68th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) 2010

The American Academy of Dermatology is the largest, most influential and most representative of all dermatologic associations. With a membership of over 16,000, it represents virtually all practicing dermatologists in the United States.

This position of leadership had its beginnings in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a period which witnessed the emergence of dermatology as a medical specialty and laid the foundations for modern dermatology. It was in this setting that the first dermatologic society was established in 1869.

The biological revolution of the 19th and 20th centuries added further impetus to dermatologic progress. The specialty received official recognition in 1932 with the formation of a Certifying Board for physicians who wished to be certified in dermatology and syphilology. The need for a national organization led to the founding of the American Academy of Dermatology in 1938. Its principal objective: the continuation of dermatologic education.