What’s your current role and how did your dermatology training at GW prepare you for it?
I split my time working at GW and the Washington DC VA. I am the co-director of our new Vulvar Health Program and incoming assistant program director at GW. I also serve as the assistance residency site director at the VA, working with both the GW and Howard University dermatology residents. Training at GW prepared me so well for these roles! As the scheduling chief resident, I learned the intricacies behind resident scheduling, which is invaluable as I continue to troubleshoot resident schedules. Through my elective time during residency, I was able to spend a full month learning all things vulvar dermatology with my mentor, Dr. Melissa Mauskar. Without the mentorship available at GW, I would not have connected with Dr. Mauskar and created the new GW Vulvar Health Program!
What’s one piece of advice you’d give current residents or recent grads starting their careers in dermatology?
See all the patients you can in residency! It is an amazing opportunity to learn from every patient with all the different attendings at GW and the VA, so utilize every patient encounter as a learning opportunity. Even if the days feel long or you are working through lunch, all of this will prepare you when you are in your own attending clinic!
Can you share a favorite memory or moment from your residency at GW?
One of my favorite moments is when one of the clinical professors, Dr. Lawrence Green, kindly invited all the GW residents to the National Psoriasis Foundation Dinner. We all got dressed up, went to a fancy hotel, and sat together at Dr. Green’s table. Many of our attendings from Children’s National Medical Center and the VA were there as well. It was a night of pure fun to be together outside of the busy workplace and witness the crazy live auction – all for a great dermatology cause!
What’s an exciting development or trend in dermatology that you’re currently following or involved in?
A very exciting development I am a part of, particularly for the vulvar dermatology world, is a research and mentorship group called Vulvar Dermatoses Research Consortium or VDRC. This is an amazing group that has nearly all of the vulvar dermatologists across the country. It has provided amazing mentorship opportunities as I started my own vulvar dermatology clinic. And by pooling patient data across many vulvar clinics across the country, we will be able to make such useful research insights on a range of vulvar dermatoses and malignancies. I really think this will change the vulvar dermatology research landscape!
How do you stay connected with the dermatology community and/or fellow alumni?
There is a great cohort of former GW residents who stayed in the DC area, which is amazing! I am able to stay closely connected with these local residents – we often grab dinner and text about complex patients. One our of graduates, Dr. Jessica Kalen, also hosts a young dermatologist journal club which allows us to get together as well as branch out and meet other local dermatologists and discuss new articles. For residents who have sadly not stayed in this area, we are still able to re-connect at AAD or other conferences! I am selfishly trying to convince my co-chief resident to move back to DC for her next opportunity if she sees this!
