Around town: The 23rd World Congress of Dermatology

Around town: The 23rd World Congress of Dermatology

World Congress of Dermatology (WCD) will fill the halls and meeting rooms of the Vancouver Convention Centre with delegates eager to learn more about research and developments in their chosen specialty. The first congress took place in 1889, seven years earlier than the first modern Olympics.

Held every four years (or quadrennially, as I learned today), the last congress in North America was in New York in 1992, so this is a unique opportunity for local health care specialists. The WCD scientific committee, along with the conference’s organizing members, the International League of Dermatological Societies and the Canadian Dermatology Association, have provided a packed six-day program, running from 8 a.m. or earlier until 5 p.m. most nights, with a choice of multiple subject streams each day.

In case you’re wondering whether it’s possible for a conference on skin to fill six whole days, remember that your skin is your largest organ, weighing in at around 16 per cent of your body weight, with a surface area of approximately 2 square metres. Your skin controls body temperature and stops you from drying out, forms a protective outer layer that cushions you against the outside world, acts as an emergency fuel source, contributes to sexual attraction, makes vitamin D…there’s plenty to study!

Also, take a peek at the program. Sure, there is skin (of course), but don’t forget about hair and nails—they’re all related.

Plenty to keep the world’s dermatologists engrossed for almost a week.

23rd World Congress of Dermatology
June 8–13, 2015
Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver, BC

Learn more about the skin you’re in:
BBC Science: Skin
National Geographic: Skin

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