This page aims to draw attention to Health Equity and DEI issues within the field of dermatology, this includes diversifying the workforce and addressing how darker skin tones impact health equity to skin care.
The American Academy of Dermatology
Riley C, Vasquez R, Pritchett EN. Equipping Dermatologists to Address Structural and Social Drivers of Inequities-Structural Competency. JAMA
Dermatol. 2024 Oct 1;160(10):1037-1038. doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2024.2351.
Desai SR, Khanna R, Glass D, Alam M, Barrio V, French LE, Gohara M, McKinley-Grant L, Harvey V, Heath C, Mariwalla K, Pentland A, Piliang M, Pourciau C, Taylor S, Wu P, Grimes P, Lim HW. Embracing diversity in dermatology: Creation of a culture of equity and inclusion in dermatology. Int J Womens Dermatol. 2021 Aug 5;7(4):378-382. doi: 10.1016/j.ijwd.2021.08.002.
Boyd K. Driving diversity in dermatology. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2024 Oct;91(4):e99-e100. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2024.03.050. Epub 2024 Apr 30.
Health Inequities in Dermatology
Narla S, Heath CR, Alexis A, Silverberg JI. Racial disparities in dermatology. Arch Dermatol Res. 2023 Jul;315(5):1215-1223. doi:
10.1007/s00403-022-02507-z. Epub 2022 Dec 12.
Boyd K. Driving diversity in dermatology. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2024 Oct;91(4):e99-e100. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2024.03.050. Epub 2024 Apr 30.
Mineroff J, Nguyen JK, Jagdeo J. Racial and ethnic underrepresentation in dermatology clinical trials. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2023 Aug;89(2):293-300. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2023.04.011. Epub 2023 Apr 14.
Perlman KL, Klein EJ, Park JH. Racial disparities in dermatology training: the impact on black patients. Cutis. 2020 Dec;106(6):300-301. doi:
10.12788/cutis.0135.
Health inequities in skin diseases
Brunsgaard EK, Wu YP, Grossman D. Melanoma in skin of color: Part I. Epidemiology and clinical presentation. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2023
Sep;89(3):445-456. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2022.04.056. Epub 2022 May 6.
2: Rodriguez R, Pandya AG. Cultural Competence and Humility. Dermatol Clin. 2023 Apr;41(2):279-283. doi: 10.1016/j.det.2022.10.004. Epub 2023 Feb 1.
Sood A, Stoff BK, Yeung H. Caring for transgender populations: A primer for the dermatopathologist. J Cutan Pathol. 2023 Mar;50(3):284-287. doi:
10.1111/cup.14374. Epub 2023 Jan 5.
Seth D, Cheldize K, Brown D, Freeman EF. Global Burden of Skin Disease: Inequities and Innovations. Curr Dermatol Rep. 2017 Sep;6(3):204-210. doi: 10.1007/s13671-017-0192-7. Epub 2017 Aug 7.
According to a 2020 review from Clinics in Dermatology, dermatology is the 2nd-least diverse medical specialty, with only orthopedic surgery with lower representation. To diversify our specialty, our understanding and recognition of multifactorial barriers to inclusivity such as financial barriers, lack of mentorship, and the implicit bias against minorities underrepresented in medicine is critical.
Andrea Brezill is a certified and licensed Physician Assistant and practices at The Dermatology Institute – Dupage Medical Group in Hinsdale & Lombard, IL. She has lectured nationally on the topics of acne vulgaris, rosacea, and atopic dermatitis. She has over 12 years of Dermatology and dermatologic surgical experience and over 20 years of experience in healthcare. Her special interests include acne, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, ethnic skincare, and skin malignancies. She treats both pediatric and adult patients.