Skin, a health reflection
by Iman Salem, M.D.*

Dermatology is like no other medicine
Hails from papyrus of the Ancient Egyptian

Covering all ages from peds to geriatric
In every tone across pages of Fitzpatrick

Assessing an art of color, and description
To treat by surgery or surface prescription

It reveals more than just a complexion
The derm(is) an inner light, a health reflection

All our systems talk to the skin
Interdependent, their closest Kin

Without the need for incision
Derm docs have beyond-the-skin vision

Finding grouped vesicles on the knee?
Maybe it’s celiac you should see

Or the purple papules of LP?
A life-saved connection to hep C

And with the plaques of silvery scale
Don’t forget to check the joints and nails

The palpable purpura of vasculitis
And their clue for Immuno-nephritis

Even COVID on the skin shows
Revealing itself in the blue toes

Skin doctors are not just dermatologists
They are oncologist, pathologist, and immunologist

Recognizing the diversity of our patients’ needs
Is the only way we know to succeed

Because everyone’s skin is unique
Personalized medicine is what we seek

*Author Bio:

Iman Salem is a dermatologist whose passion for skin began during medical school and internship in Cairo. After her residency in Egypt and post-doc in Germany, Salem continued her research on the role of microbes in the host-immune response in the US. She is eager to integrate her global knowledge and pursue her dream of defining the undefined in skin science.