Up and down.
From the Editor
Dr. Schwarzenberger is the former physician editor of DermWorld.
By Kathryn Schwarzenberger, MD, FAAD, December 1, 2023
Such has been the tenor of 2023. We have seen deeply troubling events in the past 12 months, with a growing distrust of “others” at the heart of many of these horrific conflicts. My heart goes out to those harmed — at every level — in these events. This year has reinforced for me the importance of understanding those different from us and leading with care and compassion.
A bright light for me has been our Academy’s commitment to increasing the ethnic and racial diversity of our specialty. Dermatology has a diversity problem, with only a small minority of our physicians being of African or Latino/Hispanic descent. Most of our patients with skin of color receive care from those of us with lighter skin, despite evidence that a diverse health care workforce can provide better access to care, improve the perception of care received, and often result in better outcomes. Over the last several years, and hopefully for years to come, the Academy is engaging in a multipronged educational and interactive program that will introduce and promote careers in dermatology to diverse learners from high school through residency. The Pathways: Inclusivity in Dermatology initiative, along with the existing AAD Diversity Mentorship Program and newer Diversity Champion Workshops aim to increase engagement of persons from underrepresented minorities at all levels of our specialty. I am very excited to see this level of commitment and I truly look forward to seeing the results of the hard work offered by many of our specialty’s members and leaders. This makes me proud, AAD. Thank you for this heartwarming gift.
There have been other good moments this year. We have seen many innovative scientific advances, some of which address our most challenging clinical problems. I was excited to read about progress in the development of personalized cancer vaccines. Our Editorial Advisors offer insights into a diverse group of disorders, including surgical wound infections, vasculitis, occupational hand dermatitis, and photodamage from visible light. As usual, they are right on target.
We celebrate some of the other successes our organization shared with us this year. We continue to fight the good fight in our advocacy battles defending our scope of practice. We had some successes and took a few hits, but our team fights on!
The end of the year is upon us, and many will celebrate holidays with friends and family. I would like to take a minute to thank all who are involved in the production of DermWorld. I work with an amazingly talented group of editors, writers, and graphic designers who magically produce a high-quality magazine every month from what was started as a few good ideas just a few months prior. Check out the national accolades DermWorld has received this past year! “What’s Hot” remains hot, thanks to our Editorial Advisory team! We answer to a strong and supportive AAD administrative team with the very talented Executive Director Elizabeth Usher, MBA, at the helm, and couldn’t do this without the sage guidance and support of our physician leadership team. (I’m talking about our three wise men Drs. Cronin, Bennett, and Nouri!) And who doesn’t love Dr. Heymann’s monthly DermWorld Insights & Inquiries?
I hope all of you end this year with joy. It’s a privilege being able to offer you our humble magazine this and every month. Be well and stay safe!
