Interested in dermatology but also very interested in global health. I’m wondering if it’s possible to combine both options?

[Lovedermsomuch]

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I am really interested in working with vulnerable populations and I am also interested in derm and I was wondering if a career in derm would allow me to work with vulnerable populations and do global health work.

 

[asmallchild]

I am really interested in working with vulnerable populations and I am also interested in derm and I was wondering if a career in derm would allow me to work with vulnerable populations and do global health work.

Yes, I would think almost any career in medicine would allow you to work with a vulnerable patient population and do global health work

 

[Lovedermsomuch]

Yes, I would think almost any career in medicine would allow you to work with a vulnerable patient population and do global health work

Are you sure about that? Because whenever I tell people my interest in working with vulnerable populations and derm they tell that’s not what usually happen with derm?

 

[deleted480308]

I am really interested in working with vulnerable populations and I am also interested in derm and I was wondering if a career in derm would allow me to work with vulnerable populations and do global health work.

You can always not charge the uninsured if you like charity. And rich people can afford to travel elsewhere and give away care or train local health teams

 

[asmallchild]

Are you sure about that? Because whenever I tell people my interest in working with vulnerable populations and derm they tell that’s not what usually happen with derm?

Yes, that is usually not what happens.

Med students claim all the time they'd love to work with a vulnerable population, or stay in academics and teach, or do research and further the field.

Most of us (I'm included in this group) end up pursuing a private practice position upon completing residency. (Yes, I know you can still work with a vulnerable patient population or teach or do research and further the field in private practice. But I find the passion for those things are significantly muted after someone has completed a derm residency as compared to when someone is angling to get into a derm residency)

So when I was in academics, I learned to take those sorts of statements with a grain of salt.

I liked applicants because I thought they demonstrated a genuine interest in derm. I liked applicants because they appeared to one day be good residents. I liked applicants because they seemed like someone interesting to be around for 3 years.

Simply claiming that you want to work with a vulnerable patient population or wanted to do global health work did not give a person a leg up on the other applicants (at least in my eyes)

 

[Skindoc83]

I found working with underserved patients is all well and good until you have student loans, a family, and a sizable patient population that doesn’t appreciate your care. I’m not raining on your parade, if that’s what you love, all the power to you. But at the end of the day, for most people, it’s a job

 

[dermie1985]

I am really interested in working with vulnerable populations and I am also interested in derm and I was wondering if a career in derm would allow me to work with vulnerable populations and do global health work.

Yes. There’s lot of dermatologists interested in global health. The AAD even has an expert resource group on global health dermatology (I believe it’s called GloDerm). Esther Freeman (Harvard), Toby Maurer (UCSF), and Carrie Kovarik (UPenn) are some examples of academic dermatologists who do a lot of global health work. It can be done. It’s more up to you and your own ambition. I know a fair number of residents who’ve pursued fogarty fellowships after residency to pursue this.

 

[smartparts]

Yes. There’s lot of dermatologists interested in global health. The AAD even has an expert resource group on global health dermatology (I believe it’s called GloDerm). Esther Freeman (Harvard), Toby Maurer (UCSF), and Carrie Kovarik (UPenn) are some examples of academic dermatologists who do a lot of global health work. It can be done. It’s more up to you and your own ambition. I know a fair number of residents who’ve pursued fogarty fellowships after residency to pursue this.

Yeah the AAD has a few global health electives you can do. The Botswana one gets rave reviews. People also set up their own electives through their institution's global health initiatives which most larger GME departments have.

 

[naijacardriodoc]

you can get on the listserv of GLODERM...its a global dermatology network www.gloderm.org

 

[Laradd]

You interest is so great! Hopefully you'll get and achieve those!