Careers in Medicine: Specialty Information

Dermatology

Nature of the work

A dermatologist is trained to diagnose and treat pediatric and adult patients with disorders of the skin, mouth, external genitalia, hair, and nails, as well as a number of sexually transmitted diseases. The dermatologist has had additional training and experience in the diagnosis and treatment of skin cancers, melanomas, moles, and other tumors of the skin, the management of contact dermatitis and other allergic and nonallergic skin disorders, and in the recognition of the skin manifestations of systemic (including internal malignancy) and infectious diseases. Dermatologists have special training in dermatopathology and in the surgical techniques used in dermatology. They also have expertise in the management of cosmetic disorders of the skin such as hair loss and scars and the skin changes associated with aging.¹

Dermatologists can receive training in the following subspecialties:

• Dermatopathology - diagnoses and monitors diseases of the skin including infectious, immunologic, degenerative, and neoplastic diseases.
• Pediatric Dermatology - treats of specific skin disease categories with emphasis on those diseases which predominate in infants, children, and adolescents.

Training/residency information

The residency training for dermatologists is three to four years. The three year program must be preceded by a year of broad-based clinical training (PGY-1). Practice in a dermatology subspecialty requires one additional year of training.

Salary information

The annual salary for dermatologists ranges from $287,832 to $385,953.²

For more information

• American Academy of Dermatology
• American Board of Dermatology
• American Society for Dermatologic Surgery
• American Society of Dermatology

References
1 The American Board of Medical Specialties. Guide to Physician Specialties. Evanston, IL: American Board of Medical Specialties; February 2008.
2 2008 Physician Compensation Survey [special feature]. Modern Healthcare. July 14, 2008: 28-32.

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