Journey of Philanthropy and Leadership

Established in 2015 to support dermatology physician assistants’ leadership experiences and foster their contributions to the field of dermatology, the Dermatology Physician Assistant Foundation (DPAF) is an educational and charitable arm of the Society for Dermatology Physician Assistants (SDPA).

At this year’s SDPA Annual Summer Dermatology Conference, outgoing DPAF chair and Dermatology Times editorial board member Renata Block, MMS, PA-C, spoke with incoming chair Faseeha Raza, PA-C, about giving back, leading and inspiring others, and supporting patients.

“As we know, DPAF is the philanthropic arm of the SDPA, and my passion is to give back to the community,” Raza told Block. “And that's the only thing I think I felt that I would contribute to the community, being part of DPAF and encourage all the MPs to do the same, if that's their passion, if that's the mission that they want to accomplish.”

Block asked Raza about her goals as incoming chair. “My No. 1 goal would be to cause brand awareness, and letting people know why DPAF exists,” Raza said. “So my goal would be to promote our programming, such as Medical Mission Academy, talks in a box, professional development, and research. And knowing all these, I'm very confident a lot of PAs would be interested in becoming part of it and volunteer for it. The other big goal that I have is to bring in grants for the organization so we can also support great causes, like SCAN—the project that Renata actually helped—and it made a huge difference.”

Raza also volunteers her time with the Clevland Ibn Sina Free Clinic in Ohio. “This is a free clinic where I was given an opportunity to run some free health care screening events,” she told Block. “And I initially helped with the CISC Free Clinic as a volunteer when I was in PA school, and that kind of boosted me up to do more for the community.”

“My journey with the free clinic actually started because I wanted to give back to the community, and that's how I got involved. And from there I stepped into SDPA as a PA student, and I started my journey with the CME committee, their fellowship committee,” Raza explained. “This organization has fostered me to be where I am today. I'm truly humbled and you know, kind of like proud and humble at the same time.”

Block asked Raza about her work in aesthetics. “My passion started with architecture; I did my degree in architecture engineering. I love designing. I love sculpting. I love forming things, and that's how I got involved into dermatology aesthetics field,” Raza said. “I feel like what I love most about this profession is to make my patients look beautiful. Make them confident in their own skin, so that they can carry themselves and be happy about how they are. So I think enhancing their natural beauty is what I strive for.”

Are you attending the 2024 SDPA Annual Summer Dermatology Conference? Share your thoughts and insights via Dermatology Times social media or email us at DTEditor@mmhgroup.com.