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It is with great respect and humility that I enter the office of President of the Women's Dermatologic Society. Former presidents have led our organization over 25 years of progress. These women were brave, dedicated, and focused in order to "help all women in dermatology achieve their greatest personal and professional potential." This is the primary focus of our Mission Statement, and still remains our main goal.
I am in awe of the women who initially organized and started the Women's Dermatologic Society. They worked hard to become a part of the greater dermatologic community. They helped women succeed in becoming speakers, writers, researchers, members of committees, and officers of various dermatologic organizations. Success and excellence bred greater involvement of women in all areas of dermatology. Women were recognized on their own merits and not on their gender. We are proud of the WDS. Great strides in the advancement of professional women were achieved over the past decades due to the work of our Society.
Although the Society got started with a handful of academicians, the majority of the members now are clinical dermatologists. As a full-time private practitioner, I was initially uncertain about the benefits of being a member of the WDS. However, I was encouraged to join by the noted academician Dr. Frances Storrs who came to UCLA to speak. She requested a dinner of the local women dermatologists in Los Angeles. With her spirit and friendliness, she encouraged me and a few others to join the WDS. Since becoming a member, it has been a rich and rewarding experience.
Some of my best memories are the WDS Retreats . The Retreats provide an opportunity for members to get to know each other on a one-to-one basis. The warmth and camaraderie among the members is contagious. A number of us had not had many experiences in "women's groups". We definitely did not have time for 'tea and crumpets.' I missed all the meetings of 'mothers of twins.' We were working women, after all. Thus, I was surprised at how enjoyable and meaningful the Retreats were. I am so glad that I have taken the time to develop the personal interactions and friendships with the women at the Retreats. I now feel that I can call on any member that participated. The value of friendship is the subject of this "Life Beyond Medicine" article.
Dr. Anne Burdick made a poignant comment while speaking to the AAD Past- President, Dr. Ronald Wheeland. She told Ron that the AAD Leadership meeting in January was fabulous. "It was like a Women's Dermatology Society Retreat!" Ron was not sure what she meant, since he had never attended a WDS Retreat. Anne explained that it was the sense of openness among participants and willingness to share personal experiences and motivations that was unique. Next year the 2003 WDS Retreat weekend will be held on June 20-22 in Toronto. We hope to see you there.
We are excited about the WDS's participation internationally. The first recipient of the International Pioneer Award was Dr. Kazue Ohara from Japan. This Award is presented to an individual who has made a difference for women in dermatology at a global level. The Award will be given concurrently with the World Congress of Dermatology. The First International Women's Dermatology Retreat will be held in conjunction with the World Congress of Dermatology on June 30, 2002 in Paris. Drs. Boni Elewski and Jean Bolognia have led our WDS International Affairs Committee in preparation for this Retreat and have worked hard to incorporate many dermatologists around the world in the program.
We all have enjoyed the WDS Annual Luncheon Meetings through the years. It gives us a chance to renew friendships and to meet and network with new people. We hope that you enjoyed the interactive program at our last Luncheon Meeting in New Orleans. Our objective was to have a program of greater interaction so that everyone would leave the Luncheon Meeting having made new friends. Despite our size, we hoped to have a forum to encourage friendly networking.
I am both delighted and proud that the WDS is involved with Mentorship Awards, the Advanced Career Development Awards, and the International Travel Grant Program. These are some of the tangible examples of assisting others. However, reaching out to assist others reaps greater intangible and satisfying rewards. This is what so many of our members know and do well.
With the assistance of our industry partners, we have been able to extend opportunities to our members, both near and far. We are appreciative of their support.
This year my goal is to bring unity to our Society, to include diversity on our committees, to reach out domestically and internationally, and to include the young, the spirited, and even the men.
It should be an exciting and productive year.
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Kindest regards,
Lenore S. Kakita, MD
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| Current Message from Our President HERE |
Past Messages from Our President:
- FEBRUARY 2008 (Mary Lupo, MD)
- NOVEMBER 2007 (Mary Lupo, MD)
- MAY 2007 (Mary Lupo, MD)
- DECEMBER/JANUARY 2007 (Elizabeth McBurney, MD)
- OCTOBER 2006 (Elizabeth McBurney, MD)
- MAY 2006 (Elizabeth McBurney, MD)
- JANUARY 2006 (Jean Bolognia, MD)
- NOVEMBER 2005 (Jean Bolognia, MD)
- JULY 2005 (Jean Bolognia, MD)
- APRIL 2005 (Jean Bolognia, MD)
- DECEMBER/JANUARY 2005 (Sandra J. Read, MD)
- SEPTEMBER 2004 (Sandra J. Read, MD)
- APRIL 2004 (Sandra J. Read, MD)
- DECEMBER/JANUARY 2004 (Marianne Nelson O'Donoghue, MD)
- APRIL 2003 (Marianne Nelson O'Donoghue, MD)
- FEBRUARY 2003 (Lenore S. Kakita, MD)
- SEPTEMBER 2002 (Lenore S. Kakita, MD)
- MAY 2002 (Lenore S. Kakita, MD)
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