Dermatology: Resident Reflections - International Investigative Dermatology (IID) Meeting

In May 2018, three dermatology residents from U of T had the pleasure of attending the International Investigative Dermatology (IID) 2018 meeting in Orlando, Florida. Dr. Michal Bohdanowicz, Dr. Cathryn Sibbald, and I were at the scenic Rosen Shingle Creek Resort for this excellent meeting focused on advancing dermatology from a basic science and translational medicine perspective. The IID meeting is a unique opportunity, occurring once every five years bringing together dermatologists, basic scientists, and various trainees from North America, Europe, and Asia. Notably, several Canadian dermatologists and residents took part in the meeting this year.

Part of the mission of the IID meeting is encouraging and facilitating international collaborations. As such, several mini-symposia were incorporated into the larger meeting to bring together researchers working on related topics to share ideas and brainstorm future studies. One of the mini programs within the larger meeting that I had the opportunity to take part in was the IID trainee retreat. This was a fantastic forum to meet with an international group of leaders in various fields of dermatologic research and who are also passionate about mentoring the next generation of researchers. I had the chance to meet with and work in small groups with several dermatologist-scientists on establishing a career in dermatology research and how to navigate an academic career. A strong emphasis was made for the retreat attendees to network with their peers and mentors from around the world.
 
Overall, I had an invaluable experience at the IID meeting and I look forward to fostering my newfound network of dermatology research focused peers and mentors from Canada and abroad. I would also like to extend my gratitude to our program director, Dr. Scott Walsh, and division chair, Dr. Vincent Piguet, for their support of my attendance at the IID meeting.