Mentee: Jennifer Laborada, BS
Mentor: Mark Lebwohl, MD
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
As a student without a home dermatology program, I am incredibly thankful to the Skin of Color Society and to my mentor Dr. Mark Lebwohl for this valuable experience. Over the course of 4 weeks, I worked alongside Dr. Lebwohl in the dermatology clinic at Mount Sinai Hospital. From the first day, I was welcomed as part of the team and given proper introduction and training. With each patient, I learned to take a thorough history and deliver a concise oral presentation. Through carefully observing Dr. Lebwohl during patient encounters, I gained insight into his clinical reasoning and decision making. In particular, it was helpful to hear his expertise in counseling patients on various topics, from psoriasis to biologics to skin cancer.
Above all, what was most memorable to me was Dr. Lebwohl’s compassion and excellent bed-side manner towards his patients. He is an excellent role model, and I aspire to deliver the same exceptional patient care as a future dermatologist.
Outside of clinic, I engaged in didactics and various scholarly pursuits with my mentor’s guidance. Upon seeing an interesting case of dupilumab-induced guttate psoriasis, I wrote up a case report and submitted it for publication. In addition, I joined an exciting research project to develop a more objective tool for assessing the severity of psoriasis in skin of color, which I am continuing to this day. Although the Observership is over, the knowledge and skills I acquired are indeed life-long and instrumental in developing my career as a future leader in skin of color dermatology.