Education: At the core of the Academy
From the President
Dr. Tomecki served as Academy president from March 2021 to March 2022.
By Kenneth Tomecki, MD, FAAD, August 1, 2021
Breaking news: thanks to Steve Feldman, I heard about a book, The Case Against Education, that basically debunks the value of education, castigating the excessive expense without much meaning or long-term impact. Humbug. By definition, education is the process of facilitating learning (i.e., acquiring knowledge, skills, perhaps even values, morals, beliefs, and habits, hopefully good ones). The true meaning of education transcends simple book knowledge; it goes beyond the simple acquisition of diplomas and degrees. To that end, the Academy excels, par excellence. Education represents the true core of Academy tenets.
For members, the AAD Annual Meeting is the backbone of derm education in the U.S., perhaps worldwide, with the Summer Meeting close behind. We lost the last two annual meetings, but it will return in full force next March, in Boston. The Summer Meeting, typically a smaller, more intimate gathering, continued this year in Tampa. And next year in Vancouver — details to appear soon.
The AAD’s VMX filled the void last spring. The AAD knew what needed to be done and quickly pivoted to provide educational programs in virtual mode for thousands of registrants, not bad for such short notice. VMX 2021 was even bigger and better, with 75+ sessions, e-posters, and 50 hours of ‘live’ events. Regional courses complement the educational agenda this year — MDS prep course in Las Vegas in the fall, and Hands-On Cosmetics in Rosemont/Chicago in November.
AAD Education Center
Get access to CME and educational opportunities.
For the home-bound, an array of offerings — JAAD and JAAD International quizzes and CME articles; JDCR case challenges; Dialogues in Dermatology to enhance road trips (when possible) and exercise stints; DermWorld and DermWorld Weekly; Question of the Week every Thursday in DermWorld Academy Insider; Basic Derm curriculum, a bullet-like compendium; webinars and "on-demand" courses (quarterly); on-demand modules re: patient safety; "hands-on at home," a new skills-based course combining video instruction and hands-on practice; and "breaking news" — an array of daily email messages. Some of the above have a fee, but many are free. More than 60 hours of CME credit are available free on an annual basis.
Teledermatology has become an integral component of education and patient care. The Academy will help members get started, provide the ins/outs, help with coding and payer questions, and even provide IT guidance. The tele-future is now, and the Academy can help. Just ask.
Given the AAD initiative re: diversity, equity, and inclusion, members can access clinical photographs depicting skin disease in patients with skin of color, thus enhancing patient diagnosis and therapy; participate in a Diversity Champion Workshop to drive awareness and facilitate outreach programs; and tap the new skin of color curriculum, an online program with 70 modules that cover the spectrum of skin disease in patients of color which will be available early in 2022.
AAD meetings
Learn about the AAD’s meetings and educational opportunities.
The AAD has much to offer in the educational arena, with all of us as members the recipients. But, we can and should give back whenever possible in that same arena. A few suggestions: organize and direct a derm journal club on a regular basis for your group, clinic, or department; pick a journal or two or three, assign articles for discussion, and lead the effort. Remember to bring food and beverages as incentive. Or, offer to deliver a lecture for office/clinic staff or your department or institution, a derm topic of course, but take the initiative; accept an invite if asked or offer to do so (i.e., give back). Alternatively, organize a "show and tell" for nurses, residents, students; show slides, initiate discussion, and engage others. The end result is education with you at the helm leading the effort. And lastly, for the ambitious, create something enduring. When you encounter something interesting, a patient, a case, a dilemma, think about "writing it up," perhaps a simple case report, or case series, or a retrospective look at a large series of patients. Submit the manuscript for publication and see what happens. Ya never know. If rejected, there may still be an outlet. Offer to present the material at a local or state derm meeting. Bottom line: Education is alive and well and definitely necessary for all of us. Partake, digest, and, if possible, make waves yourself. You won’t regret it and others will definitely benefit.
