La Roche-Posay has created a new fellowship to benefits Howard University students. The brand is partnering with the Women’s Dermatologic Society to create a first-of-Its-kind Dermatology Fellowship for the Underrepresented in Medicine (UIM).

La Roche-Posay is sponsoring the Fellowship in the Department of Dermatology at Howard University’s College of Medicine. 

The fellowship was created to support UIM candidates who are seeking additional clinical or research experience in dermatology prior to applying to residency.

Mona Gohara, MD, President, Women’s Dermatologic Society and Associate Clinical Professor of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, comments, “This inaugural first of its kind, collaborative fellowship is a three-year commitment which promises to prioritize DEI in dermatology. Change comes in the form of action, and that is precisely what this partnership is aiming to accomplish.”

Dermatology is one of the most competitive medical specialties. It is also one of the least diverse, only second to orthopedic surgery, where only 3% of dermatologists are Black.

Medical students must match with a program to move forward into residency. This Fellowship hopes to increase representation in Dermatology by providing an opportunity to support those students whose application may need to be strengthened. A fellowship of this nature can be a step in securing a spot in dermatology residency programs.

More Details about the Year-Long Fellowship

During this year-long fellowship, the fellow will conduct translational and clinical research in addition to participating in Howard University’s dermatology clinics and community outreach events.

Many Dermatology Fellowship programs are unfunded, which limits the number of people that can participate in them. Even if the candidate has the grades, talent and drive to become a fellow, they may not have the financial means to support themselves.

The Diversity in Dermatology Fellowship was designed by a committee from the Women’s Dermatologic Society, La Roche-Posay and Howard University to include the following:

• A livable salary that includes a stipend for health insurance
• A grant for the fellow to conduct research in dermatology
• Funding for Howard University’s dermatology professors to support the fellow’s learning
• A travel stipend for the Fellow to attend match interviews as well as two family visits during the fellowship

This Year’s Fellow—Chidubem Okeke

This year’s Diversity in Dermatology fellow is Chidubem Okeke, shown above.

Okeke is a 3rd year medical student at Howard University College of Medicine and Co-President of its Student Dermatology Society. She graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. in Nutritional Sciences and a Minor in Inequality Studies. She is primarily interested in understanding skin diseases that disproportionately affect skin of color patients to help reduce health disparities.

Additional research interests include contact dermatitis, hidradenitis suppurativa, and diversity and inclusion in medical education. She is co-chair of the Scarring Alopecia Foundation’s Journey to Acceptance medical student working group, which offers support resources for those affected by scarring hair loss.

The partnership with WDS and La Roche-Posay, a leader in dermatologist-recommended skincare, with Howard University, a historically Black research university, brings together three separate institutions in the industries of academia and organized medicine for a visionary and first-of-its-kind collaboration.

To apply for the Fellowship next year, students will be able to scan a QR code that will direct them to the application.