Women's Dermatologic Society

Career Corner: Following an Academic Career Path Special thanks to Dr. Marilyn Wickenheiser for providing insight into following an academic career path. Dr. Wickenheiser serves as the Staff Physician and Associate Program Director at Cleveland Clinic Department of Dermatology. Since medical school, I have focused on medical education and teaching. During my dermatology residency, I served as the chief resident. In this role, I was tasked with developing the curriculum, mentoring fellow residents, and acting as a liaison between residents and faculty. Following graduation, I pursued opportunities to work with residents and medical students in an academic setting. After practicing clinically and serving as teaching faculty for several years, I assumed the role of Associate Program Director for my residency. My experiences with mentors and teachers have guided my approach. Additionally, witnessing the development of medical students and residents has been fulfilling. I...

WDS Young Physician Spotlight Interview - Jordan Lim, MD Interviewed by Brianna Olamiju, MD and Amaris Geisler, MD   1.) How did you become involved in the WDS and what benefits do you think WDS membership provides for residents/young physicians? I first heard about WDS in residency and I actually served as a resident liaison for my program. Since then, I have attended many of their events – one most recent that I found incredibly impactful was their Women in Dermatology Collaborative Event at the AAD where a panel of several dermatology leaders addressed issues that women dermatologists face on a daily basis providing supportive tools and resources to combat these issues. Another memorable event was one of their virtual panels regarding family planning in an academic career where they hosted fertility experts, and had members share their personal experiences. This event literally brought me to tears. That is the impact of the WDS. All of their events are inspiring, ...

  WDS Young Physician Spotlight Interview - Jennifer Adams, MD Interviewed by Brianna Olamiju, MD and Amaris Geisler, MD 1.)        How did you become involved in the WDS and what benefits do you think WDS membership provides for residents/young physicians? I learned about the free resident membership for WDS and signed up to stay in the loop during my first-year of dermatology training at University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital. I was later chosen for the WDS mentorship award during my senior year which supported a rotation with the National Hansen’s Disease Program- reinforcing my career foundation for infectious disease dermatology.   Although WDS mentorship, networking with colleagues, scholarships and service opportunities have long been available to support residents/young physicians, I have also loved to direct our current residents to their fantastic recent resident lecture series (the repository of prior recorded lectures are ...

By the WDS Academic Dermatology Committee   Question: Are there specific things I should negotiate for in academics?     Dear WDS Member, Great question! The best opportunity to negotiate and make adjustments to a contract is often prior to signing with an institution. The approach will not be one-size-fits-all given the differences in culture at academic institutions and a variable desire for parity amongst faculty. You will need to think carefully about your priorities when approaching your negotiation. For some people, salary may be a primary issue while others may find items such as protected time or research support to be critical. Be thoughtful about what strengths you bring to the table, and do not sell yourself short. It can also be helpful to think about the negotiation from the chairperson’s point of view. How will the institution benefit from what you can bring? Oftentimes, jobs that are in highly desirable locations may be a little less flexible in negotiation...

  By the WDS Academic Dermatology Committee   Question: Does an academic career provide flexibility and support for working parents?     Dear WDS Member, Every academic center is unique in terms of their policies and flexibility for family planning and support for parents. An academic practice can provide opportunities for working parents. At the most basic level, academic careers are often salaried with benefits and paid leave time, but this can vary widely. Many private practices are primarily production based, so any leave time is unpaid. Academic centers often offer daycare programs with lower rates and emergency childcare services when needed for a certain number of days of the year. Flexible spending accounts (FSA) are often offered to allow pre-tax dollars for dependent care. In addition to medical benefits, academic facilities have varying coverage options for family planning with respect to family planning benefits to cover fertility treatments and assisted...

By Cather McKay, MD 2020 brought the most significant public health crisis many of us will experience in our lifetime. The novel coronavirus took our country and the world by storm, changing every aspect of our lives. Even in the chaos, health care professionals across the world have united to share experiences and learn about the novel coronavirus together in real time. In a matter of months, scientists developed two mRNA vaccines showing up to 95% efficacy with plans for distribution in the near future. If your time and mental energy was understandably occupied this year, see below for some of the biggest news affecting our specialty to help keep you up to speed.   COVID-19 AND DERMATOLOGY As dermatologists, we’ve been tasked with helping our patients and the public understand “COVID toes,” hand dermatitis, “maskne,” and telogen effluvium. Data collection regarding skin findings in COVID-19 continues in the form of a registry organized by the American Academy of Der...