Honorary Awards

They have in common a desire to share knowledge and shape dermatology — its study and research, its practice, and its care of patients. Their distinctive contributions to dermatology set them apart, and DF pays tribute to them through its Honorary Awards Program.

There are four award categories — Lifetime Career Educator, Practitioner of the Year, Clark W. Finnerud Award, and the Distinguished Service Award, which has been presented only seven times.

Meet the 2023 recipients of a DF Honorary Award: Dr. Timothy Berger, Lifetime Career Educator; Dr. Michael Goldfarb, Practitioner of the Year; Dr. Jeffrey Herten, Clark Finnerud Award; and Dr. John Voorhees, Distinguished Service Medallion.

2023 recipient of the 2023 DF Lifetime Career Educator Award.

Through the Lens of Education

Timothy T. Berger, MD, has always been a visual person and likes the stories art can tell. He understands something in the clinic better when he can draw a picture of it. Dr. Berger was Professor of Clinical Dermatology in the Department of Dermatology at the UCSF School of Medicine and, for his dedication to…

R. Jeffrey Herten is the 2023 recipient of the DF Clark W. Finnerud Award.

In Step With Patients and Residents

For more than 40 years, whether in a clinical setting or within university walls, Dr. Jeffrey Herten, the 2023 DF Clark W. Finnerud Award recipient, has been able to convey his love of the specialty and his compassion towards patients. He graduated from the Medical School of the University of California, Irvine, (UCI) in 1972…

Remarkable Career Yields Long-term Benefits for Dermatology

In every field of medical science, there are a handful of leaders recognized by their peers as giants. Dr. John Voorhees, MD, FRCP (London), is one such leader. In an illustrious career spanning several decades, Dr. Voorhees has advanced medical knowledge through dermatologic research, developed innovative approaches to psoriasis treatment, taught and mentored dozens of…

Dr. Michael Goldfarb

The Value of Connection

In the 38 years he has mentored residents, lectured on dermatology, and run a clinical practice, Dr. Goldfarb has advocated the value of human connection with patients and residents. He believes it inspires trust, enables learning, creates a reciprocal environment of care, and is the central element to bring to a lecture hall, a clinical research unit, or a patient clinic.

The Diversity of Skin

In March 2022, Dr. Callender received the Dermatology Foundation’s Clark W. Finnerud Award presented to an individual who “most skillfully blends clinical practice with writing and teaching dermatology, thereby serving as a mentor and role model.”

An Advocate for Dermatology

The Distinguished Service Medallion is the highest honor the Foundation confers on a colleague in recognition of exemplary leadership and service to the specialty of dermatology.

The Translational Educator

Listening to Dr. Victoria Werth lecture in dermatology is like taking a master class —one where you hang onto every word and commit to developing your career with as high a degree of intention as she has.

A Practice of Care

Dr. William Sawchuk first learned about dermatology when he was a boy and his brother needed treatment for a severe case of acne. The family met with the local dermatologist, a hardship for a blue-collar family, who provided the necessary treatment.