Why Podcasts?
News from the Congress

Podcasting is a growing industry, and is an ideal opportunity for science communication and public education for dermatologists. In the run up to the World Congress of Dermatology, podcasts are also an ideal platform to reach out to the Dermatology community to build rapport and anticipation for the Congress.

Why Podcasts?
Dr Etienne Wang
25th WCD National Organising Committee National Skin Centre Singapore

When podcasts first appeared on our media devices in 2004, they were extremely niche and used by only a small number of tech-savvy individuals. However, it became apparent very quickly that podcasts were an excellent medium to deliver specific and relevant content to targeted groups and communities. Today, there are around 850,000 podcasts covering topics from true crime to gardening to Pokemon to black holes. Despite this seemingly crowded landscape, podcasting is a growing industry, and is an ideal opportunity for science communication and public education for dermatologists.

I started to listen to podcasts when I was pursuing a basic science PhD in New York City. I found podcasts helped me center my thoughts while I performed repetitive wet-lab experiments, entertain me on the subway, and educate me while I folded laundry and washed the dishes. According to a 2020 survey, more than half of American consumers older than 12 report listening to podcasts regularly, with many more joining their ranks during the recent pandemic and associated lockdowns.

I find podcasts a great way to keep up with Dermatology News, as I listen to podcasts like Cutaneous Connection by Dermatology Times, and Dermatology Weekly by MDedge. Podcasts are also a great way to listen to patient experiences (I listen to the Bald Truth and The Alopecia Project), which helps me both build empathy, and prepare for the out of left field questions that my patients may come in with. I also listen to various science podcasts (Science Rules by Bill Nye, The Working Scientist by Nature, and The Stem Cell Podcast, to name a few) to hone my skills in science communication. In the run up to the World Congress of Dermatology, podcasts are also an ideal platform to reach out to the Dermatology community to build rapport and anticipation for the Congress. By presenting selected topics and curated interviews with dermatologists and skin/hair scientists from all over the world, The Official Podcast of the WCD will hopefully fulfil this role, and give to us what podcasts have given me all these years – a comforting, reliable voice in our ear reassuring us of an exciting future