There is growing concern about the declining number of graduating dermatology residents entering academic medicine, posing a threat to the training of dermatologists who are required to treat the nearly one third of the US population which will suffers from skin disease at some point in time. Members of the Society for Investigative Dermatology (SID) represent a significant percentage of U.S. dermatology faculties. The organization is uniquely suited to address the problem given the access to both faculty and resident physicians. The SID mission is to exchange and disseminate scientific information relating to skin disease and the National Institute for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) is committed to supporting skin disease research and training basic and clinical investigators. The two organizations have a vested interest in reversing the trend as major stakeholders maintaining a pipeline of dermatological educators and researchers. In order to leverage potential synergy in the missions of the SID and NIAMS, the concept of the Resident Retreat was developed. The Resident Retreat for Future Academicians is an annual conference presented by the Society for Investigative Dermatology (SID) for a select group of first-year dermatology residents who have expressed an interest in pursuing a career in academics. The program tests the hypothesis that early and sustained exposure to a panel of recent post-docs and seasoned faculty will have a positive effect on a decision to follow the career path into academia. Presentations include a combination of formal lectures and intimate breakout sessions, covering a wide array of topics including: Conducting research, seeking tenure, family-work balance, loan repayment, salary negotiations and available funding mechanisms. Residents are also provided with a directory of training opportunities in academic institutions nationwide. An exit survey is administered to the attendees and results show that there are multiple factors that influence the decision. The retreat provides a forum in which these factors can be discussed in a relaxed setting and barriers to entry can be removed.
| Pentland, Alice (2013) Building social and scientific networks to grow our global skin biology community. J Invest Dermatol 133:2497-2499 |
