About SOCS
Established in 2004 by Dr. Susan C. Taylor, the Skin of Color Society (SOCS) is the global leader in skin of color dermatology, promoting awareness of and excellence within the field, through research, education, mentorship, and advocacy.
SOCS is committed to the education of health care providers and the general public in dermatologic health issues related to skin of color.
Individuals with skin of color have increased pigmentation, diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, and include those of the following ancestries: African, Asian, Hispanic/Latine, Native American, Pacific Islander, as well as individuals with mixed races and/or ethnicities.
Committees
SOCS encourages our membership to participate in achieving our mission and purpose through committee involvement.
Mission & Purpose
To promote awareness of and excellence within skin of color dermatology through research, education, mentorship and advocacy. We are committed to increasing diversity and inclusion in the field of dermatology to advance patient care.
Why SOCS?
Analysis of the population of the United States reveals that there will be a dramatic shift in the country’s demographics in the 21st century. The United States is rapidly becoming a country in which the majority of citizens have pigmented skin, which is also referred to as skin of color.
Leadership
SOCS leadership is comproised of the current Officers, The Skin of Color Society Board of Directors, and its Founding Members.
Strategic Plan
In late 2020, the Skin of Color Society (SOCS) embarked on an exciting journey to conduct a comprehensive strategic planning process, involving SOCS leaders and staff, led by Tecker International, a management consulting firm. In Q1 2022, we reached finalization of our Strategic Plan, which is summarized in the following overview.
Reflections
As the world’s leading professional skin of color dermatology organization dedicated to advancing excellence and equity in patient care, the Skin of Color Society (SOCS) reports a highly impactful year of seminal achievements and contributions. Founded in 2004 by Dr. Susan C. Taylor, SOCS has grown dramatically over the past two decades to now include more than 1,330 members in 22 countries and offer many enriching and innovative programs to benefit physicians, patients, and the public...