Pediatric Dermatology Grows Up

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Pediatric Dermatology Grows Up
In 2004, a roomful of anxious physicians will make history when the first certifying examination in the new subspecialty of pediatric dermatology is administered. With this exam, pediatric dermatology will join dermatopathology and clinical and laboratory dermatological immunology as 1 of 3 recognized dermatologic subspecialties.

The past 25 years have seen many milestones in the history of pediatric dermatology. The first complete pediatric dermatology textbook was not published until 1981, but since then, more than 30 texts and monographs have been published, including a comprehensive 2-volume textbook that came out last year. When the founding meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology (SPD) was held in Hilton Head, South Carolina, in 1975, 21 people attended. Today, the SPD has more than 500 members and is the only national organization in the United States dedicated to pediatric dermatology. The Society carries out its mission to "promote, develop, and advance education, research, and care of skin disease in all pediatric age groups" through the bimonthly journal Pediatric Dermatology, research grants and fellowships, and its 4-day annual meeting.

The 28th Annual Meeting of the SPD is the topic of 2 complementary conference reports that post this month on Medscape Dermatology. Lawrence F. Eichenfield, MD, and Sheila Fallon Friedlander, MD, two noted pediatric dermatologists, discuss the presentations they found most compelling, and provide persuasive testimony to the importance of the newest -- and growing -- dermatologic subspecialty.

This month we also post a new CME Clinical Update, "Acne and Rosacea: Diagnosis and Treatment in the Primary Care Setting." While this review was written with an audience of primary care providers in mind, dermatologists should also find the perspective of John E. Wolf, Jr, MD, Professor and Chair, Department of Dermatology, Baylor College of Medicine, valuable.

Do you subscribe to the Dermatology MedPulse newsletter? It is a weekly compilation of every newly posted Dermatology feature and news story -- with direct links to each one -- that arrives via email each week. MedPulse is an efficient way to make sure you do not miss any new Medscape Dermatology content. You can register by clicking here. Then, in the section headed Specialty MedPulses, check the box marked "Dermatology." (You can register to receive as many MedPulse newsletters as you like, and you can cancel any or all of them at any time.)

As always, I am interested in hearing your suggestions for improving Medscape Dermatology. You can reach me directly at Dermatologyeditor@webmd.net. If you are having technical problems with the site, please contact medscapecustomersupport@webmd.net.

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