It’s October already
From the Editor
Dr. Schwarzenberger is the former physician editor of DermWorld.
By Kathryn Schwarzenberger, MD, FAAD, October 1, 2022
It’s that month that starts the time warp into the new year. Somehow, the three months ending each year seem to be compressed into a much shorter amount of time. Maybe this time of year is just a contrast from summer, which seems to be a lazier time, with longer sunny days and time off to relax. As much as I love autumn, I often feel a bit of sadness leaving behind the time of year I associate with childhood. Perhaps this month’s feature article on Camp Discovery will allow everyone to feel a bit more “summer” and relive that happiness a little longer. How could you not be happy thinking about Camp Discovery? Founded in 1993, Camp Discovery was created to allow children with serious skin disorders experience that quintessential summer experience: camp. Thanks to the dedicated work of many passionate and committed volunteers, the original camp has grown to now offer sessions at multiple different sites across the country. Every summer, several hundred children between ages 8-17 spend one week doing all the things that make summer camp special, surrounded by others who truly understand what it means to have a chronic skin condition. Hopefully, this experience also allows them to be, at least for a while, just a kid.
This month, as I previewed the articles in this edition of DermWorld, I was struck by the incredible diversity and talent of so many of our Academy members. I am delighted that we can share some of their stories with you. Driven by the tragic loss of her firefighter brother to occupational esophageal cancer, Dr. Christine Kannler is raising awareness of the high incidence of skin cancer that may result from toxic exposures in this population. Dr. Travis Blalock embodies the giving spirit of so many of our members who go above and beyond to support the philanthropic missions of the AAD.
Some of our best and brightest researchers — Drs. Crystal Aguh, Loren Krueger, Beth McLellan, and Arash Mostaghimi join our other recipients of the AAD HAIR Grants to further our understanding of hair disorders. Some of our members have focused on the human side of medicine, exploring the impact the arts may have on making a good doctor; others use their art as a means of finding and maintaining balance in their lives. I live in awe of how many talented artists we have among our ranks and acknowledge that there are many others out there whose skills we have not mentioned!
Some of our members, including our esteemed Academy President Dr. Mark Kaufmann, spend an enormous amount of time and energy fighting to preserve the integrity and existence of our specialty. Of course, I cannot fail to mention the thoughtful and perceptive insights that Dr. Warren Heymann offers us each month. I never fail to learn something from him every time I read his Insights and Inquiries. And finally, I would like to call out Dr. Simon Ritchie, who in service as a dermatologist to the U.S. Air Force, took the time to question a policy he felt might result in unintended discrimination against Black/African American airmen. I encourage you to read about his study in this month’s Clinical Applications. We should all have the courage to challenge things we think may not be right.
