Practical Symposium | Summer Sharpen Your Dermatology, Clinicopathologic & Business Skills. Join us August 20-23, 2026, in Vail, CO 2025 Document Center CME | MOC | Presentations PS Home CME Certificate | Symposium Evaluation: The CME Evaluation must be completed in order to obtain your earned CME credits. CME Certificate | Symposium Evaluation >> CME Accreditation & Faculty Disclosure Information: Accreditations & Faculty Disclosures >> Self-Assessment | CCP (Continuing Certification Program) / MOC Testing & Certificate Information CCP/MOC/SAM content will be online until 08/15/2025 at 11:59 PM. You must be a 2024 registered attendee to be eligible to earn CCP/MOC/SAM credits. CCP/MOC/SAM competition certificates will be sent on or before 11/01/2025 to attendees who complete the slide review and/or great cases. Digital Slide Review Access closes at 11:59 PM on 8/15/2025. Instructions are provided on the first page of the exam. e-Slides >> Exam >> Great Cases Attendees who attend/participate in the Great Cases sessions will receive CCP/MOC/SAM credits. Presentations All presentations are copyrighted. © Any other use of this educational content without consent from the author/faculty is prohibited. Presentations >> Faculty-approved presentations will be uploaded at the end of the conference. American Board Of Dermatology Disclaimer: Please note that the Practical Symposium is solely responsible for the question content. These questions are not a publication of the ABD, nor has ABD provided information to the Practical Symposium about ABD board exam content. American Board of Pathology MOC Recognition Statement: This activity has been registered to offer credit in the American Board of Pathology’s Continuing Certification program. Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the quiz evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 24 Lifelong Learning (CME) in the American Board of Pathology (ABPath) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Participants will earn MOC hours equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for the activity. It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting MOC credit and recognizing participation. The participant's AB Path# and date of birth (MMDD) are needed to upload the credits.

Matthew Leavitt, DO Matthew Leavitt, DO Faculty Dr. Matt Leavitt is a board-certified dermatologist and the Chairman, Founder, and CEO of Advanced Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery (ADCS), the country's largest dermatology practice. He is also the Founder and Chairman of Ameriderm, a division that provides billing services for dermatology practices. Dr. Leavitt's vision led to the development of ADCS’s research division which has undertaken numerous studies for major pharmaceutical companies. Additionally, Dr. Leavitt founded Medical Hair Restoration (MHR), which he grew into a national practice for surgical hair transplantation that became the second-largest hair restoration practice in the country. Dr. Leavitt now holds the office of Executive Medical Advisor with Bosley, the largest hair restoration group in the world. Dr. Leavitt is the Chairman of the KCU-GME/ADCS Orlando Dermatology Residency Program. He has served as President of the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology (AOCD) and is a founding father of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery, where he served as its first vice president. Dr. Leavitt was also one of the founding members and is currently the president of the Hair Foundation. Dr. Leavitt is presently a Clinical Assistant Professor in Dermatology for the University of Central Florida and Kansas City University. Dr. Leavitt is a member of the advisory boards and a national speaker for Allergan. Formerly he was a member of the advisory boards of Merck and Pfizer (now Johnson & Johnson) and Photomedex, Abbvie, amongst others. Dr. Leavitt has served as a special consultant to Lexington International. Dr. Leavitt is recognized both nationally and internationally as an accomplished author, clinical researcher, surgeon, and lecturer on the subject of hair loss. He has received numerous grants and awards including the prestigious Golden Follicle, from the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgeons. Recently he was featured on the cover and lead article for The Dermatologist. Dr. Leavitt is a founder and 21-time chairman of the annual Live Surgery Workshop. Dr. Leavitt has authored numerous articles for dermatology, hair, and cosmetic journals and chapters in textbooks. He has been interviewed by the print and electronic media including The New York Times, The WSJ, Forbes, Men's Vogue, Parents Magazine, etc. as well as appearing on America's Health Network, CBS's 'The Early Show,' The Learning Channel, NBC iVillage. Through the Leavitt Family Foundation, he has co-sponsored fourteen annual charity golf tournaments benefiting Ronald McDonald House and the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation (CCF). He serves on the CCF boards both nationally and locally. He has been recognized by Ernst & Young as a finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year and received numerous awards from the business community, such as Smart Awards, Florida Medical Business, etc. A graduate of the University of Michigan and Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Dr. Leavitt completed his residency at Ohio University Grandview Medical Center. PS Winter Home

Practical Symposium | Winter Learn, Shred, Learn! January 29 - February 1, 2026 The Hythe | Vail, CO Who Should Attend? LEARN | SHRED | LEARN PS Winter Home The Practical Symposium | Winter is designed for: Dermatologists Mohs Surgeons Dermatopathologists Pathologists Dermatology Physician Associates/Assistants Dermatology Nurse Pra ctitioners Plastic Surgeons that Treat Skin Disorders Family Practitioners that Treat Skin Disorders Podiatrists that Treat Skin Disorders Dermatology and Mohs Fellows Dermatopathology Fellows Dermatology Residents Pathology Residents Register Today! Attendee Brochure Top Reasons to Learn | Shred | Learn Earn CME | Presented by World-Renowned Luminaries Virtually all of the major topics of dermatology and dermatopathology will be covered in this 3 day comprehensive seminar. Learn the essentials of clinicopathologic correlation, the cornerstone of dermatology and dermatopathology. Earn 12.25 CME credit hours. Sessions on Fillers, Superficial Radiation Therapy, Molecular Diagnosis, Pediatric Dermatology, Therapeutics, and more... Creative sessions and updates on these essential topics are included for a more intense didactic education. The Vail Valley Vail is the world's best winter playground. Practical Symposium Goals Achieve your educational goals with the ability to earn CME credits/hours. Comprehensive agenda topics covering a broad spectrum of dermatology and clinicopathologic correlation topics through engaging lectures. Advance your knowledge base by interacting in live demonstrations featuring emerging dermatologic technologies. Access to specialty and industry luminaries to strengthen your clinical and diagnostic skill sets. Expand your professional and social networks by mingling with colleagues, key opinion leaders, and industry executives. Prepare for the board or recertification exam through intense self-assessment and review sessions. Educational Objectives Translate the current trends and future innovations associated with clinical dermatology and dermatopathology. Demonstrate an improved knowledge base of the various treatment options and the use of multiple modalities in treating specific dermatologic disorders. Recall the basic principles for the treatment of dermatologic disorders, including biologics, combination therapy, and evolving treatment options. Implement learned skills about the clinical and histopathologic features, management, and treatment of common skin cancers and non-cancerous skin disorders. Evaluate new diagnostic and treatment algorithms for pigmented neoplasms (including melanoma), carcinomas, and inflammatory conditions. Assess the use of physical therapies in treating skin lesions, including cryotherapy, radiation therapy, photodynamic therapy, and light therapy. We would be honored to have you join us in Vail. We know that you will come away learning an incredible amount and have a great time in the process.

Clay Cockerell, MD, MBA, JD < Back Clay Cockerell, MD, MBA, JD Symposium Managing Director Cockerell Dermatopathology , Founder & President Health Education Services sponsored by Lake Granbury Medical Center, Program Director, Residency Program Dermpath On Demand , Co-Founder & Educational Director Dr. Clay J. Cockerell is a world-renowned specialist in treating and diagnosing skin disorders and has diagnosed over three million biopsies. An internationally recognized pioneer in his field and double board-certified in dermatology and dermatopathology, Dr. Cockerell has been practicing medicine since 1986. He is currently the Founder & President of Cockerell Dermatopathology and the Program Director of the Health Education Services dermatology residency program sponsored by the Lake Granbury Medical Center. Also, Dr. Cockerell sees patients a few days per month to assist with resident training and to keep his clinicopathological skills sharp. Dr. Cockerell has held numerous leadership positions within several highly regarded medical associations. Most notably, he served as the President, Secretary & Treasurer and a member of the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Dermatology, President of the Texas Dermatological Society, and President of the Dallas Dermatological Society. Also, Dr. Cockerell holds leadership roles as Founder and President of Cockerell Dermatopathology and a former AmeriPath Board of Directors member. Dr. Cockerell and his wife, Brenda, had a lifelong dream of producing wine and, in 2005, purchased a vineyard in Calistoga, California. They now produce wine under the Coquerel Family Wine Estates label. Dr. Cockerel and Brenda have two children, Charles and Lillian, and they have been married for forty-six years. In addition, Dr. Cockerell and Brenda enjoy traveling, golf, and winter sports. PS Home

Mark Kaufmann, MD < Back Mark Kaufmann, MD Faculty Mark Kaufmann, MD, is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, a position he has held since 1995. He was in solo private practice for 23 years until he joined The Dermatology Group in November 2017. In September 2020, he joined Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery as their Chief Medical Officer. He received his medical degree from New York University School of Medicine, completing residency training in dermatology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York. He is board certified in dermatology. Dr. Kaufmann is currently the Immediate-Past President of the American Academy of Dermatology. He has served on the AAD Board of Directors, as well as countless AAD committees, and has chaired many of them as well. He also serves as an advisor to the Academy RUC team (Relative Value Scale Update Committee) - a position he has held for over a decade. Dr. Kaufmann’s contributions to the American Academy of Dermatology have been recognized by his receiving a Presidential Citation in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2020, and 2022. With many articles published on the topic of health information technology, Dr. Kaufmann is a frequent national lecturer, including the annual meetings of the American Academy of Dermatology, and other societies, and grand rounds. PS Home

Business 201 Faculty < Back Scott Hemingway Partner Hemingway & Hansen, LLP focuses on intellectual property litigation, patent prosecution, licensing and patentability infringement counseling. I have 25 years of litigation and trial experience, as well as extensive knowledge and practice of prosecution and management of valuable patent, copyright and trademark portfolios. As part of my management efforts, I’ve coordinated licensing and litigation programs involving intellectual property asset portfolios producing multi-million dollar royalty revenues and court settlements. https://hh-iplaw.com/ Business201 Home

Aaron Farberg, MD < Back Aaron Farberg, MD Faculty Aaron S. Farberg, M.D. is a double board-certified dermatologist and fellowship-trained Mohs surgeon that specializes in skin cancer, inflammatory diseases, and cosmetic dermatology. Dr. Farberg is a summa cum laude graduate of Emory University and continued his education at the University of Michigan, where he received his medical degree. Dr. Farberg’s post-graduate training includes additional residency years at the University of Michigan in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and, in New York, as a clinical research fellow in association with the National Society for Cutaneous Medicine and New York University. He then remained in New York, completing another residency in Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, where he served as chief resident. In addition to treating patients, Dr. Farberg has been a clinical investigator on numerous studies, including FDA clinical trials. He is an accomplished author and has published over 100 articles in professional medical journals. He serves as a member of the editorial board for several medical journals including Dermatology & Therapy and SKIN. Dr. Farberg also founded the Dermatology Science and Research Foundation to provide dermatology education to his patients and peers. Dr. Farberg has been recognized as one of Dallas’s leading dermatologists with numerous awards and honors. He most recently was ranked by his dermatology colleagues in Newsweek Magazine as the #1 medical dermatologist in Texas and #6 in the entire country. While in New York he served as a consultant dermatologist for the New York Yankees. Hone Home

Your Academy is a series of in-person symposiums and online educational events that are focused on core and emerging dermatology and dermatopathology topics. The goal is to improve each physician and clinician's clinicopathologic correlation which leads to better patient management. About It is now more important than ever to understand the importance of the close cross-fertilization that occurs among dermatology, dermatopathology, and industry. In order to plan optimal treatment and provide the best patient care, correlation between dermatologists and pathologists is crucial. In this ever-changing field, clinicopathologic correlation also helps to guide research, new drugs, and device product development within dermatology. We hope you will join us at one of our upcoming conferences or events! Clay J. Cockerell, MD Our Team Educational Director Clay Cockerell, MD Educational Manager Brand McCarley Educational Consultant Kim Campbell

Practical Symposium | Summer Sharpen Your Dermatology, Clinicopathologic & Business Skills. Join us August 20-23, 2026, in Vail, CO Posters & Abstracts PS Home All posters and abstracts must be approved by the Practical Symposium Scientific Committee before the meeting. Approval will be determined by the submission of an abstract; please note the following guidelines: Please submit your abstract for pre-approval to Martha Hallett – mhallett@mdmeetingdesigns.com . The deadline for abstract submission is August 1, 2026. The author must be registered and in attendance at the Practical Symposium. Indicate which author(s) will be in attendance when you submit your abstract. Requests for exemption should be made with the submission. You will be advised as to approvals soon after your submission is received. Poster specifications will be sent with approval. If you have additional questions? Contact Martha Hallett Email: mhallett@mdmeetingdesigns.com Phone: 508-713-0906

Darrell Rigel, MD, MS < Back Darrell Rigel, MD, MS Faculty Darrell Rigel, MD MS is an internationally acclaimed leader in the field of Dermatology with a focus on Melanoma, Skin Cancer, and Prevention. He has presented over 1000 lectures nationally and internationally on these subjects to physicians, government agencies, pharma, and the public. He regularly appears on CNN, Fox, ABC, and NBC, and his views are quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today and he is the Team Dermatologist for the New York Yankees. He is a graduate of MIT with a BS in Management Information Science and an MBA (SM) from the MIT Sloan School of Management. While working as a research fellow at the National Cancer Institute, he obtained his MD from George Washington University. He completed an internship at New York Hospital-Cornell and a Dermatology residency and Dermatologic Surgery fellowship at New York University and currently serves as a Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the Mt. Sinai Icahn School of Medicine. Dr. Rigel has been a leader in Dermatology for over 3 decades having been selected by his peers to lead them as President of the American Academy of Dermatology, American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, and American Dermatological Association. He also served as Vice-President of the American Board of Dermatology during his 13 years of service there. Dr. Rigel is actively involved in national public health and healthcare economic policy initiatives serving as a consultant to government and industry. He is regularly called on for his expertise on these issues by White House administrations and has testified multiple times before Congress and the FDA. He also serves as the Scientific Co-Chair of the Fall and Winter Clinical Dermatology Conferences leading the effort to provide clinical education annually to over 2000 of his colleagues. In addition, he maintains a University-based practice at the Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine in Manhattan focusing on Melanoma, Skin Cancer, and related dermatological issues. PS Home

Labatory improvement reduce turnaround time.Continuous Specimen Flow Changes Night Shifts to Day Shifts While Reducing Turn-Around-Time < Back Continuous Specimen Flow Changes Night Shifts to Day Shifts While Reducing Turn-Around-Time Clay Cockerell, MD, JD, MDA | Mary deBram-Hart, BS, HT | Erico Von Bueren, PhD, MD, MOR | Brenda Wander | Mark Fussner, BS, CT | Claudio Scancich | Craig Reed | Brand McCarley Jul 26, 2022 Labatory improvement reduce turnaround time. To reduce average TAT from 36-42 hours to 24-26 hours, the laboratory was restructured to include, relocation and a new floor plan for linear specimen workflow with a larger workspace. Conventional tissue processors were replaced with continuous flow, rapid tissue processors, cassette batch sizes reduced to an maximum of 32, and fully automated embedding was introduced. Personnel was rescheduled to decrease family unfriendly working hours (3pm-5am) and total hours, while increasing laboratory efficiency. MATERIALS & METHODS Customized WinSURGE® (Computer Trust Corp) Scanning Records using customized tools in Microsoft ® Excel ® 2013. Floorplans analyzing pathway crossings. Analysis of scheduled personnel shifts, family unfriendly (3pm-5am) schedules, and overtime. Analysis of cassette number reduction by increasing the number of spatially separated cross sectioned ellipse/s in Tissue-Tek® Paraform® Sectionable Cassette Systems (Sakura Finetek, Torrance, CA). Specimens were processed on Tissue-Tek VIP® 5, Tissue-Tek Xpress® x120, and embedded on Tissue-Tek AutoTEC® (Sakura Finetek, Torrance, CA). RESULTS The Paraform Sectionable Cassette System allows multiple cross sectioned ellipse/s in one cassette, locking their orientation from grossing to microtomy. Using Paraform Cassettes resulted in less cassettes grossed, processed, embedded, sectioned, and less slides stained and reviewed. Daily volumes decreased from 1,600 to 1,358 (-13%), reducing costs and increasing profitability. OLD vs. NEW LABORATORY SETUP The new laboratory set-up reduced overall daily working time for the entire Team from 215.5 hrs. to 136 hrs. (-79.5 hrs./-37%) while reducing the daily family unfriendly time (3pm to 5am) by 61% from 119.5 hrs. to 44 hrs./ 75%. The highest reduction of working and family unfriendly time was achieved in Embedding: -52 hrs./-100%, followed by Microtomy and Grossing. The Grossing and Microtomy Teams assist loading and unloading the Tissue-Tek Xpress x120 and Tissue-Tek AutoTEC, allowing task variety. The 4 stacked graphs on the left show the effect on working hours, the 4 stacked graphs on the right show the effect on family unfriendly hours. Noticeably, cumulative overtime was reduced from an average daily total of 16 hours to 0 hours. Overall, all Teams highly appreciated these changes and do not want to return to the previous set-up. CONCLUSIONS Specimens are oriented at grossing eliminating misorientation with manual embedding. Excisions can have multiple cross sectioned ellipse/s and are correctly oriented at grossing using Paraform Sectionable Cassette System reducing the total number of cassettes generated. Only 2% of the daily volume needs manual embedding due to specialty circumstances. Utilization of the Tissue-Tek Xpress x120 and Tissue-Tek AutoTEC allows 80% of specimens to be ready for microtomy within 7 hours after arrival into the laboratory. Continuous flow, rapid tissue processing means no more large batches, bottlenecks, or waiting time. The Tissue-Tek AutoTEC allowed 6 Histotechnicians to change their hours from night shift to day shift, allowing them to work more employee/family friendly shifts. Better hours and less blocks meant staff are able to perform additional duties allowing variety during the work day.  Designing a laboratory in a new building with a Lean workflow floor plan eliminated retraced steps and excessive walking time. Clients, Pathologists, and employees are happier. ABOUT CLAY J. COCKERELL, MD, JD, MBA Dr. Clay J. Cockerell is a world-renowned specialist in treating and diagnosing skin disorders and has diagnosed over three million biopsies. An internationally recognized pioneer in his field and double board-certified in dermatology and dermatopathology, Dr. Cockerell has been practicing medicine since 1986. He is currently the Founder & President of Cockerell Dermatopathology and the Program Director of the Health Education Services dermatology residency program sponsored by the Lake Granbury Medical Center. Also, Dr. Cockerell sees patients a few days per month to assist with resident training and to keep his clinicopathological skills sharp. Dr. Cockerell has held numerous leadership positions within several highly regarded medical associations. Most notably, he served as the President, Secretary & Treasurer and a member of the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Dermatology, President of the Texas Dermatological Society, and President of the Dallas Dermatological Society. Also, Dr. Cockerell holds leadership roles as Founder and President of Cockerell Dermatopathology and a former AmeriPath Board of Directors member. Dr. Cockerell and his wife, Brenda, had a lifelong dream of producing wine and, in 2005, purchased a vineyard in Calistoga, California. They now produce wine under the Coquerel Family Wine Estates label. Dr. Cockerel and Brenda have two children, Charles and Lillian, and they have been married for forty-six years. In addition, Dr. Cockerell and Brenda enjoy traveling, golf, and winter sports. ABOUT COCKERELL DERMATOPATHOLOGY The Cockerell Dermatopathology story begins with Dr. Clay J. Cockerell's vision to establish a practice whose mission is to treat each specimen as if it came from one of own family members. Family! At Cockerell Dermatopathology, every employee is driven by a relentless pursuit of diagnostic excellence. We specialize in evaluating dermatologic disorders, tackling cases ranging from the routine to the most challenging. Our practice continuously invests in cutting-edge technologies to best serve each referring clinician and their patients. These innovations result in higher-quality diagnostic slides, quicker turnaround times for routine cases, and seamless deployment of EMR interfaces. From an educational perspective, Cockerell Dermatopathology is more than a dermatopathology practice. We host numerous in-person and internet-based education events and boast a state-of-the-art 14-headed microscope for dermatology resident training sessions. Our services extend beyond borders, serving hundreds of clinicians in Texas, throughout the United States, and globally. With a highly accessible team of board-certified dermatopathologists and a dedicated support staff, our vision is simple yet profound. Family, we treat every specimen as if it were from one of our own family members. Previous Next

Business 201 Symposium Lectures designed for residents, attending physicians and medical students. Online Lectures Clay's Message Agenda Lecture Library Fac ulty Industry Partners Social Media “I'm a dermatologist and we never learned these business insights in our training. The faculty provided essential tips. I'm grateful for the opportunity to learn from all experts in the field. Great and informative conference.”