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Dermatology physician associates via DPAF conduct skin checks at the Sun Bus during the Fall Conference.
Dermatology physician associates took a break from learning and networking to give back to the community during the Society of Dermatology Physician Associates (SDPA) 2024 Fall Dermatology Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, by volunteering with the Sun Bus.
PA clinician-volunteers at the Sun Bus, which was parked outside of the conference hotel, screening individuals for skin cancer and sun damage as well as educating interested individuals about sun dangers and sun protection in conjunction with the Sun Bus. The event was organized by the philanthropic arm of the SDPA, the Dermatology PA Foundation (DPAF). DPAF hosted a similar sun cancer screening with the Sun Bus during the 2024 Society of Dermatology Physician Associates Summer Conference in San Diego, California, in June.
Established in 2015 to help dermatology PAs expand their leadership and contributions to the field of dermatology, the mission of the Dermatology PA Foundation (DPAF) is to “inspire and invest in Derm PAs to succeed in professional development and philanthropic service to impact communities and provide inclusion for all.” Faseeha Raza, MMS, PA-C, the current chair of the organization, is proud of its commitment to give back to the community and has encouraged the sense of volunteerism.
The Sun Bus, which was acquired in May 2019, comes courtesy of the Colorado Melanoma Foundation. Its goal is to deliver free skin checks and promote sun safety and skin cancer awareness.
Raza previously chatted with Dermatology Times about her role with DPAF. “My No. 1 goal would be to cause brand awareness, and letting people know why DPAF exists,” she told Dermatology Times in an exclusive interview. “So my goal would be to promote our programming, such as Medical Mission Academy, talks in a box, professional development, and research. And knowing all these, I'm very confident a lot of PAs would be interested in becoming part of it and volunteer for it.”
Are you attending the 2024 SDPA Fall Conference? Share your impressions and highlights with your colleagues. Email DTEditor@mmhgroup.com