Dr. Misty Eleryan speaking at a Beyond the Books surgical education conference

Beyond the Books™

Because surgical skill starts where textbooks end.

Beyond the Books™ is my surgical education framework, developed to address the practical skills and clinical judgment required in real-world dermatologic surgery.

Knowing the steps is not the same as knowing how to operate.

The work that became Beyond the Books™ began in 2024. The framework recognizes that surgical competence requires more than knowing a technique. It depends on clinical judgment, anticipation, adaptation, and decisions made before, during, and after a procedure.

Practical judgment across the surgical experience.

Beyond the Books™ focuses on operative decision-making, preoperative planning, perioperative care, surgical execution, complication management, postoperative follow-up, and scar optimization.

The emphasis is on how and when to apply knowledge in context, not simply on memorizing steps.

Expert-led learning with practical application.

Programming may include lectures, interactive teaching, and hands-on workshops designed for the audience and learning objectives. Formats can be tailored for dermatology residency programs, professional conferences and meetings, and other educational settings.

Residency ProgramsPractical learning that complements existing curricula and surgical exposure.
Professional ConferencesExpert-led lectures and hands-on workshops focused on real-world surgical skills.
Customized ProgrammingEducational experiences shaped around the learners, setting, and objectives.
Core FocusOperative decision-making, perioperative care, longitudinal surgical care, complication management, and scar optimization.

Build the judgment that textbooks alone cannot teach.

Beyond the Books™ is designed to strengthen surgical competence and confidence by helping learners connect foundational knowledge with practical decisions in real clinical settings.

Inquire about Beyond the Books™ programming →