Previewing the SDPA Annual Summer Dermatology Conference: What to Expect

Attendees are gearing up for the 2023 Society of Dermatology Physician Assistants (SDPA) Annual Summer Dermatology Conference, which begins tomorrow in Boston, Massachusetts, and ends June 25th. Each summer and fall, dermatology PAs from across the country gather for 4 days of networking, collaboration, and engaging sessions representative of a variety of dermatologic indications, research, and innovation.

Anton Gvozdikov/AdobeStock

Founded in 1994 with more than 4,700 current members, the SDPA is the American Academy of Physician Associates’ (AAPA) largest specialty organization. Its mission is “advancing patient treatment through the education and empowerment of dermatology PAs,” and its objectives are to empower, educate, and advance. The organization’s first CME conference was held in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2002, later leading to its first summer conference taking place in Chicago, Illinois, in 2010.

This year’s conference promises to offer “an unlimited opportunity to learn, network, and cultivate professional relationships with dermatology’s nationally recognized expert faculty,” according to the SDPA.

Sessions begin tomorrow, June 22nd, following the SDPA president’s address. Omar Noor, MD, FAAD, co-owner of Rao Dermatology, kicks off the conference with a session on Clinical Pearls for Pediatric and Adult Dermatology. Shortly thereafter, Noor will present a session on Challenging Cases in Skin of Color. The day continues with sessions on disorders of pigmentation, biologic selection for psoriasis, tools for managing acne and rosacea, and more.

On day 2, Terrence Cronin Jr, MD, FAAD, president of the American Academy of Dermatology, will begin a full day of sessions with an address on team-based care for dermatology patients. Throughout the day, there will be sessions related to diseases of the nails, pregnancy’s association with various dermatoses, alopecia and hair loss, surgical skills, and more.

On day 3, SDPA President Lauren Miller, MPAS, PA-C, will begin the day by meeting with SDPA members to share organizational updates and activities planned for the remainder of the year ahead. The day will be filled with sessions on hidradenitis suppurativa, blistering disorders, eczema, and more.

The final day of the conference will feature sessions related to updates in atopic dermatitis care and cases in pediatric dermatology. The conference will conclude with a closing session led by Arash Mostaghimi, MD, MPA, MPH, an assistant professor of dermatology, the director of the dermatology inpatient service, and co-director of the complex medical dermatology fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, titled, “What Do We Owe to Ourselves and to Our Patients?”

Sessions Topics at a Glance:

• Acne/acne scarring
• Alopecia/hair loss
• Atopic dermatitis
• Blistering disorders
• Cosmetic dermatology
• Dermatopathology
• Hidradenitis suppurativa
• Inflammatory dermatoses
• Nails
• Patients of special populations, including skin of color
• Pediatric dermatology
• Pigmentary disorders
• Practice management/PA advice
• Psoriasis
• Rosacea
• Skin cancer
• Surgical skills

Throughout the many sessions, attendees will also be provided with several opportunities to engage in networking and explore the city of Boston.

The editors of Dermatology Times® will be covering the conference live in person, reporting on numerous engaging sessions, as well as conducting exclusive interviews with experts in the field. Some of the upcoming content from the SDPA Annual Summer Dermatology Conference includes caring for patients with skin of color, recognition and treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa, understanding inflammatory dermatoses through case-based review, and more.

See the full SDPA Annual Summer Dermatology Conference agenda here.

Make sure to keep up to date with the latest in coverage from the conference and subscribe to Dermatology Times to receive daily email updates.