Lorena
What's the day in the life of a Dermatologist?
I’m currently looking to connect with dermatologists (or residents, fellows, or even med students with exposure to the field) who might be open to sharing their experience. Whether through a quick chat, email, or even just responding to a few questions, I’d be extremely grateful for any insights.
Here are a few things I’m curious about:
What does your typical day or week look like?
What kinds of cases or patients do you usually see?
What aspects of your job do you find most fulfilling or most challenging?
What skills or personality traits tend to help someone thrive in dermatology?
How did you find your way into the field—and what would you tell someone just starting to explore it?
Are there any resources you’d recommend for someone interested in shadowing or learning more?
If you’re open to sharing your experience—or can point me to someone who is—I’d love to hear from you.
Thanks in advance for your time and generosity!
1 answer
Michelle M.
Michelle’s Answer
It's wonderful that you are thinking about a career as a Dermatologist and even if I am not one, I am happy to give some advice and information about it. The best way to explore this career to see if it is for you is to explore the actual work and decide if it's the type of work you'd want to do. Even if Dermatologists tell you their experience, it will not be your experience. You're going to have to like the academic path as well as the actual work of being a doctor.
A Dermatologist is a medical doctor that diagnoses, treats and prevents conditions and you'd be working with the skin, hair, nails, and adjacent mucous membranes. You'd do exams, biopsies, surgery, laser therapy, remove moles, skin cancers, and perform cryotherapy for patients. You can also do cosmetic procedures such as Botox injections, chemical peels, laser hair removal, dermabrasion, and treatments for age spots and scars. You would also be doing preventive care counseling for the patients, read imaging tests, blood tests, and allergy tests to determine the cause of skin conditions and prescribe medication. So, you see, there's a lot involved and there's no "typical day" because all your patients will be different, requiring you to do different things.
The only way that you will know what is challenging or fulfilling in this career is when you are in Medical School and when you start practicing. It can be interesting to hear about dermatologists viewpoints on this, but there's no way to determine how your career will be and what you will personally enjoy or not enjoy. That comes with your own first hand education and lab and clinical experience.
In your state of California, it takes 12 years to become a Dermatologist. You will not only do the work duties I've previously mentioned, you will maintain your certification with trainings, conferences and other events. You can also pursue a fellowship after your residency - 2 more years, for a sub-specialty. So more than knowing other people's experiences, it will help you to consider the work and the academic path in deciding if you want to make it a goal.
I wouldn't recommend shadowing for any medical career because there are liabilities in a medical setting and privacy issues between a patient and doctor that a stranger is best not present unless it is an intern or a medical student doing rotations. Plus, the extra work for the doctor of having every patient sign a HIPAA form giving you permission to watch. It will be quicker to watch some videos on You Tube about this career. Just type in the You Tube search box "what it's like to be a Dermatologist" and videos should come up. Good resources and a wealth of information are online by typing in a search about dermatology, skin disorders and dermatological exams.
I hope you enjoy exploring this career and I wish you all the best !