Cross Collaboration and Key Topics at SOCS Scientific Symposium, With Temitayo Ogunleye, MD

The HCPLive team spoke at the 22nd Annual Skin of Color Society (SOCS) Scientific Symposium, held in conjunction with the 2026 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting, with Temitayo Ogunleye, MD, professor of Clinical Dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania and co-chair of the event.1,2

Ogunleye shared her perspective on the forces shaping dermatology today and what she hopes this year's meeting will accomplish. She opened by situating the symposium's theme of championing evidence-based dermatology and collaboration within the broader context of a difficult period for medicine.

“I think that there have been a lot of providers and physicians who are feeling a little bit disillusioned and maybe disappointed about the way things are going,” Ogunleye expressed. “So we thought it was really important to think about ways to reinvigorate our love and care for patients and for ourselves.”

Patient mistrust has been rising, she noted, and many physicians have found themselves feeling disillusioned or disheartened by the direction the field is heading. Against this backdrop, she and her co-organizing committee coordinated the design this program, seeking to reinvigorate clinicians' connection to patients and to their work itself.

In her discussion with HCPLive, Ogunleye emphasized thinking beyond the presenting issues of patients' and to consider the psychosocial and environmental factors that can also help to shape one’s disease. This type of holistic orientation tied into her mention of personalized medicine, which Ogunleye described as the way of the future in the medical field.

She broadened the definition beyond genetics, arguing that personalized medicine is fundamentally about seeing each patient as an individual and identifying the specific factors modifying their conditions. Cross-specialty collaboration, she argued, is essential to delivering on that promise.

Turning to the symposium program itself, Ogunleye highlighted several sessions she is particularly looking forward to, including a keynote address on community medicine, a leadership session with Susan Taylor, MD, and panels related to gender-affirming care, pediatric dermatology care, hair loss, and community-based practice models.

Ogunleye singled out 1 session on physician wellness as a topic she considers especially timely. She emphasized burnout as an increasing concern across medicine, driven by competing pressures and, at times, the emotional weight of navigating patient distrust. In her view, those who are not caring for themselves are not in a position to fully care for patients.

Ogunleye closed her discussion by highlighting SOCS’s mission, which she described as directly aligned with the symposium's theme. She emphasized the value of ensuring patients of color are represented in clinical research and addressed across clinical care, education, and community engagement.

References

1. Annual Scientific Symposium. Skin of Color Society. Accessed March 26, 2026. https://skinofcolorsociety.org/what-we-do/education/annual-scientific-symposium.

2. Doctor Profiles. Skin of Color Society. Accessed March 26, 2026. https://skinofcolorsociety.org/events/dr-profiles/ogunleye-temitayo-md.