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...

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...

By Audrey Jacobsen, MD,  Lori Fiessinger, MD Discussion of physician wellness and strategies to prevent burnout is now more important than ever given the additional stressors of COVID-19. It is probably not surprising to members of the WDS that studies have shown women physicians are more likely to experience burnout than male physicians. Creating a culture of wellness in medicine has to start with making changes for our trainees. To this end, our academic dermatology department has created a Wellness Committee. The committee is a collaborative effort between residents and faculty. I’ll let our resident committee leader tell you more about what we are doing and how we started this important initiative below. We hope our ideas can be adopted broadly in the dermatology community. -  Lori Fiessinger, Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota

Read featured COVID articles from the WDS Resident Fellow and Young Physicians Committee. Avoiding Burnout During the Pandemic Tips for Running Your Practice During COVID-19 Stories from the Frontline Avoiding Burnout During the Pandemic:  Interviews by Dr. Shari Lipner Dr. Neelam Khan, then a 3rd year dermatology resident at SUNY Downstate, volunteered to care for COVID-19 patients during March 2020, and was redeployed to the COVID-19 wards in April 2020. She related that she worked on a pediatric floor that was cleared out and converted to an adult COVID-19 adult ward. Downstate was vastly under sourced, treatment approaches were not working, and patients were dying daily. She worked long hours and found the experience stressful. Participating in WDS virtual networking events and speaking to other WDS members was one important way that she coped with her experiences. She reported that this time on the wards was the most valuable experience of her life. When I asked her ...

By Shadi Damanpour, MD Molly Hinshaw, MD is an Associate Professor and Chief of Dermatopathology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and UW Health in Madison, WI where she also completed her undergraduate and medical training. Dr. Hinshaw completed her dermatology residency the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, and her dermatopathology fellowship at the University of Colorado Health Science Center. Dr. Hinshaw is very active in multiple professional organizations and passionate about her volunteer efforts. She is a member of the UW Hospital medical board and past president of the Wisconsin Dermatological Society. In addition to her role in the WDS, she served as a Section Editor for JAMA Dermatology and an Advisory Board Member of the AAD. She has served on the Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dane County, matching children with adult mentors. Dr. Hinshaw is the author of over thirty peer-reviewed publications. Her ...

The WDS Young Physicians Committee has put together resources to provide more information on Post-Residency Dermatology opportunities including Traditional Post-Residency Fellowships, Non-Traditional Fellowships, and more. >> Read the Full Article Micrographic Surgery & Dermatologic Oncology (Mohs) Fellowships Dermatopathology Fellowships Pediatric Dermatology Fellowships Cosmetic Dermatology Fellowships Complex Medical Dermatology Fellowship Contact Dermatitis Fellowship Teledermatology Fellowship Dermatology/Rheumatology Fellowship Research Fellowships Cutaneous Oncology Fellowship Clinician Educator Fellowship

The Practice Advisory Committee has put together a list of pearls to keep in mind your first year out of residency. Pearls from Dr. Sarah Jackson  Many of us had no formal business training, yet we run successful businesses now. If you are starting your own practice, you must seek out the advice of experts, just as you would for a tough medical case. Throw yourself into learning about business, and utilize courses, mentors, and experts outside of our specialty. You will reap the rewards throughout your days of private practice! Pearls from Dr. Monica Li  Do not let patients pressure you into providing an intervention that you are not comfortable with. When in doubt, go back to the basics and be systematic. Always be nice to your support staff - they can be so helpful in ways known and unknown to you! Pearls from Dr. Elizabeth Long  Learn from failure. When patients express dissatisfaction from a treatment, a drug price, an interaction with staff, etc....