A Spotlight on Elevate Derm PA & NP Conference

Elevate Derm PA & NP Conference recently partnered with Dermatology Times to ensure clinical insight, practice strategies, and educational opportunities are shared with the growing community of physician assistants and nurse practitioners providing dermatologic care.

Registration is open for the next Elevate Derm conference November 8-11, 2023 in Indian Wells, California. Elevate Derm's founder, Matthew Brunner MHS, PA-C, DFAAPA, and his team participated in a Q&A to delve more into the goals of the organization and learning objectives in each thoughtfully-curated meeting.

What makes Elevate Derm unique and a must-attend meeting?

Many of our colleagues have told us they thirst for more advanced educational experiences. As a result of that feedback, Elevate-Derm set out to create expert-level educational opportunities for our fellow dermatology PAs & NPs.

Our leaders are practicing clinicians with the same training as our attendees, so they understand the unique knowledge gaps that exist for our professions and strive to close those gaps. Our planning and education committee looks ahead to the emerging science of dermatology and recruits cutting-edge immunology speakers and clinical trial leaders--allowing our attendees to hear from the experts before these therapies arrive in their clinic.

Ultimately, we want to equip our participants with the knowledge they need to achieve their personal and professional aspirations and foster better patient-care experiences.It’s why our tagline is “Achieve Your Aspirations!”

How did Elevate Derm get started?

Founded in 2020, the conference was established in response to the increasing number of PAs & NPs entering the dermatology specialty and our professions' corresponding need for applied and advanced continuing education.

What are the goals of Elevate Derm, especially with the current research boom in dermatology and several emerging treatments including biologics, JAK inhibitors, etc?

Emerging treatments are entering our specialty at an unpreceded pace. With OX40, SIK, and TEK inhibitors (not to mention ligand receptor blockers) on the horizon, biologics and JAK inhibitors are only the tip of an immunology-focused therapeutic iceberg. As science continues to reveal the mechanistic pathways of various diseases, researchers are developing targeted drugs to disrupt or modify these inflammatory cascades.Our conferences partner with speakers and trial investigators who not only understand this high-level science but can also articulate it in digestible and practical ways. We all know it’s one thing to write down the science behind a treatment algorithm, but it’s another level of understanding and confidence to explain that treatment plan to patients or colleagues.

What are challenges and opportunities for dermatology NPs and PAs that Elevate hopes to help with?

Whether a clinician has been in dermatology for 6 months or 26 years, their ears will always perk up when they hear an expert from the podium say, “These are the questions I always ask my patients,” or, “This is how you explain how this drug works to your patients.”

The biggest challenge is that the clinical and therapeutic landscape always seems to outpace the number of hours needed to keep up! First seeking to offer an engaging and relevant agenda, Elevate Derm conferences recruit and empower thought-leading faculty who support and are passionate about educating dermatology PAs and NPs. Our goal is help each other develop more expansive differential diagnoses, better utilize, and interpret lab tests, and ultimately offer life-changing advice and recommendations to our patients. Through focused lecture topics, panel discussions and case-based lectures, attendees hear about on-going trials, recent publications, and new FDA approvals and drug indications that are being utilized to improve the lives of patients.

What would you like the dermatology community to remember about Elevate Derm?

As mentioned above, Elevate Derm’s goal is to offer resources at a more advanced level for the dermatology practitioner. What makes Elevate Derm different is that they offer these resources not only through conferences but also through educational videos and online blogs.Elevate-Derm believes advanced dermatology providers need to be supported with ongoing and easily accessible resources that address their professional and personal health.

Conferences are filled with an excellent line up of lectures and speakers, as well as networking events to meet and share ideas with colleagues.This is coupled with blog posts about family adventures, favorite recipes, incorporating fitness in your life, and how to prevent burnout. We believe that creating a positive learning atmosphere that addresses all facets of a dermatology provider will produce a healthy, long, and successful career.