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Temi
Student
Rochester, Minnesota
1
Question
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What does a day as a dermatologist look like ?
Hi! Im currently a sophmore in high school and have interest in the medical field and dermatology is something I am considering. I would like to know more about the daily life of a dermatologist to make a educated decision.
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2 answers
Vanessa Mandal
Medical Director
24
Answers
Rocklin
Updated
Vanessa’s Answer
Dermatology can be alluring from a lifestyle and pay perspective. In 1997 after graduating Medical School, I chose Internal Medicine and fellowship in Geriatrics. My parents were baby boomers, and the demographic shift and healthcare demand was foremost in my decision to care older adults. What we know is that by 2030, the number of Medicare-eligible individuals is projected to reach approximately 69.7 million, nearly doubling from 2000 figures when I entered the work force as a Geriatrician. Medicine is a calling to serve the greater good. It is most rewarding when our values align with what we do on a daily basis. Take time to reflect on your values and see if they fit with the daily life of a dermatologist.
James Hanson
Pediatric Intensive Care Physician; Consultant
257
Answers
Oakland, California
Updated
James’s Answer
There is no clear answer to your question, Temi. Physicians in most all specialties can choose from many different types of clinical practice - and may also choose to focus on research. Dermatology is often considered one of the easier specialties, because there are very few emergency conditions - so overnight calls and such are rare. Some become super-specialized. They may focus on using lasers to remove certain skin problems (and unwanted tattoos). They may wish to focus on cosmetic dermatology. They may prefer pediatric dermatology.
As artificial intelligence is rapidly advancing, there are concerns that a lot of the diagnostic work of dermatologists will be done by computer (showing high-resolution photographs of skin issues with a few symptoms and history questions can be compared to a vast database to suggest the diagnosis with high probability). Some of us older physicians learned to use touch to describe many rashes, but much of the work now is done on telemedicine, so the direct patient contact is reduced.
If there were such a thing as "an average day", I would say most dermatologists work in clinics, usually shared with other dermatologists or co-located with rheumatology or general medicine so they are available to help with others' cases. They have normal clinic hours, such as 8-5, with lunch breaks. If they are associated with a hospital, they probably have inpatients on which they would round before clinic, or during breaks.
Procedurally, dermatologists do biopsies, remove small lesions, and may use lasers.
Those who work for academic centers usually have a research component of their work and a teaching responsibility to medical students, residents, and possibly fellows.
No matter what type of physician you ultimately may become, college and medical school are mostly the same, so you have a long time to explore possibilities, observe different specialties, and choose which residencies to apply to.
As artificial intelligence is rapidly advancing, there are concerns that a lot of the diagnostic work of dermatologists will be done by computer (showing high-resolution photographs of skin issues with a few symptoms and history questions can be compared to a vast database to suggest the diagnosis with high probability). Some of us older physicians learned to use touch to describe many rashes, but much of the work now is done on telemedicine, so the direct patient contact is reduced.
If there were such a thing as "an average day", I would say most dermatologists work in clinics, usually shared with other dermatologists or co-located with rheumatology or general medicine so they are available to help with others' cases. They have normal clinic hours, such as 8-5, with lunch breaks. If they are associated with a hospital, they probably have inpatients on which they would round before clinic, or during breaks.
Procedurally, dermatologists do biopsies, remove small lesions, and may use lasers.
Those who work for academic centers usually have a research component of their work and a teaching responsibility to medical students, residents, and possibly fellows.
No matter what type of physician you ultimately may become, college and medical school are mostly the same, so you have a long time to explore possibilities, observe different specialties, and choose which residencies to apply to.