History of Latin American Dermatology

History of Dermatology in VenezuelaOn November 14 the same year, the Martín Vegas Award was created in commemorationof the twentieth anniversary of the founding of the Society, and this day was designatedas the date to celebrate the Society’s anniversary. For this reason, Congresses and AnnualMeetings are held at this time of the year.The International Congress of Dermatology asked the Society to name a delegate fromVenezuela, a responsibility that fell to Dr. Francisco Scannone.In December of 1948, Dermatología Venezolana was founded as the Society’s officialjournal.Since its creation, the Society has changed names three times. On January 7, 1970, itadopted a new denomination: Venezuelan Society of Dermatology (VSD), which wasstated in a communication to the Governing Committee of the Venezuelan Medical Federation,“because under this generic name it is understood that Venereology, Leprology,Mycology, Allergology, Dermatological Histopathology, Dermatological Oncology, DermatologicalMicrobiology, Dermatological Surgery, Surface Radiation Therapy, Cosmetology,as well as all the fields that may develop in future, which are related to diseases of theskin and of its annexeses, complete the scope of this specialized field.”On February 28, 1972, Dr. Kerdel Vegas proposed the creation of an Annual Conferencein well-deserved and permanent recognition of Dr. Martín Vegas. Since then, thisConference is the hub of the Congress and Annual Meeting.In 1973, an agreement was reached with the American Academy of Dermatology forthe implementation of refresher courses in Venezuela, which were successfully developedthanks to the efforts of Francisco Kerdel Vegas and Mauricio Goihman Yahr.From 1973 on, a stage of consolidation of the Society of Dermatology began. In additionto the annual and monthly meetings, the Society reinstated the Venezuelan Congresesof Dermatology. The second such Congress was held under the chair of Dr. ObadíaSerfaty, the third in 1978 was chaired by its president, Dr. Cruz Graterol Roque, and thefourth Congress by Dr. Antonio Rondón Lugo.Over the course of its life, the VSD has organized: the Seventh Ibero-Latin AmericanCongress of Dermatology in 1971, six Venezuelan Congresses of Dermatoloogy and 39Annual Meetings, as well as the granting of the following awards: Dr. Martín Vegas, Dr.César Lizardo, Dr. Jacinto Convit; the Dr. Juan Di Prisco and Dr. José M. Soto Forums,and the Dr. Víctor Suprani poster awards.In addition to the Dermatología Venezolana journal, the Society began to publish amonthly Bulletin in the late 1960s, in which clinical cases from the monthly meetingswere discussed as well as the Society’s administrative information. This Bulletin was revivedunder the presidency of Dr. Jaime Piquero-Martín (1990-1992) and a DermatologicalInformation Service including scientific information was added to this secondpublication. Furthermore, monographs were added as supplements of the DermatologíaVenezolana Journal.During the three periods in which Dr. Antonio Rondón Lugo presided over the Societyof Dermatology it was possible to bring together and integrate all dermatologists into theassociation. The category of active member was created for dermatologists who hadcompleted graduate courses and who had been unable to join the Society owing to excessivelystringent rules. Continuing Medical Education courses also began to be madeavailable to dermatologists, general practicioners and the community as a whole.In addition, dermatologists from the interior of the country began to be brought inthrough the creation of the Western Branch and later the Eastern Branch founded inClarines, state of Anzoátegui. Lastly, in July 2001 the Society created the South-EasternBranch whose first coordinator was Dr. Alfredo Lander Marcano.During the presidency of Dr. Francisco González Otero the Venezuelan Society of Dermatologychanged its name to its present denomination: Venezuelan Society of Dermatologyand Dermatological Surgery.429