Dr. Chikoti Wheat's Closing Remarks
ADC 100! What a beautiful conference. A round of applause for this historical event.
I hope you enjoyed your time in Charm City. Let's be reminded of the historical nature of this meeting. A hundred years ago, while on a train ride from an annual AAD meeting, Drs. Howard Fox from New York University, Harvey Towle from Massachusetts General Hospital, and Jay Schamberg from Philadelphia had the idea to bring together dermatologists for an educational case based clinical conference that would have the unique experience of having live patient viewings followed by discussions. The first meeting took place on February 27th 1923 in New York City. There were 6 cases presented at this meeting.
One hundred years later, we have over 50 clinical cases, 29 educational lectures and over 99 poster presentations. (applause) During this 100th centennial meeting we stepped into the worlds of a diverse group of patients who provided us with a unique educational opportunity to better understand, diagnose and manage a variety of challenging cutaneous disorders. We heard directly from world-class leaders and educators in their respective fields. We dined and wined and even danced so much that some of us took our jackets and shoes off. I’m pretty sure I even saw some of you dancing last night.
But it is Mother’s Day and I realize I’m the last thing between you and being on your way home to celebrate the Mothers in your lives. But I do want to thank a number of people that made this conference what it was. So I’ll keep these remarks brief.
First and foremost, I’d like to thank the patients from University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins for educating us whether in person or virtually. I would also like to thank the residents and their supervising attendings from the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins Departments of Dermatology for their commitment to this conference and for enriching our knowledge yet again. I am particularly grateful to the Coalition of Skin Diseases for sharing with us their patient advocates for the first time in the history of the Atlantic Derm Conference. Thank you for helping us learn to be better listeners and advocates for our patients.
I also want to thank all of the presenters at this conference who expanded our knowledge. By attending this conference we improved our hair loss biopsy techniques, expanded our understanding of basic science and advanced treatment options for CCCA, yet reminded us how much more work is needed in better understanding and treating this condition. We learned new advancements in treating cutaneous lupus, enriched our understanding of the safety and use of JAK inhibitors, enhanced our medical and surgical treatment approaches to treating patients with hidradenitis suppurativa, among others. And no one should forget the unique array of poster presentations presented by students, residents and fellows during the poster session.
I’d like to thank our sponsors and exhibitors, without whose support this conference would not have been possible.
Last but not least, Dr. Jeffrey Miller, Permanent Secretary of the Atlantic Derm Conference, your leadership, confidence, and cheerfulness has guided us. To the Committee Members, this conference was a success because you were devoted to making it a success. To the Planning Committee and the Maryland Dermatologic Society your hard work gave this conference a life in a post-pandemic world.
I do hope that we have learned that as clinicians striving to care for our patients we are also prioritizing our mental well-being so we may continue to be available for our patients but most of all, our families and friends. Remember that, as a dermatologist, you are a champion first to yourself, then to your family, your patients, your respective communities and to the greater world. That we too have an essential role to play in society not only in our clinics, but also as champions of public health and as advocates for our patients and our field.
May we have a big round of applause for this historical 100th Anniversary of the Atlantic Derm Conference
Click here to view the ADC 2023 Program Book.
2023 POSTER SESSION WINNERS:
1st Place
Dupilumab Improves Itch, Skin Pain, and Sleep in Adult Patients With Prurigo Nodularis (LIBERTY PN-PRIME and PRIME2)
Presented by Henry Yu
2nd Place
Prurigo Nodularis Features Neuronal and Schwann Cell Gene Dysregulation
Presented by Melika Marani
3rd Place
Cost Assessment in Melanoma Clinical Trials
Presented by Rachel Goodman