ABSTRACT
At the time of its founding in 1988, The Edwin and Fannie Gray Hall Center for Human
Appearance at the University of Pennsylvania was the first such center in a major
academic setting dedicated to the multispecialty serious study of problems of appearance.
The concept was for five key specialties, originally, and now six, with primary interests
in appearance, to meet regularly to present ideas and problems, and to approach the
study and treatment of appearance in a comprehensive, scholarly, and multidisciplinary
manner. The group has been cohesive, which has depended on frequent and regular personal
interactions, as well as an adequate and supportive financial structure. With these
factors in place, and a dedication to making it work, there have been publications,
new ideas, and teamwork that has made it possible for competing specialties to effectively
function together.
KEYWORDS
Center for human appearance - cosmetic - reconstructive surgery
