Consider joining a dermatology society during or after your residency. Societies offer numerous advantages to residents and practicing clinicians, from networking to further educational opportunities and leadership positions.
Benefits of Joining a Society
Joining a society offers numerous benefits to clinicians and practices across the country. While there are several societies you may choose to become part of, some of the advantages associated with most include:
- Educational materials: Many societies offer educational materials to their members, such as pamphlets, posters or other items. They also often sponsor patient screenings and provide educational opportunities for clinicians.
- Help for clinical trials: Accessing dermatological societies gives you increased help when conducting clinical trials.
- Updated information: Meetings allow you to stay updated on the political landscape, insurance issues and networks at both the state and local levels.
- Governance opportunity: You can start by holding leadership positions in smaller societies, where you will learn the ropes. As you continue to build out your skill set, you will have the opportunity to gain office and other leadership positions in larger societies.
Societies open up a world of opportunity for residents and clinicians on a national level, providing continued learning about new advances in the field, leadership positions and more.
First Steps — Join a Dermatology Society
You can join the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) during or after your residency. The AAD is the starting point for any resident because it helps you learn about more specialized societies to work toward joining.
Each meeting for the AAD will help you cultivate an interest in different fields, enter leadership positions and improve your visibility in the dermatological sphere. After you have established a name for yourself in the AAD and your field, you can start going down the path toward more specialized societies.
Specialized Societies
While there are all sorts of societies for dermatology and related fields, some popular specialized ones include:
- Society for Investigative Dermatology (SID)
- American Acne and Rosacea Society (AARS)
- Women's Dermatologic Society (WDS)
- National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF)
- Skin Political Action Committee (SkinPAC)
- American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS)
- Skin of Color Society (SOCS)
- American College of Mohs Surgery (ACMS)
Of course, these are just some well-known societies — there are many others you can find online or through your network.
Start Your Career With DermCare
While joining societies is an important step in your career progression, you should also begin your search for career opportunities as you approach your final year. We encourage you to browse open positions throughout DermCare Management. Many of these positions are grad-friendly and offer a great starting point for new clinicians. Please browse our career opportunities today!
To learn more about our open positions, visit our Medical Provider Career Opportunities page. You can reach out to us directly with any questions at smiller@dermcaremgt.com.