Knowing the importance of both medical knowledge and personal leadership development

Leadership Development Steering Committee deputy chair Milan J. Anadkat, MD, FAAD believes in the importance of leadership training for dermatologists.

Dr. Anadkat’s story

The first time I attended the Leadership Forum was through my participation in the Academic Dermatology Leadership Program (ADLP). I didn’t have any prior training on effective communication, lecturing skills, conflict resolution, or self-assessment. My faculty position was at the same institution where I trained, so I also had minimal outside mentorship.

All of this changed with my time in ADLP and continues to pay dividends for me over a decade later. I still keep in touch with many of my fellow attendees. I’m a natural extrovert, so making connections with others is always exciting for me. At the time of my initial training, each of my fellow participants were very junior faculty. Now, many have emerged as leaders in the field as editors of journals, leaders within departments, and frequent speakers at national meetings.

Years later, I served as a mentor for ADLP. The experience is different but equally rewarding. It’s humbling and instructive to mentor others while continuing your own personal growth. The mentees I’ve been blessed to have in my life are so smart, talented, and inspirational. I’m so proud of their vision, aspirations, and successes.

Most recently, I served as a chair of ADLP. It was so rewarding to go full circle with the program. The ADLP has developed quite a bit since I was a mentee and offers the current generation more opportunities to develop. The curiosity, interest, and sheer talent of the mentees was thrilling to see.