlwee UNTHSC

A dermatology resident at UNT Health Science Center’s Patient Care Center has attracted national attention as a leader in her field.

Bridget McIlwee, DO, was one of five other “Next Generation DOs” to be asked by the American Osteopathic Association to speak in Seattle at the world’s largest gathering of osteopathic physicians, the Osteopathic Medical Conference & Exposition.

She told the gathering that her personal experiences as a dermatology patient influenced her decision to pursue dermatology as a career. Also, she discussed why dermatology requires an osteopathic, holistic approach.

“There aren’t many other medical specialties in which the disease being treated is visible every day to the outside world,” Dr. McIlwee said in an interview. “Skin conditions can affect patients’ general health as well as their psychological well-being. We osteopathic dermatologists use our training in treating the whole person – whether through skin care, medical care or counseling and comforting – to provide a holistic treatment plan for our patients.”

During her fourth year at the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, Dr. McIlwee became the only student member of the AOA Board of Trustees. Now, as a second-year resident at UNTHSC, she serves on the AOA’s Council of Interns and Residents.

She was recently chosen as the only resident to sit on the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education’s (ACGME) newly formed Osteopathic Principles Committee, which will play a role in formulating how osteopathic principles are incorporated into new jointly accredited graduate medical education programs.


Dr. Bridget McIlwee offers five things to do to cope with a skin condition:

  1. Work with your dermatologist to develop a detailed treatment plan. Playing an active role is empowering. Use your office visits to learn all you can about your skin condition and understand you dermatologist’s decisions and recommendations.
  2. Talk to your doctor about how your skin condition makes you feel. He or she can counsel you and provide coping techniques. The dermatologist also may be able to help you look into cosmetic therapies, such as special cosmetics or laser surgery; prescribe medications to ease anxiety or depression caused by your skin condition; or refer you to a counselor or psychologist familiar with the challenges of your condition.
  3. Find a support group. It helps to talk to people who’ve had similar experiences. Resources: your health care provider; the Skin Cancer Foundation; UC Davis Department of Dermatology (listing of many national skin condition support groups).
  4. Use preventive care. Talk to your dermatologist about preventative techniques such as wearing broad-spectrum sunscreen, SPF 30 or greater daily, even if you don’t think you’ll be outside, and avoiding the sun when UV rays are strongest, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  5. Return to your dermatologist as scheduled. At regular follow-ups, your doctor can provide encouragement as well as address issues such as psychological consequences of your skin condition and side effects of any of your medicines.

 

Recent News

Tarri Wyre
  • On Campus
|Sep 26, 2023

SaferCare Texas empowers Community Health Workers to complete HSC Mental Wellness microcredential

Tarri Wyre saw the growing need to expand her mental health education. The community health worker and ambulatory care manager for Memorial Hermann Health in Houston turned to the Mental Wellness microcredential, offered by The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth’s SaferC...
Dr. Teresa Wagner
  • On Campus
|Sep 25, 2023

Two HSC programs to host maternal health conference centered on fourth trimester

In the U.S., more than 20% of maternal deaths during pregnancy and the first year after childbirth are because of drug use, suicide or homicide, according to a study funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. In the absence of access to mental...
Jessica Rangel
  • Our People
|Sep 25, 2023

This is Whole Health: Jessica Rangel

“Many years ago, I did a home visit on an older adult whom I had cared for numerous times in the emergency department. What I knew was that she suffered from a complicated medical situation and was not receiving optimal care with periodic emergency department visits. She always came by ambulance, ...
Ashenafi 768x768
  • Our People
|Sep 20, 2023

Dr. Ashenafi Cherkos awarded prestigious AIM-AHEAD Fellowship in Leadership

Dr. Ashenafi Cherkos, assistant professor at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, has been awarded the prestigious AIM-AHEAD Fellowship in Leadership for the Fall 2023 cohort. Cherkos serves in the School of Public Health’s Department of Population and Community Healt...