Welcome to the official web site for the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. Much thought has gone into the design of this site. It was created as a way for the public to find out more about Osteopathic Dermatology. The AOCD was recognized in 1958 as a Specialty College of the American Osteopathic Association. Just as the osteopathic profession has grown over the past 100 years, the AOCD has also grown. The AOCD now oversees 21 dermatology residency programs that are currently training 90 residents in dermatology. When their training is finished and they become certified, they are awarded Fellow of the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. Our college now has over 350 Fellows.

Please feel free to use our ever expanding data base on this site to learn more about various diseases that have to do with the skin, hair and nails. Members of the medical profession may want to examine manuscripts that have appeared in archived issues of the Journal of the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. They can be retrieved utilizing this web site.

As the President of the AOCD for 2007-2008, I will be investing my time and effort in several areas. Public awareness that dermatologists are the only physicians that are fully trained in treating conditions that affect the skin, hair and nails is of utmost importance. I will also be working with the appropriate committees within the AOCD to insure that our residency programs continue to produce the highest quality osteopathic dermatologists. I will work closely with our colleagues in the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery to promote programs that will build public awareness of issues like skin cancer, its known causes and other skin diseases. Our societies should also work together to promote the specialty of dermatology as the specialty that the public should seek out when they have concerns that relate to dermatology, skin surgery and cosmetic dermatology.

Osteopathic medicine has as its premise treating our patients in a holistic fashion. This means treating the whole patient, not just a disease process. Our decisions, treatment plan and recommendations must always keep our patient's best interests in mind.

I look forward to representing the AOCD this year.

Sincerely,

Jay S. Gottlieb, D.O., FAOCD
AOCD President, 2007-2008