Our mission is to empower the next generation of dermatologists and health care professionals with the best dermatology learning experience possible.
The founders
Dr. Elena Netchiporouk
Dr. Zeinah AlHalees
Dr. Mathieu Powell
The Montreal Derm FilEZ was created to help dermatology residents in Canada learn information in an interactive, engaging manner. Throughout the website there are topic summaries, quizzes, clinical vignettes, dermatopathology vignettes, and a bank of images about various sub-topics of dermatology, designed to aid residents in excel in clinical, surgical, and hospitalist practice.
The FilEZ first started as personal study documents Dr. Elena Netchiporouk, Dr. Mathieu Powell and Dr. Zeinah Alhalees had created for themselves during residency, while preparing to take the Royal College exam. Passionate about teaching, when they became attending physicians, they adapted their own study materials to create review and practice exam sessions for current residents in their institution. The initiative was a rapid success, which led them to seek out avenues to grow their medical education project.
In 2020, the Montreal Derm FilEZ name was trademarked and development of the website commenced, in hopes that an online platform would allow the study materials to be widely accessible, continually updated, and responsive to learner engagement.
Staff Physicians
Dr. Elena Netchiporouk
Founder, Quizzes and Learning Modules Director
Dr. Elena Netchiporouk, MD, M.Sc., FRCPC
As a clinician scientist, she focuses her research on understanding the interaction between environment and autoimmune diseases affecting the skin, specifically chronic urticaria and scleroderma. As part of her clinical duties at the McGill University Health Center, she is involved in teaching and supervising medical residents. She was also the Director of Undergraduate Medical Education in Dermatology at McGill University from 2018-2021.
Dr. Mathieu Powell
Co-founder, Vignettes co-director
Dr. Mathieu Powell, MD, FRCPC, DABD
Dr. Mathieu Powell is a board-certified Dermatologist and Associate Clinical Professor of Dermatology within the McGill University Health Centre.
He completed his residency training in Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery at McGill University, and subsequently completed an additional year of training in Advanced Cutaneous Medical and Aesthetic Therapeutics at McGill University and University of Toronto. Practicing both in the community and within the hospital, Dr. Powell’s particular areas of interest include skin cancer prevention, as well as complex medical dermatology, with particular focus on psoriasis treatment using immuno-biologic therapies.
Dr. Powell has an active commitment to teaching as a member of McGill’s Dermatology Residency Program Committee, and being its Program Director from 2016-2018. He initiated the “Derm Review Cases” course for senior dermatology residents preparing for their Royal College exams, which later became the inspiration for co-founding the Montreal Derm FilEZ project. Dr. Powell is passionate about continued learning, and has displayed this passion through numerous faculty lectures, multidisciplinary clinics with residents and students, and his involvement in extra-curricular societies involved in teaching such as the Dermatology Resident Innovation and Vision in Education (DRIVE) program and the Montreal Dermatological Society.
He was a recipient of the Canadian Dermatology Association (CDA-RFS) Excellence in Clinical Teaching award on two consecutive years in 2017-18 and the McGill Dermatology Teacher of the year in 2017.
Dr. Zeinah AlHalees
Co-founder, Vignettes co-director
Dr. Zeinah Alhalees, MD, FRCPC, DABD
Dr. Zeinah AlHalees is a board-certified Dermatologist. She completed her residency training in Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery at McGill University in 2022. She subsequently completed an additional year of training in Immunodermatology at the University of British Columbia in 2023. She is also completing a Masters of Health Sciences degree at the University of British Columbia as well.
Dr. AlHalees has always been very fond of teaching, medical education and curriculum development. Not only is she interested in sharing academic knowledge with her peers but also has her patients’ education at heart.
In recognition of her teaching contributions, Dr. AlHalees received several prestigious awards. She was the recipient of the Montreal Dermatological Society Educational Bursary in 2021, the Canadian Dermatology Association Resident and Fellows Society (CDA-RFS) Teaching Award in 2021, and the McGill Dermatology Resident teaching award in 2022.
Dr. Elizabeth O’Brien
Clinical Gallery Director
Dr. Elizabeth O'Brien, MD, FRCPC
Her clinical teaching has been complemented by a long standing interest in photography, providing an extensive bank of clinical images for presentations and publications.
Dr. May
Cherqui
Dermatopathology Advisor
Dr. May Chergui, MD, FRCPC
Although being a pathologist was not her initial intention, she still did an elective in pathology during medical school. At that point she discovered her interest for this field because of the intellectual curiosity of the pathologists she worked with and their capacity to correlate the intricacies of their cases with regards to the clinical impact for the patient. She then entered the Pathology Residency program at McGill University (2011-2016), where people recognized her enthusiasm for teaching : she even won the resident teacher award.
Because of a long-time interest in dermatology and the impression of a need for dermatopathology expertise in Quebec, Canada during multiple elective rotations in peripheral hospitals, Dr.Chergui decided to embark in dermatopathology. She did an additional year of training in dermatopathology at the Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) (July 2016 – July 2017).
She has been working at the McGill University Health Center since July 2017 where 95% of her work is in dermatopathology and where she finds great pleasure in teaching.
Dr. Nathalie Skinner
Dermatology for Primary Care
Dr. Nathalie Skinner, MD
Dr. Natalie Anne Skinner, an accomplished physician, earned her Doctorate in Medicine from the University of Ottawa, where she was honored with the prestigious Gold Medal for the graduating class of 2006. Following her academic success, she pursued rigorous training, completing her Family Medicine residency at McGill University followed by additional training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Montreal.
With a passion for healing and a commitment to holistic care, Dr. Skinner dedicated several years to serving as an Emergency Physician. She then transitioned to General Family Medicine. However, driven by her desire to broaden her scope to address the skin concerns of her patients and integrate her artistic sensibilities with medical expertise, she transitioned her focus to primary care dermatology. She completed additional training in dermatology in 2014. Combining her profound understanding of science with a keen appreciation for aesthetics, she now offers a comprehensive array of services encompassing primary care dermatology and aesthetic treatments.
Dr. Skinner's multifaceted practice includes specialized procedures such as fillers, facial muscle relaxants, PRP therapy, IPL, chemical peels, body contouring, and laser treatments. Her dedication to patient care extends to addressing specific concerns, particularly in acne, acne scars, and skin of color, where she demonstrates a nuanced understanding and personalized approach.
In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Skinner is deeply passionate about sharing her knowledge with her peers, fostering a culture of continuous learning and collaboration. She actively engages in educational initiatives and professional development opportunities to stay abreast of the latest advancements in medicine and aesthetics. Dr. Skinner's commitment to excellence is reflected not only in her dedication to patient care but also in her efforts to empower fellow healthcare professionals through knowledge exchange.
Currently practicing at Union Md, Dr. Skinner collaborates closely with an exceptional team of fellow General Practitioners and dermatologists. Dr. Skinner's commitment to excellence, coupled with her passion for innovation, patient well-being, and professional growth, distinguishes her as a valued healthcare provider in her community.
Dr. Carlos Gomez-Garibello
Educational Consultant
Dr. Carlos Gomez-Garibello, PhD
Carlos Gomez-Garibello, PhD. is an assistant professor in the Institute of Health Sciences Education at McGill University and Assessment Lead for Postgraduate Medical Education. He is interested in the development and implementation of educational projects aimed to advance trainees’ competence across different domains of practice. In addition, he is currently working on projects centred on improving assessment of clinical competence, and incorporating best practices of feedback and coaching in postgraduate training
Dr. Lydia
Ouchene
Resident advisor
Sarah
Moussa
RN, Medical Student, Project Lead, Social Media Manager, Podcast Editor
Sarah Moussa, BSc, RN
Sarah joined the Montreal DermFilEZ (MDF) team in 2022 to combine both her interests in education and dermatology. Her summer and fall research bursary consist of validating the MDF platform and participate in the website development through an educational randomized control trial. As part of her role, she helped build the website with the designer from the ground up. Now starting clerkship, she is focusing her time on managing the social media accounds and editing the podcasts.
Maxine
Joly-Chevrier
Medical Student, Project Lead
Maxine Joly-Chevrier
Maxine hopes to contribute to advancing dermatology education by joining the Montreal DermFilEZ (MDF) team. Her aspiration is to pave the way for increased accessibility to online dermatology education.
Sarah
Oliel
Medical Student, Project Lead
Sarah Oliel, BA
She previously completed a bachelor’s degree in Women’s Studies at Concordia University and worked several years in community organizations in Quebec. She brings this previous experience with her to the field of medicine, as she searches for ways to incorporate the philosophy of whole-person care into the study of dermatology.
As a non-traditional student, she brings a different perspective to the table in discussions about developing ways to make medical education more interactive and more accessible.
