So You Want to Be a DERMATOLOGIST [Ep. 11]

so you want to be a dermatologist you like the idea of treating nails hair and the largest human organ the skin let's debunk the public perception myths of what it means to be a dermatologist and give it to you straight this is the reality of dermatology Darja jabal med school insiders calm welcome to our next installment in so you want to be in this series we highlight a specific specialty within medicine such as dermatology and hope you decide if it's a good fit for you you can find the other specialties on our so you want to be playlist a lot of you asked for dermatology so that's what we're covering here if you want to vote in upcoming polls to decide what future specialties we cover make sure that you are subscribed if you'd like to see what being a dermatologist looks like check out my second channel kevin jabal MD where I do a second series in parallel called a day in the life once the world is back to a more normal baseline we'll be doing a day in the life of a dermatologist dermatology is the specialty that manages diseases of the skin hair and nails and involves both medical and procedural aspects skin may seem relatively straightforward but it's far more complicated than that a dermatologist can't identify and treat more than three thousand conditions including eczema psoriasis and skin cancer among others you can think of dermatology as falling within four main categories medical dermatology deals with the general and common dermatological earns such as skin cancer viral warts acne rosacea hair loss and rashes this also includes some procedures such as injections skin biopsies and excisions general dermatology is very predictable with fast-paced office visits but also longitudinal continuity with your patients at academic institutions you can expect to manage more complex skin diseases as well it's much more than just acne though the conditions they treat are wide-ranging such as inflammatory skin conditions psoriasis eczema ulcerative skin conditions and blistering skin conditions that may require systemic medications or chronic management aesthetic dermatology primarily deals with cosmetic concerns such as writted and wrinkles volume loss hyperpigmentation textural changes scar visions and redness all through cosmetic procedures and laser technologies this is also clinic based within office procedures procedures include blepharoplasty to fix droopy eyelids rigid neck Tamizh also known as facelifts fat transplantation laser resurfacing chemical resurfacing microdermabrasion collagen fillers botox sclerotherapy and scar revision Surgical dermatology focuses on Mohs micrographic surgery which is a precise surgical technique used to treat skin cancer most surgeons don't just do most surgery though they often overlap with simple excisions as you would do in general dermatology as well as cosmetic dermatology procedures while this is as surgical as dermatology gets understand that these are still clinic based in-office procedures this does not happen in the operating room patients generally only need local anesthesia you're also more likely to have repeat customers not only do these patients need follow-up for monitoring recurrence in their excised skin cancer but once you get skin cancer you're also at a higher risk of getting another inpatient dermatologists work as a consult two primary services in the hospital such as internal medicine pediatrics or surgery who are managing hospitalized patients with dermatological conditions these dermatologists work in other capacities and have their own clinical practices but they can be on call for the hospital there is a short list of dermatological and while there aren't many these are the dermatologists who would be providing recommendations to the managing service patients in this category can be very sick and develop skin disease concurrently or alternatively the skin disease can be a systemic disease manifestation telling a story of what other disease processes are occurring under the surface after finishing Medical School you'll complete a one-year prelim year or transitional year this first year is called your intern year after that dermatology residency is three years there are a few combined internal medicine dermatology five-year programs but there are only a few in the entire country the 1+3 model is much more typical in terms of competitiveness dermatology is consistently the first or second most competitive specialty in medicine switching off with plastic surgery depending on the the average step1 score is 249 and the average step to seek a score is 256 approximately half of practicing dermatologists are female and about two-thirds of dermatology trainees are women dermatology residency is more cush than most and you'll on average be enjoying fewer and more predictable hours than even your non-surgical colleagues there are a handful of fellowships to choose from after residency each lasting between one and two years most surgery requires a one to two year fellowship the joke is that these people wanted to become surgeons but also wanted a good schedule and lifestyle compared to other dermatologists the stereotype is that they may have a lower tolerance for mistakes work at a fast pace and tend to be perfectionists this is the specialty for those dermatologists who enjoy working with their hands and the process of spending years fine-tuning a nuance technique cosmetic dermatology is a one-year fellowship you're more likely to be doing private practice and to be successful here you should have an entrepreneurial inkling if you have children and want to work with kids but also love skin then pediatric dermatology is a good fit for you pedes derm is a one or two year fellowship for those who want to work with the pediatric population exclusively while generally clinic based this may require visits to the operating room usually at academic institutions as kids sometimes require sedation to tolerate procedures dramatic pathology is a one or two year fellowship after completing either a pathology or dermatology residency you may choose to be focused exclusively on dramatic pathology or you may choose to have a few days of clinic this is ideal for those who are highly visual loved recognizing patterns and love histology plus it offers a highly predictable schedule as you're looking through a microscope for most of the day there is a lot to love about dermatology and it attracts a large number of medical students it's no surprise that it's one of the most competitive specialties in a recent Medscape lifestyle happiness and burnout report dermatology ranked first in terms of happiness compared to other specialties dermatology is a highly visual field with high clinic volume that's relatively fast paced compared to other specialties it's also a field that allows for both medical aspects and aspects which is appealing to someone who desires continuity with patience in addition to performing detail-oriented procedures you may not fully appreciate this now if you're early on in training but dermatologists also spend less time than the average physician on paperwork and administration that is a huge deal and if you appreciate beauty in your work in a visual way cosmetic dermatology is an attractive option no pun intended one of the strongest draws is the excellent lifestyle and work-life balance that isn't afforded by most other disciplines within medicine given the outpatient nature low acuity of medical conditions limited call and flexible work days dermatologists generally have more control over how they work it also doesn't hurt that dermatologists are highly compensated usually ranking in the top five highest paid specialties in medicine on average over $400,000 per year but dermatology isn't perfect one of the most obvious downsides is how insanely competitive it is it's a desirable specialty but a small specialty with a limited number of residency positions for this reason many applicants find it necessary to take several years off during Medical School to bolster their application with dermatology research to improve their chances you may find the field often misunderstood those who don't fully understand and appreciate the specialty may dismiss your profession as being only skin-deep and typical surgeons often won't consider your work real surgery even if you specialize in Mo's the fast-paced nature of clinic is a double-edged sword on one hand it's exciting and engaging but on the other hand it may not suit all personalities particularly if you want to spend more time with a patient how can you decide if dermatology is a good fit for you if you love the pathologies related to skin enjoy working in clinic at a fast pace like procedures but not so much to be surgical and are willing to be a self-directed learner to tackle the amount of independent study that is required to be successful then dermatology may be worth considering and finally dermatology is one of the most competitive specialties so you'll need to be willing to put in the time and effort to become a top student that translates to more than just high board scores but also playing the research game being a leader and acing your clinical rotations and who better to learn from and be mentored by than dermatologists themselves big shout out to the dermatologist at med school insiders that helped me in the creation of this video if you need help ace in your MCAT USMLE or other exams our tutors can maximize your test day performance if you're applying to medical school or dermatology residency our dermatologists can share the ins and outs of what it takes and how to navigate the highly competitive process most effectively we've become the fastest growing company in the industry and it's no surprise our customers love us because we're committed to delivering results period learn more at med school and ciders comm thank you all so much for watching what specialty do you want me to cover next leave a comment down below and make sure you're subscribed to vote in those upcoming polls if you enjoyed the video hit that thumbs up button to keep the YouTube gods happy much love to you all and I will see you guys in that next one

Channel: Med School Insiders

Views: 227,106

Rating: 4.974906 out of 5

Keywords: Pre-med, Premed, Med Student, Medical School, Med School, Medical Student, dermatology, dermatologist, cosmetic dermatology, how to become a dermatologist, day in the life dermatologist, dermatology vs plastic surgery, so you want to be, acne, rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, mohs, mohs micrographic surgery, dermatopathology, dermatology subspecialties, should i become a dermatologist, dermatology residency, dermatology nurse practitioner, dermatology physician assistant

Id: GVC8sZZ0giw

Length: 9min 54sec (594 seconds)

Published: Sat Jul 04 2020