Dermatology Education Foundation (DEF)

The DEF, a non-profit 501 (c)(3) corporation, was founded to inspire dermatology nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) to achieve a professional balance between the art of healing, the power of diagnostic skills, and case-based assessment and training.

Mission:
The Dermatology Education Foundation's specific purpose is to improve dermatology patient outcomes through education. The education will be developed for nurse practitioners and physician assistants in dermatology. The Dermatology Education Foundation will accomplish this through annual conferences, journal articles, posters and Internet publications focusing on dermatology diagnoses, treatment, surgery, research, and education.

The Dermatology Education Foundation (DEF) is organized to address unmet educational need in the training of nurse practitioners and physician assistants in dermatology. The educational materials and offerings will be organized and disseminated throughout the year and through an annual conference. A database will be developed to house the meeting materials, publications, and training materials. The DEF will utilize this database to provide for information exchange and dissemination of training materials to nurse practitioners and physician assistants.

The DEF aims to elevate the training experiences of the nurse practitioner and physician assistant through funding Mentorship Grant opportunities throughout the year. Visit with a dermatologist outside your region or state to put into practice what you were mentored on and to bring back to your own clinic. After the grant project is completed, the DEF helps the grantee publish their experience and promote the outcome of the mentorship program. See more on our website and to apply for a mentorship grant.