Testimonials from WDS Members

Lorraine C. Young, MD
WDS Finance and Audit Committee Member (2025-2028)

Because of Pearl Grimes, I joined the WDS in 2004 when I moved to UCLA to become the clinical chief of dermatology. Getting to know her was amazing and I was able to meet people from all over and it has and continues to enhance my life. The friendships and support are amazing. I love the yearly retreats as well as the other activities and being a past board member and past and current committee member. I would tell the residents over and over that joining the WDS will be one of the most important, satisfying, and enriching things they can do to enhance their careers and add to lifelong joy.

It's the people. The support. The friendships!!!

Rebecca Kazin, MD, FAAD
WDS Membership Committee Member (2026-2029)

I have been a member since 2008. I joined shortly after residency because I was seeking a community of likeminded women as well as mentorship.

Through the WDS, I've met so many colleagues and friends. I have gained mentors and shared ideas as well as discussed what it is like to be a woman in Dermatology. I've connected with other moms in Dermatology as well as other women in academia. There is always a warm feeling when you walk into a WDS event.

Sarah Land Lonowski, MD, MBA, FAAD
WDS Membership Committee Deputy Chair (2026-2027)

The WDS Mentorship award was an incredible opportunity for me during residency. With this award I was able to spend a month at the Medical College of Wisconsin working with and learning from Dr Karolyn Wanat on projects related to international dermatology and infectious disease. This opportunity to expand my horizons and learn from someone at another institution was one of the most cherished parts of my training. Without the WDS, I would not have had the network or budget to support such a unique experience.

Jennifer Fernandez, MD, RD
WDS Forum Committee Member (2026-2029)

Since finishing residency, I've had the privilege of being a recipient of the WDS Mentorship Award with Dr. Veronica Rotemberg to learn more about informatics in dermatology. I was also the WDS dermatologist host for the first women's shelter event held in the Phoenix area, which was such an honor!

The Women's Dermatologic Society is so welcoming, supportive, and encouraging! I also love being part of an organization where women support other women in both their careers and their lives outside of medicine. It is a truly special group!

Neil S. Sadick, MD, FACP
WDS Treasurer (2014-2017)

The Women’s Dermatologic Society is an organization that represents the very best aspects of dermatology.  In terms of networking, public service and career development opportunities, there is no other organization in dermatology that meets those needs. Making our patients and the public healthier and happier, and most importantly, advancing the careers of members of our esteemed organization is what the WDS does. 

Having served in various capacities with the WDS on several membership boards and leadership positions over the past 10 years, I have come to understand that the organization not only represents women, but represents men as well. It really is a non-gender organization that benefits all. The relationships that I have fostered in my working with the organization over the past decade, have made me a better doctor, a better person, a better leader in my practice, and allows me to have a better understanding of how important it is to serve our patients and serve the public in capacities that I never thought were possible before.

Michelle Babb-Tarbox, MD
WDS Young Physicians Committee Member (2013-2016)
WDS Board of Directors (2019-2023)

My first introduction to the Women's Dermatologic Society was during the first year of my residency. I consider it one of the great good fortunes of my life that I had the opportunity to learn from Dr. Wilma Bergfeld. She generously introduced me to the friendship, fellowship, and fun of the WDS through my first WDS luncheon at the AAD.

I felt so welcomed at that first of many WDS functions as I met several of the wonderful members of our beloved society. I recall with fondness the sense of sisterhood that was palpable in the ballroom as the members celebrated and supported each other. I realized immediately that this was a group of people with the goal of moving forward together and lifting each other up along the way. This has truly been my experience with the WDS, which for me is like a second family of colleagues, friends, and sisters, with the goal of elevating each member to the height of their individual potential.

I was honored during my second year of dermatology residency to receive a WDS grant to study dermoscopy with Dr. Scott Menzies. This opportunity helped shape my career and allowed me the great privilege of learning from one of the foremost authorities in his field. I now use the skills I obtained during my WDS mentorship experience every day in my practice and I teach what I have learned to my residents and medical students. Through the WDS, I also had the opportunity to attend and present at the WDS companion meeting in Berlin for the European Academy of Dermatology and Venerology, which was an excellent experience and allowed me my first opportunity to present at an international meeting. As I have progressed through my career, I have relished, returned, and relied on the support of my friends and colleagues in the WDS. It was my great privilege to attend the first WDS Legacy celebration in honor of Dr. Wilma Bergfeld. The atmosphere of that beautiful evening was one of celebration, sisterhood, and love. I felt so blessed to be a part of this event and was so thrilled to be there with my friend, role model, and mentor.