Definition The role Training Subspecialties Ongoing training Role changes When to see a dermatologist? Getting an appointment Dermatologist vs. skin specialist Appointment expectations
A dermatologist is a medical doctor who has specialised in medicine and then further specialised in diagnosing, managing, and treating conditions that affect the skin, nails, and hair in adults and children.
Dermatologists treat more than 3,000 diseases of the skin, hair, and nails, as well as cosmetic concerns.
Although dermatology is a medical speciality, most dermatologists are also skin surgeons and are specialists in managing both benign and malignant skin lesions.
Multidisciplinary teams are a key component in dermatology. Dermatologists work closely with other medical and surgical specialists such as oncologists, geneticists, plastic surgeons, rheumatologists, immunologists/allergists, histopathologists, specialist nurses, and allied health clinicians.
Trained dermatologists usually combine several activities:
Dermatologists must have expertise in basic sciences including microbiology, pathology, biochemistry, physics, physiology, pharmacology and endocrinology. They must be familiar with all the other medical specialties because of their consultant work and because skin diseases are often associated with internal medicine conditions.
Dermatologists perform skin surgery to:
Dermatologists are medical doctors. Before they can start practising, dermatologists receive more than a decade of training. Training programs vary by country, but in general, this includes:
During the course of dermatology training, trainees will generally sit and pass a rigorous fellowship examination, before graduating as a dermatologist.
Some dermatologists choose to complete a further one to two years of fellowship training to subspecialise in an area of interest. These include but are not limited to:
There is flexibility in a career and training in dermatology that allows for research.
Continuing professional development (CPD) helps to keep dermatologists up to date and is a requirement for registration by various medical councils around the world including New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
DermNet oversees an online CPD certification programme. This is accomplished through annual clinical audit, peer review, practice visits, publications, teaching, reading journals, and attendance at courses, symposia, lectures, and seminars organised by dermatological societies worldwide.
Dermatology is constantly adapting itself to meet the changing medical challenges of our society. New drugs may cause unusual side-effects; and substances such as pesticides, industrial compounds, and cosmetics continually pose new dermatological problems. More leisure time and outdoor work has increased the exposure to the sun and other hazards which can cause skin disease.
With the advent of new therapies for inflammatory skin disease such as biological agents and JAK inhibitors, what dermatology can offer has greatly expanded.
The skin is the largest organ of the body and includes hair, nails, the mucosal areas of the mouth, and genitalia.
If you suffer from a skin condition, visit your primary care doctor or general practitioner. They will be able to perform an initial assessment with the knowledge of your medical history, current medications, previous treatments, and other factors that may impact your health.
If your skin condition is complex, high risk, or requires specialist care, your primary care doctor will refer you to a dermatologist. You can ask your primary care doctor for a referral to a dermatologist if you are concerned about your condition.
You can see a dermatologist in outpatient clinics in public hospitals or at their private rooms.
Arrange to see a dermatologist as soon as possible when symptoms of skin disease appear, or when current therapy is ineffective. Expert diagnosis, rapid cure, or good management means decreased cost and less suffering. In countries such as Australia and the United Kingdom, you need a referral to see a dermatologist from your primary care doctor; whereas in the United States, you can arrange to see a dermatologist directly. Patients are only seen by appointment. Many dermatologists in private practice can see you by self-referral.
Depending on which country you live in, you can find lists of qualified dermatologists in the various dermatological society /association websites:
Other practitioners may sometimes use titles such as:
Please note that this may not be the same as a board-certified dermatologist. You can always check the credentials of a clinic or practitioner to see if they are a registered dermatologist.
When you visit a dermatologist, they will take a full history of your presenting complaint, including your current medical problems, current medications, smoking status, and sun exposure history.
They will then perform a physical examination. By using a dermatoscope, they can perform a full skin examination of your moles and other skin lesions. Furthermore, depending on your presenting problem, or if they detect a suspicious lesion, they might perform a skin biopsy procedure on the same day of the visit. You can expect to be provided with a treatment plan and a prescription if needed.
