WDS Service Spotlight: Service Program Q&A

We asked Dr. Wendi Wohltmann of the San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium and her two medical students, Caroline Zhu and Marie Vu, some questions about organizing and conducting a TIPP Women’s Shelter event.

Through the use of informative presentations, this TIPP initiative helps women in shelters and other facilities/organizations enter back into society with confidence and self-esteem. This program helps address the ‘whole-woman’ and her body and mind systems.

1) What made you want to hold a WDS event?

Caroline and Marie: Our wonderful mentor, Dr. Wohltmann, introduced the WDS TIPP program to us. We are all actively involved in our community’s dermatology free clinic serving the homeless and uninsured, and the TIPP program felt like a natural extension of this same spirit of service.

Dr. Wohltmann: I love the WDS! I really believe in the WDS mission statement and their strong commitment to community service. Also, they make their service events turnkey (shout out to WDS community service guru Dr Ashley Wysong) so it is super easy for WDS members to put on these events. They allow medical students and residents to help with coordination, which introduces them to the WDS and makes it easier for the busy dermatologist to participate.



2) What made you select X type of event over the others?

Caroline and Marie: TIPP’s mission to lift up women in need resonated with us. We loved the emphasis on addressing all aspects involved, from skincare and nutrition to social and interview skills.

Dr. Wohltmann: With the help of the WDS, I had previously hosted a few in-person skin cancer screenings, which are very easy to do – the WDS sends you this huge trunk full of supplies – it’s awesome! This time I was interested in hosting a TIPP shelter event because it could be done virtually during the pandemic.



3) How did you choose the institution to host the event?

Caroline and Marie: We sought to identify women’s shelters in or near our city, San Antonio, that were willing to work with us. Many shelters were interested, but not all were able or ready to host these events during the ongoing pandemic. We were fortunate to partner with Salvation Army Women & Children Emergency Shelter of San Antonio, and later with Union Gospel Mission Dallas Women & Children’s Shelter.



4) How was the overall experience coordinating the event with the hosting institution and the WDS?

Caroline and Marie: WDS made the entire process so easy and streamlined, and the shelters we worked with were enthusiastic partners in every step. We have been so fortunate to work with such dedicated, service-oriented people!



5) What was the most rewarding, or your favorite part of the experience?

Caroline and Marie: The most rewarding part of hosting the WDS events was being able to interact with women from vulnerable backgrounds. Hearing their stories and concerns about nutrition and dermatologic health made it clear that these events are much needed in such communities.

Dr. Wohltmann: My favorite part of all 3 events was hearing the personal stories from the participants – they were such an inspiration and had very positive and uplifting attitudes. They really radiated love and acceptance.



6) Was there anything that happened at the event that will stay with you going forward or change your practice?

Caroline and Marie: Many women shared their personal experiences, concerns, and struggles during our presentations. These moments reminded us that everybody has a story despite their background, and we hope to carry the value of empathy when actively listening to these resilient individuals.

Dr. Wohltmann: Hearing the different stories from the participants reminded me that you never know what someone is going through, and to remember that kindness and empathy can go a long way.



6) What was the most challenging part of hosting the event and is there anything you would have done differently?

Caroline and Marie: While the virtual format made things easier in some ways, it also was challenging in that at times it was hard to feel the same level of engagement as we might have felt if we were in person. Thankfully, the participants and hosts at the shelters were very interactive when we reached the question and answer portions of the sessions and helped us foster a closer sense of community.

Dr. Wohltmann: Probably not being able to meet the amazing ladies in person. I have a feeling there would have been a lot of hugs.



7) How do you feel the WDS event was received by the participants?

Caroline and Marie: We felt that the events were well received by the communities we partnered with. There were so many participants who expressed their gratitude and appreciation!

Dr. Wohltmann: The participants were lovely and really seemed interested in the topics we presented (we had given them a choice of topics). We received positive feedback from both shelters, and they have asked us back to give more events in the future!



8) Following your experience, would you consider hosting another WDS event in the future?

Caroline and Marie: We would love to host another WDS event in the future! We had such a great experience with hosting our TIPP events and love having the opportunity to further engage with our community. In fact, we are in the process of planning another TIPP event!

Dr. Wohltmann: Absolutely! In fact, we have already held 3 TIPP shelter events with 2 different shelters, with 2 more scheduled!



9) Please tell us about how the COVID-19 pandemic affected your event.

Caroline and Marie: Due to COVID-19, all of our events were hosted virtually. We hope in the future that we will be able to host our events in-person!

Dr. Wohltmann: We scheduled and hosted all 3 of our events during COVID. It turned out we were able to host an event in the Dallas area with some wonderful ladies who we would not have been able to meet if the event had to be in person. So a silver lining of the pandemic is the WDS offering a virtual option for these service events and thus being able to help those outside of our local area. Also, the ladies were still able to get a nice catered lunch and free goodie bags with skin care products!

10) What advice would you give to first-time event hosts?

Caroline and Marie: Our advice is to plan the event well in advance to ensure adequate time to organize it. WDS does a fantastic job with streamlining the process and providing assistance, so be sure to reach out frequently!

Dr. Wohltmann: Go for it! Definitely plan well in advance and keep in touch with the shelter regularly. I highly recommend finding another dermatologist and/or motivated resident/medical student to co-host. Ask the shelter which topics they’d like you to speak on so the presentations are more tailored to the needs of that specific population. Early on in the planning process we also spoke with 2 residents from University of Nebraska and University of Wisconsin - Madison who had held multiple TIPP events in the past, and they gave us some very valuable advice.



11) Any final thoughts?

Caroline and Marie: Thank you to WDS and our partnered shelters (Salvation Army Women & Children Emergency Shelter of San Antonio, Union Gospel Mission Dallas Women & Children’s Shelter) for making opportunities like this possible. It is incredibly fulfilling to be able to serve our communities in different ways!

Dr. Wohltmann: These events are amazing and I would like to thank the WDS for offering such easy, “plug and play” community service events that really make a positive impact on everyone involved. Also, HUGE thanks to Caroline, Marie, and Ainsley – they made it so all I really had to do was review the slides and show up!