Taking care of dermatologists so they can care for patients
Incoming President Susan C. Taylor, MD, FAAD, will focus on five pillars: Advocacy, education, practice support, leadership, and well-being.
Incoming President Susan C. Taylor, MD, FAAD, embarks on her year in office with a clear focus. She will dedicate her term to taking care of dermatologists so they can take care of patients.
In her address to attendees during Sunday’s Plenary session, Dr. Taylor shared how her background and experience have led her to this moment and this new responsibility as leader of the Academy.
“Part of this great honor for me is the distance that I have traveled,” she began.
Dr. Taylor referenced her childhood in Philadelphia — raised by a single mother, living life as a have-not, but persisting to become the first in her family to graduate college, let alone medical school. Despite her initial plans to become an internist, she discovered her calling to dermatology during her fourth-year rotation at Harvard Medical School and went on to complete her dermatology residency at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City.
As the Bernett L. Johnson Jr., MD, professor at Penn Medicine, Dr. Taylor has enjoyed educating and mentoring the next generation of clinicians over the past decade.
“As fulfilling as treating patients is to me, I also love to teach. A huge portion of my work for many years has been mentoring students at all levels,” she said. “I think about the students and residents whose lives I touched and all the lives they touch, as well as all the patients they treat and the knowledge they impart.”
Throughout her nearly 30 years in private practice dermatology, she admitted that she, too, has experienced exhaustion and burnout, acknowledging that it is real and it is a problem that needs to be more diligently tended within the specialty. The foundation of her solution is also her theme to the next year: Taking care of dermatologists so they can take care of their patients.
“I founded the Skin of Color Center in New York City, the Skin of Color Society, and the Fellowship for Skin of Color Dermatology each to ensure that every individual has a fair opportunity to achieve their optimal health, irrespective of background, circumstances, or preferences,” she shared. “At the heart of that work was promoting and ensuring health equity for all patients.”
With a similar mindset, Dr. Taylor said she believes all dermatologists should feel allowed to put their health and well-being at the forefront to be the best version of themselves for their patients.
“We’re still feeling the scars of a once-in-a-century pandemic, experiencing rapid demographic change, and seeing growing concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence, and more. It’s putting people and institutions under strain, including health care, and it has the potential to affect the care we deliver,” she said.
Focus on ‘Five Pillars’
Dr. Taylor proposed that the path to prosperity starts with dermatologists and the Academy.
“Just as we treat life-altering conditions and life-threatening diseases, we must be supported by our largest, most resourceful, capable, and influential organization: the American Academy of Dermatology,” she said.
Her presidential theme is supported by five pillars:
- Advocacy
- Education
- Practice support
- Leadership development
- Resources for well-being
“This is the work that the Academy already does, but we aim to further refine it, advance it, innovate it, and make the work more transparent,” said Dr. Taylor.
As an example, she said she hopes to improve guidance and assistance for practice owners who are overwhelmed with contract negotiations, policies and regulations, and administrative burdens. Regenerative AI, she said, has the potential to assist with these tasks and help dermatologists better care for themselves, their practices, and their patients.
Dr. Taylor becomes the sixth female Academy President. This new role builds on her 25+ years of involvement with the Academy serving on the Committee for the Advancement of Women’s Dermatologic Health and as Chair of the Women’s Health Task Force, as well as holding positions of vice president, member of the Board of Directors, and member of more than 20 other committees.
In addition, Dr. Taylor said she wants to make sure all dermatologists have the tools they need to manage stress, strengthen their support system, and achieve a work-life balance.
“I know that there are many mountains to climb and rivers to cross, … but with a mission-centered approach, shared actions, resilience, and motivated by our collective desire to heal, we will overcome the challenges we face in 2025,” Dr. Taylor concluded. “As your president, my commitment to you is I will work every day to take care of dermatologists, so they can take care of their practices and their patients.”
