INDIAN ASSOCIATION OF DERMATOLOGISTS, VENEREOLOGISTS AND LEPROLOGISTS (IADV&L) was born in 1973 as a result of the amalgamation of the Indian Association of Dermatologists and Venereologists (IADVL) with the Dermatological Society of India (DSI). Since the very inception of IADV&L, the WEST BENGAL STATE BRANCH has played a very prominent role in its various activities.

Dermatology in Bengal has a long and rich heritage. In 1921, under the guidance of Major Acton, a skin research department with various units (including Mycology) was started in the School of Tropical Medicine and Carmichael Hospital for Tropical Diseases.

Substantial progress was made in the field of leprosy research in a specialized department in the School of Tropical Medicine under the leadership of Dr. Muir and subsequently Doctors Roger, Lowe and Dharmendra. Many of the founding fathers of Dermatology in India hailed from this part of the globe. In the early decades they fought valiantly against the dermatological disorders with limited resources. Their intense academic interest led to the birth of the INDIAN JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY in 1955 with Dr. G Panja as its first editor.

The Journal is still being published under the aegis of IADVL, West Bengal branch and has completed its Golden Jubilee in 2005 an event which was celebrated by the West Bengal branch during it Annual Conference in 2005 at Kolkata.

In 2015 IJD DiamondCon was observed and now the branch is all poised to celebrate the Platinum jubilee of this heritage journal by hosting IJD PlatinumCon.

Other than the IJD, the branch publishes Skintellect, the official monthly newsletter of IADVLWB and ত্বকবদ্যির দরবার, an unique cultural webzine in Bengali with contributions from the members of this branch.

DR. S C Mitra and Dr. S K Panja were the first President and Secretary respectively of the West Bengal state branch. The Association continued to flourish and expand each year under the stewardship of a dedicated band of dermatologists. Today IADVL, West Bengal state branch has a total strength of nearly 644 members.

Among its various activities, the most important are the monthly Clinical meetings and newly added monthly webinar DermaAdhyayn . 10 clinical meetings per year have been held almost without fail for more than six decades.

CUTICON West Bengal the Annual Conference of IADVL, West Bengal is now being held every year as well as MIDCUTICON.

The branch has organized the 1st East Zone Conference of IADVL in 1994, the 2nd east Zone Conference (under the name DERMAZONE) in 2000 and the renamed DERMAZONE EAST in November 2008.

The branch has hosted the National Conference of IADVL in 1978, 1988 and 2003 (DERMACON 2003) and 2017(DERMACON 2017).

It has won the prestigious Best Branch Award of IADVL in 2003-04, 2005-06 and 2010-11.

Till 1987 the Association functioned from various temporary offices. In 1987, a room was acquired on lease at the IMA building at 53, Creek Row, Kolkata and the office functioned from there. However, with the ever increasing activities and membership, a need for a larger accommodation was felt. Hence an apartment was purchased at Moon Plaza, 62 Lenin Sarani, Kolkata and the office is functioning from these premises since August 15, 2006.

In the national context a number of IADVL members have served the Association in various important capacities since the inception of IADVL. While Dr. B N Banerjee was the first President of IADVL, subsequently Dr. R K Panja, Dr. M A Wali, Dr. S K Panja and Dr. K Banerjee have also been anointed to the august post. Dr. A K Chakravarty and Dr. K Lahiri have served as Honorary Secretary and Dr. S B Mandal and Dr. A Coondoo as the Treasurer of the National Executive of IADVL.

S Panda, a member of this branch had served as the chief editor of IJDVL.

A Coondoo and M Chatterjee served as the chairperson of IADVL Academy.

A number of other members have also been elected to the posts of Vice president and Joint Secretary. This branch gave the National IADVL three brand names: DERMAZONE in 2000, DERMACON in 2003 and CUTICON in 2004.

All these names are now accepted at the national level as the names of zonal, national and state conference of IADVL respectively.