WDS Service Spotlight – Behind the Play Safe in the Sun event at the Chicago Triathlon with Mariam Mafee, MD

 

WDS Service Spotlight – Behind the Play Safe in the Sun event at the Chicago Triathlon with Mariam Mafee, MD
Interviewed by Chiara Rosenbaum, MD

The WDS Play Safe in the Sun program enables members to share sun safety education, offer skin checks, and hand out complimentary sunscreen samples to the community. Of the many service events organized this past year, the Play Safe event at the Chicago Triathlon has been attended by members for years.

This past August, Dr. Mariam Mafee led the event and had a great volunteer turn out of thirty WDS members, residents, and medical students. They performed over 60 free skin cancer screenings and handed out over 700 sunscreen samples, along with UV detecting bracelets.

We wanted to highlight Dr. Mafee and share her experience and insights from being involved in the service event.

1) Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I am a board-certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon, and I practice at Rush Medical Group in Chicago.

2) Was this your first time leading a WDS service program?

I first attended this Play Safe event at the Chicago Triathlon when I was a medical student at the University of Illinois in Chicago. Dr. Becky Tung used to host it yearly at the time. I did my residency in Chicago, so I continued to go as a resident as well. I hope to continue the tradition of hosting it yearly, as this is the 3rd year that I have hosted the event as an attending!

3) How was your experience with organizing this event?

Organizing a Play Safe event has been very easy as the team at WDS has it down to a science! This year Katie Mason helped me organize the whole thing. She came and was there for the entire event from setting up to orienting volunteers to clean-up.

4) What were the highlights from the service activity?

It is amazing to see the triathletes and how excited they are for the race, the energy is so fun to be around. I also learned a lot about triathlons doing these events! I also think this is such a great service as these are individuals who are out in the sun training for long periods of time, but who are not necessarily getting regular skin checks.

5) Do you have any advice or insight for individuals interested in organizing a WDS service program?

If there is an event you want to host, just reach out to WDS as they truly do the rest. I was intimidated at first about the planning and logistics, but it truly is very streamlined. 

 - - - -

Thank you so much to Dr. Mafee for taking the time to share her experience, and we want to thank the rest of the volunteers who participated in the event! If you’re interested in hosting a Play Safe in the Sun event near you, or attending any WDS service events, WDS makes it easy and fun. 

Visit https://www.womensderm.org/community to see how you can host a public service event in your neighborhood!