Instructions;
Choose one of the chapters in Medicine and Social Justice that the syllabus will not be covering or a topic of your own choosing. Design a PowerPoint presentation to explain the topic and the related social, environmental and ethical issues to the class. Post it on Blackboard for all of us to see and discuss. This topic may be the basis for the writing assignment #2. (Details below.)
This assignment is focused on:
1) Developing a clear understanding of an issue on your own
2) Presenting a critique of a social justice issue to others.
Everyone in the class will be learning from your PowerPoint presentation. Be aware that for most of those who read your presentation, you will be introducing them to a topic that is largely new to them. You will have to make the issues clear and what you say must be accurate. You should try to encourage the students to think about the issues in the context of justice and equity. After posting, you need to respond to the questions and comments that others will raise about your presentation.
Provide 8-12 slides (no audio).
- Use a font size no smaller than 24. Do not cram your slides: Remember the rule: no more than 5 lines, no more than 5 words per line.
- Slide #1 should include your name and the title for your presentation.
- Use most of your slides to explain the issue, who is affected, how, and how injustice may be involved. [6 points]
- If possible, provide example(s) of a just or unjust intervention, policy or Public Health program that addresses the issue.
- You do not have to take a position on the issue or present an original argument for a particular conclusion.
- Your final slide should be a single open-ended question concerning justice or injustice for discussion by your classmates. [2 points]
- Respond to comments from your classmates. [2 points]
Posting your PowerPoint:
- In the discussion forum area, create your own thread using presentation title.
- Attach your PowerPoint to the thread.
- Other students will download your presentation and make comments in a threaded discussion response to your question.
- All other students are required to respond to at least 2 questions [limit of 3 respondents per PowerPoint] during the week October 23-30.
- You are required to respond to the comments from your classmates.
Dermatological Care and Social Justice: Seeing All Skin in Medicine
Name: Course: Medicine and Social Justice Focus: U.S. healthcare, race, and dermatologic inequity
SLIDE 1 – TITLE
Dermatological Care and Social Justice: Seeing All Skin in Medicine
SLIDE 2 – WHY THIS MATTERS
- Skin health reflects social health
- Medicine often fails to “see” darker skin
- Representation affects diagnosis, care, and trust
SLIDE 3 – THE U.S. PROBLEM
- 47% of U.S. dermatologists practice in five states
- <4% identify as Black; <6% as Latinx
- Medical imagery: over 80% light-skinned
- Care deserts in the South and urban neighborhoods
SLIDE 4 – WHO IS AFFECTED
- Black, Latinx, Indigenous communities
- Medicaid and uninsured populations
- Rural and urban health deserts
- Trainees without skin-of-color exposure
SLIDE 5 – HOW INJUSTICE MANIFESTS
- Misdiagnosis of lupus, melanoma, eczema
- Limited funding for skin-of-color research
- Cosmetic bias: colorism and Eurocentric norms
- Inadequate insurance coverage for “cosmetic” conditions
SLIDE 6 – ENVIRONMENTAL & SOCIAL DETERMINANTS
- Air pollution, UV exposure, housing segregation
- Access to safe skincare products
- Occupational exposures: domestic, service, agricultural work
- Environmental racism → skin disorders and hyperpigmentation
SLIDE 7 – ETHICAL & STRUCTURAL DIMENSIONS
- Whose skin defines “normal”?
- Ethical duty: cultural competence in diagnosis
- Justice = visibility + representation + access
- Racism as a social determinant of dermatologic health
SLIDE 8 – CASE STUDY: A JUST VS. UNJUST AMERICA
Unjust Example:
- Black Americans have lowest melanoma incidence, highest mortality
- 3x more likely to be diagnosed late
Just Example:
- Skin of Color Society & Project Impact (VisualDx) diversify medical training and imagery
SLIDE 9 – POLICY AND PUBLIC HEALTH LENS
- NIH: <2% of skin research funding tied to race/ethnicity
- Few diversity incentives in dermatology residencies
- Public health efforts like HRSA Health Workforce and teledermatology expand access
- Need for pigment-inclusive diagnostic tools in FDA/NIH review
SLIDE 10 – RETHINKING JUSTICE IN SKIN HEALTH
- Representation is prevention
- Training diversity = patient safety
- Skin equity is health equity
- Visibility as an act of justice
SLIDE 11 – DISCUSSION QUESTION
What would it look like for U.S. medicine to treat visibility in skin care as a public health responsibility, not an afterthought?
SLIDE 12 – REFERENCES (CONDENSED)
- Lester JC, et al. JAMA Dermatology, 2020.
- Taylor SC, et al. Dermatology for Skin of Color, McGraw-Hill, 2016.
- Callender VD, Int J Women’s Dermatol, 2021.
- Skin of Color Society: www.skinofcolorsociety.org
- Project Impact: www.projectimpactmd.com
- HRSA Workforce Data, 2023
💬 BLACKBOARD JUSTIFICATION PARAGRAPH (FOR YOUR POST)
In the United States, dermatological care reflects deep social inequities in medicine. The underrepresentation of darker skin in textbooks, training, and research has tangible consequences: delayed diagnoses, overlooked symptoms, and avoidable suffering. This disparity is not just clinical—it’s structural. Black and Latinx patients often live in dermatology “care deserts,” where insurance, cost, and provider bias limit access. Meanwhile, the health effects of air pollution, occupational exposures, and unsafe cosmetic products disproportionately impact communities of color. When American medicine defines “normal” skin through a narrow lens, it reinforces exclusion at every level—from education to care delivery. Addressing dermatologic inequity is therefore an act of social justice: it demands that all skin tones be represented, studied, and valued equally in the nation’s healthcare system.
Would you like me to generate the PowerPoint file (with formatted slide text, U.S. data visuals, and image placeholders) so it’s upload-ready for Blackboard? I can make it concise, professional, and visually balanced in your presentation voice.