Equitable access to dermatologic care

Ethnic minorities and patients living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas are disproportionately impacted by a growing national shortage of dermatologists. In this resident takeover, Sophie A. Greenberg, MD (Twitter: @sophiegreenberg; Instagram: @sophiegreenbergmd), talks to Soraya Azzawi, MD, about how dermatology residency can serve as an opportunity to address barriers to equitable care in these populations and enact change within the specialty: “There is a stark regional misdistribution of the dermatologic workforce, with specialists tending to concentrate in the urban areas, and more rural areas are largely underserved. And as we progress through residency and start thinking about the overall trajectory of our career, it's going to be important to consider how the imbalance of the dermatologic workforce will shape where we choose to practice and how that choice impacts vulnerable communities with the greatest unmet needs,” Dr. Azzawi explains. They discuss various systemic factors that limit care in vulnerable communities and highlight ways that dermatology residents can work to better understand and meet the needs of underserved patient populations.

* * *

Host: Sophie A. Greenberg, MD (Columbia University Medical Center, New York)

Guest: Soraya Azzawi, MD (University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital)

Disclosures: Dr. Greenberg and Dr. Azzawi report no conflict of interest.

Show notes by: Alicia Sonners, Melissa Sears

* * *

Interact with us on Twitter: @MDedgeDerm