Thank you to the SF Chronicle for expertly revealing the layers of meaning behind what it means to address “disparity” in “UCSF opens ‘skin of color’ dermatology clinic to address disparity in care.”

The piece reveals, “Dr. Jenna Lester may be the only black dermatologist in San Francisco”.

There is work to be done, from many respects, and this doctor is doing it, one patient at a time, along with support from an institution with vision.

Questions for thoughtful community members to answer going forward include:

1. How many years will it take to bridge the gap between the number of young women of color who have a passion for skin care in their high school years and the number who have the opportunity to become a dermatologist?
2. How is race and disease covered in medical school and in preventive medicine overall? What are the biggest areas for improvement we can expect going forward?
3. 5% of US doctors are African American. 4% of UC students are African American. 13% of American are African American. Which organizations are working to close this gap?  What progress has been made? What can we expect going forward?