A medical-surgical fellowship program at Scripps Clinic that trains doctors in a specialized surgery technique for skin cancer marks its 40th graduating class this summer.

Hubert (Hugh) Greenway, M.D., has led the Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology Fellowship every year since he established the program. Since that time, 68 physicians have successfully completed the one-year medical education program, many of whom still practice throughout the world in clinical and academic settings.

Dr. Greenway is a Scripps Clinic dermatologic surgeon who heads the skin cancer division at Scripps Cancer Center. He has longtime ties to Borrego Springs, including membership at the De Anza Desert Golf Club since 1987. He also has maintained a home in the De Anza area for more than 30 years. Dr. Greenway will present certificates this month to 2024 fellowship graduates Emma Hill, M.D., Kevin Patel, M.D. and Edward Seger, M.D.

In July, Dr. Greenway will begin training a new group of doctors in what is San Diego County's longest-established fellowship program for Mohs surgery and dermatologic oncology.

The fellowship helps trainees master the complexities of Mohs and other dermatologic surgeries and procedures. Doctors use the Mohs surgical technique most often with skin cancers that are aggressive or are located in particularly sensitive areas of the body, where its tissue-sparing capabilities are crucial. It involves surgically removing skin cancer layer by layer and examining the tissue microscopically until healthy, cancer-free tissue around the tumor is reached.

There is a strong need to train more doctors in Mohs and other skin cancer surgeries. According to the American Cancer Society, cancers of the skin are the most common of all types of cancer in the United States and the number of new cases has been increasing for many years.

"Training doctors is a vital part of meeting our community's health care needs, and Scripps has a long-standing commitment to this responsibility," said Dr. Greenway. "It's important that doctors not only provide exceptional patient care, but also help teach the next generation of physicians through medical education."

ABOUT SCRIPPS HEALTH

Founded in 1924 by philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps, Scripps Health is a nonprofit integrated health care delivery system based in San Diego, Calif. Scripps treats more than 600,000 patients annually through the dedication of 3,000 affiliated physicians and more than 17,000 employees among its five acute-care hospital campuses, home health care services, 30 outpatient centers and clinics, and hundreds of affiliated physician offices throughout the region.