DermWorld Academy Insider: Meet the newest Your Dermatologist Knows Correspondent
Oct. 29, 2026
The AAD’s Your Dermatologist Knows consumer positioning strategy, launched in 2022, takes a multi-faceted approach toward educating the public about the experience and expertise that only a board-certified dermatologist can provide. A key aspect of the successful strategy is a robust social media presence that is centered around content created by Academy-affiliated Social Media Correspondents.
A new correspondent recently joined the Your Dermatologist Knows team. In this exclusive DermWorld Academy Insider interview, Veena Vanchinathan, MD, FAAD, introduces herself and discusses why she’s a good fit for the role.
DermWorld: What made you want to be one of the Academy’s Your Dermatologist Knows social media correspondents?
Dr. Vanchinathan: I’ve always been passionate about patient education, communication, and finding ways to make accurate dermatologic information approachable, engaging, and relevant to people’s everyday lives. In fact, my love of communication and education goes all the way back to my college days, when one of my two majors was Comparative Literature. Finding creative ways to connect with people, share knowledge, and make complex ideas accessible has always been at the heart of what makes me tick!
Social media has become an increasingly important source of health information, including how people learn about their skin. Unfortunately, it’s also a place where misinformation can spread rapidly. I love the opportunity to meet people where they are and translate our expertise as dermatologists into information that is useful, memorable, and hopefully even a little fun!
I’m also deeply invested in the AAD and its mission, so becoming a Your Dermatologist Knows correspondent felt like a natural extension of the work I already love doing: educating patients, advocating for our specialty, and helping the public appreciate the unique expertise that board-certified dermatologists bring to skin, hair, and nail health.
DermWorld: Why do you believe the Your Dermatologist Knows public strategy is important?
Dr. Vanchinathan: Patients today are exposed to an enormous amount of health information. It can be difficult to distinguish credible medical guidance from something that is simply popular or persuasive online. That makes it more important than ever for dermatologists to have a strong and accessible voice in the public conversation.
Your Dermatologist Knows helps reinforce an important message: board-certified dermatologists have extensive training and expertise in diagnosing and treating thousands of conditions involving the skin, hair, and nails. Whether we are talking about skin cancer, acne, hair loss, inflammatory skin disease, cosmetic concerns, or the newest viral skin-care trend, patients deserve information that is evidence-based and comes from trusted experts.
I also think the strategy succeeds because it isn’t simply telling people what dermatologists know - it is finding creative, engaging, and contemporary ways to show them.
DermWorld: What social media experience do you have that prepares you to represent your fellow Academy members?
Dr. Vanchinathan: My media and social media experience spans several areas, including my work with the AAD’s Media Expert Team, earlier freelance reporting and collaborations with local public television and radio stations, and, more recently, serving as the lead for a group of physician social media influencers who develop engaging educational content for our patients and communities.
These experiences have given me opportunities to develop and implement creative concepts, collaborate with fellow physicians, and think strategically about how to translate complex medical topics into concise, accessible, and compelling messages.
I especially enjoy experimenting with different formats – from educational reels and trending audio to voiceovers, collaborative group content, and timely public health messaging – while ensuring that medical accuracy and credibility remain at the forefront. Working across traditional media, social media, community outreach, and AAD initiatives has also taught me the importance of tailoring content to different audiences and platforms.
Ultimately, I view social media as a powerful extension of patient education. The platform may be different, but the fundamentals remain the same: building trust, communicating clearly, and empowering people with reliable information to make informed decisions about their health.
DermWorld: Why are you confident that you will be a good correspondent for Your Dermatologist Knows?
Dr. Vanchinathan: I think I bring a combination of enthusiasm, curiosity, creativity, and a genuine love of communication, education, and, of course, dermatology! As a practicing dermatologist, member of the Media Expert Team, and Chief of a busy clinical department, I have a firsthand understanding of the questions patients are asking, the misconceptions we encounter, and the issues that matter most in everyday dermatologic care. I enjoy finding creative ways to address these topics, capturing people’s attention while keeping medical accuracy and credibility at the forefront.At the heart of it all is my passion for education and communication. I often tell my patients that if they leave an appointment feeling that I’ve explained something clearly and helped them better understand
their condition, then I’ve done my job well. I bring that same philosophy to social media: making complex information understandable, relatable, and genuinely useful.
I’m also collaborative by nature. One of the things that excites me most about this opportunity is the chance to represent not only my own perspective, but also the extraordinary breadth of knowledge and expertise within our specialty and among my fellow board-certified dermatologists.
And perhaps most importantly, I’m especially confident in my ability to succeed because of the incredible AAD team behind this initiative. I’ve already been so impressed by their creativity, expertise, enthusiasm, and unwavering support. Social media may appear to be one person speaking to a camera, but creating meaningful, high-quality content is truly a team effort. Knowing that I have such an outstanding team to collaborate with gives me tremendous confidence – and makes me even more excited about what we can accomplish together!
Veena Vanchinathan, MD, FAAD, is a board-certified dermatologist who is Chief of Dermatology at Kaiser Permanente in San Jose, California.
