The history of dermatology at the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania.

There is little written about the history of women in dermatology. In this paper, we summarize the information obtained from archival records from the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania, one of the first medical schools for women, where several of the early prominent women in dermatology obtained their medical degrees and practiced. Among others, graduates include Rose Hirschler, MD, and Margaret Gray Wood, MD. The school and its graduates made important contributions to dermatology and to the advancement of women in the field. The history of women in dermatology is not well documented, and this historical research provides background in the biographies of pioneering women in an effort to preserve and honor their important work.

Drug sampling in dermatology.

The use of drug samples in a dermatology clinic is controversial. Drug samples are associated with influencing physician prescribing patterns often toward costlier drugs, increasing health care costs, increasing waste, inducing potential conflicts of interest, and decreasing the quality of patient education. On the other hand, they have the potential to help those in financial need, to improve adherence and convenience, and to expose patients to better drugs. Although some academic centers have banned drug samples altogether, many academic and private practices continue to distribute drug samples. Given the controversy of the topic, physicians who wish to distribute drug samples must do so in an ethical manner. We believe, when handled properly, drug sampling can be used in an ethical manner.

Clinical severity does not reliably predict quality of life in women with alopecia areata, telogen effluvium, or androgenic alopecia.

BACKGROUND: Hair loss may significantly impact an individual's self-image, and studies indicate that patients with both clinically apparent and clinically imperceptible hair loss may have significantly decreased quality of life (QoL). Moreover, clinical severity of hair loss does not necessarily predict impact on QoL. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess QoL in patients (n = 104) with alopecia areata, telogen effluvium, and androgenic alopecia, and to compare QoL with hair loss severity (HLS) as independently rated by both patient and dermatologist. METHODS: Questionnaires and clinical assessment tools were used to assess HLS, and QoL was measured by completion of Skindex-16. RESULTS: Overall, patients rated their hair loss as more severe than the dermatologist, and the patient's HLS rating more strongly correlated with QoL than the dermatologist's rating. Clinical assessment of HLS did not reliably predict the patient's QoL, nor did it predict the patient's perception of HLS. LIMITATIONS: A convenience sample was recruited from a referral clinic and Skindex-16 has not been validated for use in women's alopecia disorders. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate dermatologists should address these psychosocial and QoL issues when treating patients with alopecia.