684 Diversity among american dermatologic association members by sex and geographic region

Professional society membership carries implications for career development. The American Dermatological Association (ADA) was among the first dermatologic societies, membership acquisition is through existing membership nominations, and formal election criteria is unavailable. Due to the professional implications for underrepresented individuals, this cross sectional review aims to quantify disparities among ADA membership. Reviewers (2) searched the ADA member directory, recorded names, and searched the national practitioner identifier (NPI) registry for self-identified sex and city/state of practice. A third reviewer resolved data conflicts. Data was omitted for deceased and unidentified individuals (71). ADA members (692) were 32.08% female and 67.91% male. Members practiced in the United States (84.58%) and internationally (15.42%); international members were 25.23% female and 74.77% male. The ethnicity/race of members was unavailable. Six states among 41 proportionally represented male and female physicians. The top 5 states represented 41.74% of members; California had 13.80% followed by New York (10.05%), Massachusetts (6.30%), Pennsylvania (6.13%), and Florida (5.45%). Improving diversity is a marker of excellence among dermatologic societies and the ADA needs to improve representation among its members. Acknowledging the challenges of a multicultural population, the strength a diverse workforce brings, and the need to serve patients with equity may help improve recognition of contributions by underrepresented members to dermatology.