Background: Women leaders in dermatology opened doors that allowed many men and women to follow in their footsteps. Their achievements have included presidencies of national and state medical organizations, teaching, and research. They changed the specialty through words and leadership.
Objective: This study highlights four women who significantly influenced American dermatology.
Methods: We selected four female leaders in American dermatology, one of whom is deceased. For the other physicians, a questionnaire was sent to two and a telephone interview was conducted with one. Other responses were garnered through an autobiography, a self-recorded interview, and journal articles.
Results: Brief biographies with career highlights are presented for Minerva Smith Buerk, MD, founder of the Women's Dermatologic Society; Naomi Marilyn Kanof, MD, the first female editor of The Journal of Investigative Dermatology; Wilma Fowler Bergfeld, MD, the first female president of the American Academy of Dermatology; and Antoinette Foote Hood, MD, the first female executive director of the American Board of Dermatology.