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...

Tips for Applying to the Pediatric Dermatology Fellowship Special thanks to Drs. Marcia Hogeling and Jennifer Huang for providing tips on how to best prepare and apply for a pediatric dermatology fellowship! Dr. Hogeling serves as the Director of Pediatric Dermatology at UCLA. Dr. Huang serves as the Director of Pediatric Oncodermatology and Program Director of the Harvard Combined Dermatology Residency Program.    1. What steps should applicants take if they are interested in a pediatric dermatology fellowship? Hogeling – Join Pediatric Dermatology organizations like the Society for Pediatric Dermatology and PeDRA. This is a great way to meet other Pediatric Dermatologists and they both have mentorship programs. Meet with a Pediatric Dermatologist in your residency program or affiliated with your residency program as a mentor to discuss your career goals. Consider having your resident continuity clinic in Pediatric Dermatology. Huang - There are currently 40 AC...

Tips for Applying to Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology Fellowship Special thanks to Dr. Mary L. Stevenson and Dr. Alyx Rosen Aigen for providing tips and guidance on the best way to prepare and apply for a Mohs fellowship! Dr. Stevenson serves as the Associate Director of the Mohs Fellowship Program at NYU. Dr. Aigen is an Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery at the University of Miami. 1.  How can a resident best demonstrate their interest in Mohs fellowship? Practice good surgical skills. Study and understand the Mohs technique, types of reconstruction, anatomy and pathology as well as types of tumors. Get involved in Mohs research. Read journal articles to stay up to date on emerging research. Speak with Mohs faculty at your department to express interest. Attend surgical meetings, including the annual ACMS and ASDS meeting. Get connected and meet program directors from other programs. Attend Mohs monthly virtual journal club. Build a portfol...

  Applying for Dermatopathology Fellowship: Tips from 3 Fellowship Directors Special thanks to Drs. Emily Chu, Tammie Ferringer, and Michi Shinohara for providing tips, resources, and guidance on the best way to prepare and apply for a dermatopathology fellowship! Drs. Chu, Ferringer, and Shinohara currently serve as dermatopathology fellowship directors at the University of Pennsylvania, Geisenger Medical Center, and the University of Washington, respectively.   

Ten Tips for Maintaining Work-Life Balance Special thanks to Drs. Anna Karp and Mara C. Weinstein Velez for their invaluable tips on how to keep work-life balance.   Take care of yourself first physically, mentally, emotionally in whatever way best fits your lifestyle. This makes the time spent with patients and family more fulfilling. Be present at home and do the same at work.  Sometimes things come up (e.g., patient emergency while you're with your kids), but most of the time you can separate the two.  I've changed my mind set over time from thinking about how hard it is to do both well to thinking about the two roles enriching each other. When you are at work, you can recharge for parenting and vice versa.    Set a time frame for working from home.  Whether it’s finishing charts or virtual patients, putting a hard stop on work tasks will make family time more valuable. I try my best to not bring work home. Being home with young kids is like a second job...

Advice for Negotiating Physician Contracts in the Post-Covid Era Special thanks to James D. Kelso, JD, LLM of The Kelso Health Law Firm, PC for taking the time to speak with us and providing invaluable advice for negotiating physician contracts.   His law firm specializes in addressing the needs of health care providers and is almost exclusively limited to Health Law Services. His firm reviews hundreds of physician employment agreements and his guidance is incredibly helpful for our WDS members. How have contract negotiations changed in the post-covid era? Ultimately, contract negotiations have not been significantly impacted by COVID.  Force Majeure clauses were added to most agreements. This allows a party to terminate in the case of a riot, pandemic, war, etc. These were never found in physician agreements before COVID because physicians were supposed to go to work sick. You want this type of clause to apply to both parties equally. In the height of the pandemic, practices ...

Things I Wish I Had Have Done Differently at My First Job   Advocate for yourself - Don’t be afraid to be firm in your requests in contract negotiation, for instance a signing bonus or payment structure. - Make sure maternity leave or family leave policies are clear. Don’t be afraid to ask for more time than what is originally offered. - Be firm with your support staff regarding boundaries and tasks, which can be even more challenging if you stayed where you completed residency. - Maintain connections with mentors and groups like the WDS who may be able to provide resources for practice management or avenues to hone or learn new skills to implement in the clinic. Consider the practical “nuts and bolts” of the job - Review your clinic schedule templates with young physician colleagues before starting. Build in “buffer slots” or longer visit times in the beginning to prevent yourself from falling far behind in the clinic. - Don’t overextend yourself with clinic hours. Administrative ...