Mentorship Award

For 35 years, the Women's Dermatologic Society has set the gold standard for mentorship in dermatology.

Since launching the program in 1991, the WDS Mentorship Award has connected hundreds of emerging dermatologists with nationally and internationally recognized leaders through immersive, personalized mentorship experiences.

Unlike traditional educational grants, the WDS Mentorship Award funds travel so mentees can spend meaningful one-on-one time with expert mentors—observing clinical care, participating in research, developing leadership skills, and building lifelong professional relationships.

Now celebrating 35 years of mentorship, WDS has completely reimagined the Mentorship Award Program for 2027—expanding eligibility to all WDS members and introducing five specialty tracks, expanded mentorship opportunities, and a new year-long research fellowship.

Why WDS Mentorship is Different

Mentorship is at the heart of the Women's Dermatologic Society.

For more than three decades, WDS has believed that the greatest investment we can make in dermatology is investing in people.

The WDS Mentorship Award is unlike any other program in dermatology, providing funding for mentees to travel and spend dedicated one-on-one time learning directly from leaders in the field while fostering meaningful, lasting mentorship relationships that extend well beyond the experience itself.

These immersive experiences allow participants to:

Observe experts in clinical practice
Learn new procedural techniques
Participate in research
Develop leadership skills
Build lasting professional relationships
Bring new knowledge back to their own institutions and patients

Celebrating 35 Years of Mentorship

Since 1991, the WDS Mentorship Program has become one of the most sought-after professional development opportunities in dermatology.

To celebrate our 35th anniversary, WDS has completely revamped the Mentorship Award Program with:

✔ Five comprehensive mentorship tracks
✔ Expanded specialty sub-tracks
✔ A new year-long Dermatology Research Fellowship
✔ Greater flexibility for personalized mentorship experiences
✔ Continued support for travel-based immersive learning

Explore the Five Mentorship Tracks

Medical & Specialty Dermatology

Medical Dermatology
Pediatric Dermatology
Women's Health
Underrepresented in Medicine

Surgical & Procedural Dermatology

Surgical Dermatology
Procedural Dermatology
Laser & Aesthetic Dermatology
Dermatopathology

Research & Innovation

Clinical Trials
Science of Skin Health
Indian Health Services Rotation & Research Mentorship
Year-long Dermatology Research Fellowship - NEW
Vulvar Dermatoses

Leadership, Advocacy & Professional Development

Advocacy & Legislation
Industry
Practice Leadership
Career Development

Academic Dermatology & Scholarship

Medical Education
Academic Advancement
IJWD Editorial Experience

Application Process

1. Identify Your Mentor & Track

Select one of the five mentorship tracks.
Identify a mentor and develop your mentorship plan.

2. Complete the Online Application

Submit your application, statement of purpose, CV, and required letters of recommendation.

3. Application Review

Applications are evaluated based on educational value, mentorship experience, career impact, leadership potential, and feasibility.

4. Complete Your Mentorship Experience

Award recipients travel to complete their individualized mentorship experience.

5. Submit Your Final Report

Submit your final report, reimbursement form, and supporting receipts following completion of the mentorship experience.

Program Requirements

All applicants must be dermatology residents in training, junior faculty, or active dermatologists out of training five years or less at North American institutions.
All applicants must be current or pending members of WDS.
Either the Mentor or Mentee must be a woman.
Each Mentor may support a maximum of two Mentee applicants per year.
If an applicant accepts funding from another organization for the same proposal or is unable to complete his/her mentorship, the awarded funds will be returned to WDS.
The Mentorship award is not intended to cover indirect or overhead costs.
The applicant may not have received a previous Mentorship Award from the WDS.
The rotation time frame must begin after the receipt of the award.
Upon completion of mentorship, the mentee is required to submit a final summary report

Please note that Mentorship Award recipients will be recognized at the Annual Business Meeting & Luncheon event. Awardees are not required to attend the event, but participation is strongly encouraged as it provides valuable opportunities for recognition and networking.

Timeline

2027 Mentorship Award Opens - July 2026
2027 Mentorship Award Closes – October 7, 2026
2027 Applicants Notified – December 2026
Mentorship Period - January - December 2027

Application Checklist

Mentorship Award Application Form (Online)

- including selection of a Mentorship Track and Sub Track. New to this year's application, applicants will select the track and subspeciality tracks they are interested in pursuing their mentorship experience in. This functionality allows WDS to track and understand trends, inform future funding discussions, and distribute funding appropriately based on donation preferences and allocation.

- Here are the questions in a pdf form and docx form to help prepare for and fill out the application.

Applicant's CV
Proposed Budget ($2,000 maximum)
Letter of Support from Chairman and/or Program Director, or Colleague from Practice
Letter of Support from Mentor
Statement of Purpose
Your statement of purpose should address the following:

Describe your career goals.
Describe the goal(s) of the proposed mentorship and any specific project planned.
How do you envision this mentorship will impact your future career in dermatology?
How will this experience specifically help prepare you to be a leader in dermatology and/or help you be a more impactful dermatologist for your patients?