In June 2022, the Chicago Dermatological Society (CDS) hosted the inaugural Art of Skin Gala, an ambitious initiative spearheaded by Dr. Jordan Carqueville, a board-certified dermatologist, during her tenure as CDS president.
Dr. Carqueville, who was voted Chicago’s Best Cosmetic Dermatologist five straight years by Better readers, conceived of the event as a response to the significant racial disparities in dermatologic care and her commitment to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the field.
The event successfully raised $1.1 million, which was directed towards DEI-focused initiatives, including a new mentorship program for underrepresented medical students, a lectureship series on skin of color, and STEM education in underserved communities of color through two beneficiary nonprofits, Horizons for Youth, a 2014 Make It Better Foundation Philanthropy Award winner, and High Jump.
The seminal gala, of which Better Magazine was a proud media sponsor, not only highlighted the urgent need for diversity in dermatology but also set in motion a movement that is now gaining national momentum. Thanks to the success of the 2022 gala, the Art of Skin is expanding beyond Chicago, with the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) bringing the event to New York City on September 12, 2024.
A National Platform for Advancing Dermatologic Care
The upcoming Art of Skin in New York City, to be held at Lavan Midtown, represents a unique opportunity to celebrate and support the patient-first work of the AAD and its members. The event will bring together individuals who share a commitment to decreasing disparities in dermatologic care through education, mentorship, and community engagement.
One of the primary focuses of the New York event will be to raise support for the AAD’s Clinical Image Collection. This initiative aims to address a critical gap in dermatologic education: the lack of diverse clinical images, particularly those representing darker skin tones. In a field where visual diagnosis is critical, the absence of images showcasing a full spectrum of skin types has been identified as a significant barrier to proper treatment and medical training.
Building on Success: A Growing Movement
The Art of Skin Gala, founded by Dr. Carqueville and first hosted by the CDS, has already demonstrated its potential to make a lasting impact on the field of dermatology. The mentorship program launched with proceeds from the 2022 event has helped medical students from underrepresented backgrounds match into top dermatology programs across the United States, including Stanford, Vanderbilt, and the University of Illinois Chicago. This success is a testament to the power of targeted initiatives and the importance of fostering diversity within the medical community.
As the AAD prepares to host the event in New York, the mission remains clear: to close the gap in dermatologic care by ensuring that all skin types and tones are adequately represented in medical education resources. By supporting this initiative, attendees will contribute to creating a comprehensive photo repository of dermatologic conditions, prioritizing images that are essential for treating patients with skin of color.
Supported by key sponsors including Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi | REGENERON®, AbbVie, Kenvue, and Lilly, the Art of Skin Gala is poised to make a significant impact as it expands to New York City.
The event will also support local non-profit and community-based initiatives, enabling them to deliver programs that increase skin health awareness and provide access points for healthier skin care.
Join the Movement
The expansion of the Art of Skin to New York City is another important step in the national effort to make dermatology more inclusive. What began as a local initiative in Chicago is now a movement with the potential to impact future dermatologic care across the country.
Join the AAD on September 12, 2024, at Lavan Midtown in New York City for an evening dedicated to advancing excellence in dermatology and ensuring that all patients, regardless of their skin type, receive the quality care they deserve. Your support will help continue to close the gaps in dermatologic education and improve outcomes for all patients.
Purchase tickets to attend Art of Skin in NYC or donate now to support skin health initiatives in local communities and works to address gaps in diverse clinical images and bring more dermatologic representation to darker skin tones.
More from Better:
- How the Chicago Dermatological Society Launched a National Movement to Make Dermatology More Diverse and Inclusive
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