Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The Department’s Diversity and Inclusion program was founded in 2018 by Dr. Nada Elbuluk, who currently serves as director. The program was founded to improve the diversity and experiences of its students, trainees and faculty, particularly for those who are from underrepresented in medicine backgrounds. The program also aims to provide medical education and cultural competency training to help create a healthy, supportive and equitable work environment for the department and our patients.

Dermatology Diversity and Inclusion Statement

The USC Department of Dermatology is committed to creating and fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. This includes the creation of a diverse department that recruits and retains house staff and faculty of varied backgrounds, particularly those underrepresented in medicine. Furthermore, our department strives to create a culturally competent and culturally sensitive environment. USC Dermatology is proud to serve the diverse population of Los Angeles, and we seek to create a provider population that reflects our patient population. These diversity efforts are supported through a dedicated Dermatology Diversity & Inclusion Committee consisting of faculty and residents who also work closely with the Keck School of Medicine Office of Diversity Affairs.

Diversity & Inclusion Committee

Dr. Nada Elbuluk works with a committee of faculty and residents who meet on a regular basis to work on programming that supports the department’s Diversity and Inclusion program.

The USC Skin of Color and Pigmentary Disorders Program was founded in 2018 by Dr. Nada Elbuluk with the support of Department Chair, Dr. David Peng. This unique and distinctive program includes medical and procedural clinics specializing in comprehensive, personalized and culturally sensitive care for a broad variety of conditions that disproportionately impact the skin of color population, which includes people of African, African-American, Caribbean, Hispanic, Asian, Middle Eastern, Native American, and mixed-race backgrounds. The program also includes a research component aimed to increase research on skin of color and pigmentary conditions. The research arm of the program includes a research fellowship available to medical students between their third and fourth year of medical school.

Program website: https://dermatology.keckmedicine.org/treatments-services/skin-of-color/

USC Skin of Color and Pigmentary Research Fellowship

Director: Nada Elbuluk, MD, MSc
Number of positions: 1
Duration: 10-12 months
Deadline: March 1, 2021
Notifications: Late March/early April
Qualifying applicants are encouraged to apply for this research fellowship. The research fellow will work on a variety of study types, which may include sponsored clinical trials, prospective and retrospective studies, case reports, literature reviews, and book chapters related to ethnic skin conditions and pigmentary disorders. The student will also have the opportunity to work with Dr. Elbuluk in clinic on a weekly basis (this requires an approval process for non-USC students) and helps in coordinating the DermRISES Pipeline Initiative, sponsored by the Dermatology Diversity and Inclusion Program.

Students who have completed their third year of medical school will be considered.

Priority will be given to KSOM students completing the Dean’s Research Year.