Become the Next Legend in Dermatology

Have you ever heard the saying: “Big gates move on small hinges?” In the same way that a big door swings on a much smaller hinge; the small and seemingly insignificant events in our lives produce a much larger outcomes. Often, we don’t realize this is happening--as we live our lives, we are leaving a legacy.

The legacies of the PA and NP professions have been one that exemplifies this motto. It began in 1964 when Dr. Eugene Stead founded the nation’s first PA program at Duke University, educating ex-military corpsmen. Then in 1965, Loretta Ford and Dr. Henry Silver started the nation’s first NP program at the University of Colorado. This pediatric nurse practitioner program expanded the role of public health nurses to focus on illness prevention and health promotion.

In 1978, nurses working in the field of dermatology started meeting informally and created the Dermatology Nurses Association. Subsequently, Joe Monroe, a pioneering dermatology PA, envisioned the idea of forming an organization of dermatology physician assistants and created “Physician Assistants in Dermatology” (PAD, 1994), which was later renamed the Society of Dermatology Physician Associates (SDPA) and now serves as the largest specialty organization in the American Academy of Physician

Associates.

Both professions have grown from a handful of visionary leaders to nearly 500,000 NPs and PAs in the US, across all specialties. Together we advocate for our patients, engage and educate policymakers, and continually strive to “move big gates” through our passion to strengthen our great professions. 

However, our healthcare system is at a tipping point. We are experiencing dermatologic health disparities, a rise in skin cancers and autoimmune diseases. Dermatology clinicians are comanaging chronic health diseases. While this is a hard reality, it is also an opportunity for dermatology PAs/NPs to fortify the foundation of American’s healthcare system. We have to be leaders in public health, be advocates for our patients, and step up to lead in our local and national communities. I challenge you to examine

and reconnect with “why” we exist and were founded, what we represent as a profession, and then act on this to become the next legend in dermatology.

Here are a few ideas:

1. Participate in Continuing Medical Education:  This is the backbone of our professions. Attend grand rounds, write up an interesting patient case, or join an established journal club or create one.

2. Engage in Leadership Development:  Become a volunteer leader in your state or national professional organization. Mentor a student to encourage the next healthcare generation.

3. Communication:  Continue to share ideas and build greater relationships with the AAD, DNA, SDNP, SDPA, AAPA, state medical boards, as well as other professional organizations that represent our patients and their needs.

4. Preservation:   As dermatology PAs and NPs continue to grow in prominence, we need to protect our ability to practice.  This means being proactive against any legislation that could limit the scope of practice and employment of a PA or NP.  Seek to educate and advocate with physician groups about why the PA or NP team is crucial to the modern health care delivery system. 

As steadfast ambassadors for our professions, our success hinges upon insight, dedication, and teamwork. What a privilege and honor it is to be a dermatology PA or NP today!

Keri Holyoak resides in Millcreek, Utah with her husband and three young children. Together they explore the roads less traveled throughout the West. Since 2005 she has worked with Dr. Joseph Jensen at the Dermatology Center of Salt Lake.