Below reads a short summary of the full article written by Drs. Pandya and Alexis, for the full article please refer to the link below.

As the population of the United States becomes increasingly diverse in gender, race, ethnicity, social-economic status, disability and sexual orientation, there comes a greater need for the dermatology industry to address this transformation and determine solutions that will best serve more dynamic patient and practitioner needs.

Over the years, the Women’s Dermatologic Society has helped improve gender disparity in dermatology—moving our specialty toward a workforce that reflects the patients it serves. Unfortunately, we have not followed the same path with other diversification. In fact, we are falling behind.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2012 projections, no single racial/ethnic group will make up a majority of Americans. By 2060, Hispanic will make up 31% of the population and 15% of Americans will be (African American or black) with 8.2% Asian. With these predictions of racial change, the dermatology industry must determine a call to action. READ THE FULL ABSTRACT.

Since the Skin of Color Society was founded in 2004 by Dr. Susan C. Taylor, the organization has grown robustly over the years— from a dedicated small core group to now nearly 800 members representing 41 US states and 32 countries around the world, representing all ethnicities.

With this growth and in response to the needs of the times, the work of the Society has expanded and evolved over the years— now spanning many avenues for “achieving excellence in skin of color dermatology," as our mission states.  Today, SOCS offers numerous core programs and initiatives designed to increase diversity in dermatology, reduce healthcare disparities and overall, change the healthcare landscape for people of color.

There are several standing SOCS committees and new task-forces that work to fulfill the overarching mission of the Skin of Color Society, as outlined below. We are thankful to the many SOCS members who lead and participate on these important committees—your outstanding dedication and contributions make great outcomes possible!

For more information about SOCS committees, please visit here.

Did you know? According to the U.S. Census Bureau, by 2044, people with skin of color* will represent more than half of the US population, yet currently, only 3% of dermatologists are Black and 4% are Latinx/Hispanic.

The Skin of Color Society has been working diligently since it was founded in 2004 by Susan C. Taylor, MD, FAAD to bring more physicians of color to the specialty of dermatology and provide valuable education, research, mentorship, and advocacy opportunities to underrepresented physicians at various stages of their careers.  We proudly offer many signature SOCS programs which were developed to promote excellence in skin of color dermatology, advance the specialty, and ultimately, achieve health equity and excellence in patient care for all.

While the work has been going on for nearly twenty years through the Society, in 2021 we underwent a comprehensive strategic planning process in which numerous SOCS leaders participated, coming at a time of unprecedented growth and expansion for SOCS. Through this process, the following core values were articulated:

Skin of Color Society Core Values

EQUITY: We ensure inclusivity and diversity to achieve health equities in patient care.

EXCELLENCE: We leverage our recognition and authority within dermatology, the house of medicine and the public as experts in skin of color dermatology.

MENTORSHIP: We value mentorship as a leadership development tool to foster a diverse workforce at all levels, developing and empowering future leaders in the field.

RESEARCH and INNOVATION: We lead research and innovation through our diverse array of advanced research activities, leveraging collaborations with domestic and international corporations and organizations.

EDUCATION: We educate the public, partners and colleagues in support of our mission and noble purpose.

It is through these efforts that individuals with skin of color will be best served by those within the field of dermatology.

Read about our Envisioned Future which came out of our strategic plan here.

If you’re new to SOCS, we encourage you to explore our website to learn more about our core programs and exciting new initiatives. If you’ve been a member for a while, we invite you to refresh yourselves on all that’s going in SOCS. Let us know if you have suggestions, questions or wish to become more involved!  Drop us a line at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

*Note: SOCS defines individuals with skin of color as persons of Asian, Hispanic/Latino, African, Native American, Pacific Island descent, and mixtures thereof.