WDS Young Physician Spotlight Interview - Daniela Kroshinsky, MD MPH

 

Interviewed by Sabrina Alessi Cesar, MD

WDS Young Physician Spotlight

Daniela Kroshinsky, MD MPH graduated summa cum laude from Northwestern University BA/MD Combined Honors Program in Medical Education, where she was inducted to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, and her Masters of Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health. She completed her internship in Internal Medicine at Yale-New Haven Hospital where she received the Preliminary Intern of the Year Award, followed by her residency in Dermatology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center where she served as Chief Resident. Dr. Kroshinsky served as an attending physician in Dermatology at the Massachusetts General Hospital and MassGeneral Hospital for Children for sixteen years where she was the Director of Inpatient Dermatology and the Director of Pediatric Dermatology and taught at Harvard Medical School. She currently serves as the Vice Chair of Strategic Initiatives and Faculty Affairs and the Director of Pediatric Dermatology at Duke University Medical Center. Dr.Kroshinsky specializes in complex medical dermatology in the outpatient and hospital setting. She greatly enjoys teaching and mentoring and has received numerous awards across multiple departments recognizing her efforts in these arenas. She is past-President of the Medical Dermatology Society and President of the Society of Dermatology Hospitalists. She is an active researcher with over 190 peer reviewed medical publications and countless opportunities to speak nationally and internationally on her work.

 

How did you become involved in the WDS and what benefits do you think WDS membership provides for residents/young physicians?

I was fortunate to train under the leadership of Dr.Alan Shalita who was an incredible mentor, sponsor, and advocate for women physicians. He encouraged all residents to join the WDS and funded our participation in the WDS luncheon at the AAD each year. It was through this early exposure that I came to appreciate the community and support the organization offers and how involved the WDS is at the local, national, and international levels. The WDS provides countless opportunities to network with other residents and with attendings who are very invested in the success and well-being of resident dermatologists. I benefitted first-hand from direct WDS support through a Mentorship Program Award and grant funding that allowed me to obtain additional training to launch my research career. I also was given the opportunity to engage more directly with the WDS and its leadership by serving on the Young Physicians Committee and as the Associate Chair and finally Chair of the Ethics Committee which were some of my earliest major leadership roles.

 

At what point did you decide that you wanted to do academics versus private practice? What's the biggest challenge you've faced in academia?

 I went into dermatology with the goal of becoming an academic dermatologist who cared for adults and children in the inpatient and outpatient setting and have found this to be an incredibly rewarding career path. The biggest challenge I have faced in academia is the persistence of gender-based inequities in promotion, financial renumeration, and leadership opportunities. I am eternally grateful to the members of the WDS who persevered through much more challenging times and vastly improved the landscape for female dermatologists, including myself, today. I believe as more women move into major leadership roles in academia, things will continue to improve and while there is still work to be done, the impact of this organization cannot be underscored enough.

 

Advice to young physicians regarding leadership?

Go for it! You may have a clear path of what you want your career to resemble but it is amazing how things can change based on what you are exposed to and what fires are ignited in you as you participate in new arenas. Very often women will wait until they have met all the criteria for a position before applying and I think reframing this perspective to view leadership positions as opportunities for growth and development over time is important. 

 

Who were/are your mentors?

I would not be a dermatologist if it were not for Joaquin Brieva at Northwestern who first introduced and inspired me to a career in complex medical dermatology and who is one of the most noteworthy pioneers in Inpatient Dermatology. Alan Shalita at SUNY Downstate fully supported and encouraged my career vision and provided countless opportunities to not only grow but also expand this vision beyond what I could have ever realized. Even after I graduated, he continued to quietly advocate for me in ways that I still am learning about today. The WDS Mentorship Award Program gave me the incredible chance to work intensively with Jean Bolognia at Yale who is the archetype of an impactful academic dermatologist and a true role model of tenacity and resilience as a female physician within a major medical center. She has served as an important sounding board for me around many of my most significant career decisions and I have always really appreciated her insightful candor. Their sustained generosity and investment have really inspired and set the standard by which I now mentor others. 

 

 What are you working on now? What future goals do you have?

I just moved to an exciting new career opportunity and set of roles that I find really invigorating. I am working on settling into a new life in many aspects and trying to be patient with myself as I get up to speed. I hope to be able to expand my clinical connectivity and to continue to use my research to benefit patient care and outcomes. In my new role as Vice Chair of Strategic Initiatives and Faculty Affairs, I hope to further grow the environment around me and to help others achieve success in the areas that matter most to them.

 

Do you have advice to young physicians on achieving work/life balance?

While challenging, I have found trying to keep both aspects simultaneously humming, albeit at different paces at different times, to be personally easier than accelerating/braking fully into either sphere. Outsource the things that someone else can do as well or better that will give you more time for the things that really only you can do or that you want to be truly present for. Taking periodic inventory of your own situation in both arenas is helpful to maintain a broader perspective of your trajectory in real time rather than in retrospect. Finally, surround yourself where you can with supportive and energizing people in the different aspects of your life- they will help you ride the inevitable waves as they come, as you will for them.

 

What do you like to do in your free time?

I love to spend time with family and friends in any capacity. We travel whenever possible, and I really enjoy exploring new places and cultures. I am trying to expand my foreign language skillset as I find a whole other level of connection with people in this way, even if I have a lot of room for improvement…