Why did you choose Derm?

[postbacc]

I'm wondering what the reasons people who are currently doing derm residencies and people who are currently applying chose derm. Besides the obvious lifestyle/hours/pay reasons, what do you like about derm practice or research?

I've heard things such as visual appeal, etc..

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[ToxicFugu]

bump.
anyone??

 

[doc05]

lifestyle/hours/pay is the reason for the overwhelming majority of those in derm. a few are actually interested in derm research (which can be pretty darn interesting); but the fact that you can make 200k for a 40-hour work week with no on-call is the major draw.

 

[ny skindoc]

lifestyle/hours/pay is the reason for the overwhelming majority of those in derm. a few are actually interested in derm research (which can be pretty darn interesting); but the fact that you can make 200k for a 40-hour work week with no on-call is the major draw.

I like observing directly what I am treating,instead of relying on a vague or a complicated history.By visual recognition and a few simple tests such as a skin biopsy(nothing fancy) you can diagnose the great majority of skin problems.I like treating all age groups,and find the diseases interesting, the main foundations of Derm..pathology,microbiology happen to have been my favorite subjects in med school.Yes.. regular working hours,minimal night and weekend call,and $$ were important factors but I never would pick a field just on that, if I really was not truly excited by it.

 

[Peeshee]

How much derm. does a typical family med. dr. see? Is he/she able to dx dermatological diseases, without referral to a dermatologist?
As a dermatologist, are you able to focus on a specific area of derm. that interests you?
thanks

 

[ny skindoc]

How much derm. does a typical family med. dr. see? Is he/she able to dx dermatological diseases, without referral to a dermatologist?
As a dermatologist, are you able to focus on a specific area of derm. that interests you?
thanks

Most FPs do see a large amount of dermatological problems in their practice, treating routine acne,eczema,psorisais,pediatric problems is standard. As to their ability to diagnose and treat various other derm conditions,my observation is that there is wide variation in the skills of FPs in relation to this.Some are very adept at treating skin problems others are weak and are better off sending it out.I suppose it depends on the interests of the individual practitioner and the quality of their residency training. As Dermatologist you can focus on a specific area if thats your inclination.There are Derms who do primarily cosmetic procedures,MOHS surgery,Psoriasis,Dermatopathology,Peds derm etc.

 

[Peeshee]

Is it possible to do a residency in derm. and then practice as a family dr. and incorporate derm. into your practice?

 

[doc05]

why would you want to do that? FP's have to take call.

 

[phillyfornia]

I like observing directly what I am treating,instead of relying on a vague or a complicated history.By visual recognition and a few simple tests such as a skin biopsy(nothing fancy) you can diagnose the great majority of skin problems.I like treating all age groups,and find the diseases interesting, the main foundations of Derm..pathology,microbiology happen to have been my favorite subjects in med school.Yes.. regular working hours,minimal night and weekend call,and $$ were important factors but I never would pick a field just on that, if I really was not truly excited by it.

great bs answer man. haha. i've gotta use that one on my derm apps.

 

[CaptainJack02]

great bs answer man. haha. i've gotta use that one on my derm apps.

me 2!! haha, i was trying to find a way to weasel into a derm res; thanks for all your ideas! fock neurosurg now.

 

[Trajan]

Derm is a great field, no doubt. But if a cushy lifestyle and high salary are your goal, why did you go to medical school in the first place? It astounds me how medical students think that $200k as a dermatologist is the end of the rainbow and worth the tremendous amount of effort and success needed to secure a derm position. Don't medical students realize that $200k, though an outstanding salary, is peanuts compared to what a highly intelligent individual can earn in fields such as investment banking by working equally hard during one's 20's and 30's?

Ironic that the best medical students, who often go into derm for the wrong reasons, don't recognize that 200k isn't that much money -- if money is what you want. Just wait until you finish residency and start practice in Boston, NYC, or San Francisco where those very ordinary little three bedroom houses in nice suburbs are going for $800k these days. Then you have your loans, your childrens' educations to worry about, property taxes, car payments (if you're one of those tool docs who wants to drive around in some lame ass, overpriced German car with vanity plates [initials, MD] ugh). That salary disappears rather fast; hope you enjoy your work, get my point?

 

[CaptainJack02]

Derm is a great field, no doubt. But if a cushy lifestyle and high salary are your goal, why did you go to medical school in the first place? It astounds me how medical students think that $200k as a dermatologist is the end of the rainbow and worth the tremendous amount of effort and success needed to secure a derm position. Don't medical students realize that $200k, though an outstanding salary, is peanuts compared to what a highly intelligent individual can earn in fields such as investment banking by working equally hard during one's 20's and 30's?

Ironic that the best medical students, who often go into derm for the wrong reasons, don't recognize that 200k isn't that much money -- if money is what you want. Just wait until you finish residency and start practice in Boston, NYC, or San Francisco where those very ordinary little three bedroom houses in nice suburbs are going for $800k these days. Then you have your loans, your childrens' educations to worry about, property taxes, car payments (if you're one of those tool docs who wants to drive around in some lame ass, overpriced German car with vanity plates [initials, MD] ugh). That salary disappears rather fast; hope you enjoy your work, get my point?

getting into medical school is more straightforward than becoming an investment banker. even then, you gotta swim with and beat the sharks, followed by the issue of job stability, followed by a lack of emotional satisfaction compared to medicine. most investment bankers/consultants work really intense hours to get their big bucks, too.

if you don't LOVE any field in medicine, and can get a res, i don't think it's wrong for you to go into derm for the money/hours combination.

 

[Idiopathic]

getting into medical school is more straightforward than becoming an investment banker

However, getting into derm might be much harder than becoming an investment banker.

 

[bigfrank]

However, getting into derm might be much harder than becoming an investment banker.

Perhaps.

 

[aphistis]

Hell, if $200k a year with 40-hour workweeks and no call is what you're interested in, just come to dental school.

 

[OnMyWayThere]

Hell, if $200k a year with 40-hour workweeks and no call is what you're interested in, just come to dental school.

I was thinking the same thing when I read the last post and then saw your post... that's where the money is at.

 

[Trajan]

1. you are dumb
2. you are dumb
3. 200k is A LOT of money
4. most would agree that churning out meaningless paperwork is not as appealing as studying/practicing medicine.
5. making money in i-banking looks easier than it is b/c all you read about are the guys who actually stick through it for more than a few years, which is harder than you think.
6. no i-bankers can CHOOSE to work 40 hours a week.

Yawn. You haven't started medical school yet, have you?

Investment banking is only one example of a profession that is far more lucrative than medicine. My point is that if you want a good lifestyle and lots of money AFTER working very hard in your 20's and 30's, there are better ways to do that than becoming a dermatologist. If you're choosing dermatology because of these factors (and I'm not saying that all or even most dermatologists do), you'll probably end up being rather bored, and surprised that you're not making as much money as you thought you would. Entering medical school or choosing a specific field within medicine with the aim of making bank is what's dumb.


PS -- $200k a year is a fantastic salary, but it's not that much if money is what you want, especially if you have substantial debt and live in a major metropolitan area such as NY, Boston, and SF.

 

[novacek88]

Hell, if $200k a year with 40-hour workweeks and no call is what you're interested in, just come to dental school.

Let's be honest, we all know dentists who make twice that amount and work 40 hour work weeks. 200K is a rather modest amount for a general dentist who owns his practice for 3+ years

 

[novacek88]

getting into medical school is more straightforward than becoming an investment banker. even then, you gotta swim with and beat the sharks, followed by the issue of job stability, followed by a lack of emotional satisfaction compared to medicine. most investment bankers/consultants work really intense hours to get their big bucks, too.

if you don't LOVE any field in medicine, and can get a res, i don't think it's wrong for you to go into derm for the money/hours combination.

I know an I-banker who was just layed off. He went to an Ivy league undergrad school and was hired at a top 5 investment banking firm. There is something medicine grads will have that business and law grads will never see......JOB SECURITY. The great thing about being a doctor is you can practice anywhere in the U.S. You don't have to live in New York, Chicago, San Francsico or Boston if you want to make a comfortable salary like investment bankers and lawyers do. You can live in a 15,000 population town in the middle of nowhere and make $$$$ as a family practice physician that treats everything. And when you become 50 years old, you are not forced out of your position due to your age as a doc.

 

[postbacc]

I know an I-banker who was just layed off. He went to an Ivy league undergrad school and was hired at a top 5 investment banking firm. There is something medicine grads will have that business and law grads will never see......JOB SECURITY. The great thing about being a doctor is you can practice anywhere in the U.S. You don't have to live in New York, Chicago, San Francsico or Boston if you want to make a comfortable salary like investment bankers and lawyers do. You can live in a 15,000 population town in the middle of nowhere and make $$$$ as a family practice physician that treats everything. And when you become 50 years old, you are not forced out of your position due to your age as a doc.

that 50 year-old investment banker doesn't mind if he/she gets fired because an MD (managing director, not medical doctor) at any decent bank will have at least $5 million saved for retirement by that point; also, imagine how much they would have saved if they lived the financial lifestyle of a student, resident, and doctor for all those years when they were young but still pulling 6 figures and investing it instead of spending on tuition... we're talking tens of millions of dollars once you take into account compounding interest.

job security does have a value, but i would argue that the quantified value does not offset the income sacrificed to practice medicine, but then again that will vary for every individual depending on where they fall on the risk aversion curve. And don't forget that investment banking is the EXTREME of business jobs with the highest financial payoff with least job security, you can always find where you want to be.