WDS Young Physician Spotlight Interview - Dr. Christina Kraus

WDS Young Physician Spotlight Interview - Dr. Christina Kraus
Interviewed by Amaris Geisler and Brianna Olamiju

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

My involvement with the Women's Dermatologic Society (WDS) began as a medical student, thanks to Dr. Libby Edwards. During my fourth year of medical school, I had the privilege of rotating with Dr. Edwards, who was deeply engaged with the WDS and serving as a mentor in the WDS Mentorship Award Program. Upon starting my dermatology residency, I joined the WDS, and learned more about the organization and was fortunate to receive the WDS mentorship award to rotate with Dr. Libby Edwards again as a resident. Currently, I am very fortunate to serve on the WDS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee, which has been an incredibly rewarding experience. 

Membership in the WDS is invaluable for residents and early-career physicians. The WDS is a supportive environment that provides not only educational opportunities but also access to a network of mentors and colleagues with diverse backgrounds and interests. Not only does the WDS provide career support and mentorship, but I have developed such close friends through the WDS and have been able to engage in meaningful conversations encompassing many aspects of life, including those beyond the scope of medicine.

 2.)     Are you in private practice or academics? At what point did you decide that you wanted to do private practice versus academics?

I am in academics and had an idea I wanted to pursue an academic career early in residency. One of my goals was to start a gynecologic dermatology clinic and I knew that the support of an academic institution would be critical for me to achieve this early in my career. The exciting thing about dermatology is there are so many career paths that blend and change and are right for different people at different times - we’re fortunate to have a diversity of options. For me, academics provides the perfect combination of engaging in clinical care, research, and teaching. I get to take care of patients with general dermatologic conditions as well as more complex medical conditions and run a vulvar dermatology subspecialty clinic, which is very rewarding. This allows me to constantly learn from my colleagues, ask questions, and interact regularly with medical students and residents, gaining insight from some of the brightest young minds. Finally, academics has allowed me to pursue a very rewarding research program, which has been possible through the collaboration and mentorship of the physicians and scientists in the p30 Skin Center at our institution.   

3.)     Advice to young physicians regarding leadership?

Physicians inevitably take on leadership roles in any practice setting, with teams they work with and in clinical care. I believe that everyone should be provided with the tools and access to resources for leadership development and those who are interested in leadership should be encouraged and supported to rise to the challenge. There are many resources available which can be found through institutions and various medical societies and associations, including the American Academy of Dermatology. I think leadership requires recognizing our own biases and management skills, particularly when it comes to conflict resolution. It requires being available to listen, learning to effectively communicate and give feedback, and knowing when to seek advice and accept feedback from others, especially when faced with unfamiliar situations or uncertainty about how to proceed.  

 

 4.)     Who were/are your mentors?

 I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have many mentors throughout my career, beginning in medical school. Dr. Libby Edwards played a pivotal role in my journey into vulvar dermatology and really inspired me as a medical student. Additionally, I’ve had a network of vulvar dermatologists and medical dermatologists across institutions who have mentored me at different stages of my career. I am deeply thankful to each one of them. At my current institution, I have the privilege of receiving strong mentorship from both physicians and scientists in my department as well as in other departments across the School of Medicine. They provide invaluable guidance not only in career and research matters but also in life advice. I truly would not be where I am today without this remarkable network of mentors.

5.)   What are you working on now?

We are currently working on a longitudinal lichen sclerosus patient registry, which involves enrolling individuals with lichen sclerosus and following them over time. This project includes obtaining tissue samples and collecting clinical and patient-reported outcomes. This work is important as this is an underrecognized and understudied condition in medicine. We are also involved in some exciting studies looking at differences in gene expression in key cell types in lichen sclerosus skin and seeing how these cells communicate within the tissue microenvironment using techniques like single-cell sequencing and spatial transcriptomics.

 

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

I haven’t mastered this and I’m sure this fluctuates over different stages of your career and depending on different life events and circumstances. Recently, I was listening to a podcast where a physician was describing meeting with a prospective medical student. This physician voiced concerns about the medical profession, discussing the corporation of medicine and the high rates of burnout or moral injury. The prospective medical student then asked a very insightful question: “Is there anything missing in your career?” And, despite all the concerns and grievances the physician had expressed, she realized she had to answer “no” to this question. This really resonated with me. Yes, the demands are high and the amount of work we are expected to achieve in a day may not be reasonable at times. Yes, there are a multitude of challenges that need to be addressed to help young physicians achieve work-life balance. But I am fortunate in that my answer is the same – there is nothing missing in my career. So my advice is to do something you can find joy in, that allows you to create or contribute, something that provides a sense of purpose or meaning. This does not make work-life balance easy or even sustainable, but it does enhance satisfaction in your work.

7.)   What do you like to do in your free time?

I enjoy being outdoors, hiking, and going to the beach. Our two German Shepherds, three cats, and rotating pet visitors, keep us very active. We enjoy hosting dinners and spending time with family and friends. Since the pandemic, I’ve been cooking more frequently and have amassed a small collection of cookbooks and am hoping to master many recipes from these. I enjoy listening to podcasts on my commute (Hidden Brain on NPR is one of my favorites) and am trying to focus on being more mindful. Recently I’ve taking up daily journaling – we’ll see how that goes!