Women's Dermatologic Society

An Interview with Lawrence J Green, MD, FAAD Clinical Professor of Dermatology George Washington University School of Medicine Vice President Elect, American Academy of Dermatology Interviewed by Dr. Amaris Geisler and Dr. Brianna Olamiju  1.) How did you become involved in the WDS and what benefits do you think WDS membership provides for residents/young physicians? I started volunteering with the WDS about 10 years ago, when Dr Adelaide Hebert, who was part of my class on the AAD Board of Directors filled me on how important a role the WDS plays in dermatology. Before that, I never really appreciated the value the WDS adds to our field. Many/Most of the recent leaders in dermatology have come through the WDS. I believe this is because the WDS fosters not just collegiality among all dermatologists, but it also uniquely encourages and provides opportunities for young dermatologists (and dermatologists to be) to get involved in our field. The WDS also encourages and pr...

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 ...

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 ...

 By Dr. Suzanne Alkul 1. Take part in something bigger than yourself and your immediate community . WDS is a community of supportive women and men whose goal is to advance women in dermatology. It is inspiring to meet and talk with these leaders and role models in the field. Being a part of this organization will ignite (or re-ignite) your passion for mentorship, community service, and giving back in any other way. We all have someone (or a group of someones) that have helped and guided us to where we are today. It is essential that we provide this assistance to those who will come after us. Being a WDS resident liaison will help facilitate this mission.   2. Mentorship opportunities. You will meet a lot of inspiring women and men in WDS as you serve your term. You have a unique opportunity to be able to connect with someone you otherwise would never have met and ask them to be your mentor.   3. Networking . No matter your post residency plans, fellowship, star...

 By Dr. Susan Massick      Despite changing racial and ethnic demographics in the U.S. with African Americans composing 12.8% and Hispanics composing 16.3% of the U.S. population, African Americans represent only 3% and Hispanics 4.2% of all dermatologists (Pandya, Alexis, Berger, & Wintroub, 2016). Studies have shown that diversity among health care providers improves patient satisfaction with race-concordant visits showing greater patient satisfaction (Cooper, et al., 2003). Dermatology is the second LEAST diverse specialty in medicine, ranking behind only orthopedics in racial and ethnic diversity (Pandya, Alexis, Berger, & Wintroub, 2016). Moreover, lack of minority representation occurs in all aspects of dermatology, including faculty educators, resident trainees, and skin of color images in textbooks and publications. Where is the pipeline?      Key action areas for enhancing diversity in dermatology include widening and fueling the ...