Mentorship Award

The 2027 Mentorship Award application is now closed! Selected applicants will be notified in December 2026.

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 and expanded mentorship opportunities.

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
✔ 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
Vulvar Dermatoses

Leadership, Advocacy & Professional Development

Advocacy & Legislation
Industry
Practice Leadership
Career Development

Academic Dermatology & Scholarship

Medical Education
Academic Advancement
IJWD Editorial 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 as well as the WDS Forum events. Awardees are not required to attend either or both events, but participation is strongly encouraged as it provides valuable opportunities for recognition and networking.