Perception of Derm

[bad bunny]

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Was having a conversation with my friend about this the other day, so I was curious what other people thought.

Even though derm is one of the most competitive fields to get into, my impression was that it is one of the least "respected" fields in medicine for the general public.

Do you think that most of the public even knows that dermatologists are doctors? I wouldn't be suprised if some people thought of them the same way they think of a dentist.

What are your thoughts? How do you think they are thought of?

 

[LebronManning]

The general public in general does not know ****. I'd bet 80% of the public would think you're a doctor if you say you are a phlebotomist. Then there's the majority of the public who doesn't think radiologists are doctors.

But to answer your question, yes everyone knows a Dermatologist is a doctor. But being a dermatologist obviously isn't prestigious by any means in comparison to other doctors. Probably equal to a dentist if anything. If you want prestige...Surgeon, Cardiologist, Oncologist, etc.

 

[mrbreakfast]

Tiers of "general public" prestige, IMO:
1) Neurosurgery, heart surgery. Doesn't matter if you're CT surg or interventional cardio, just say heart surgeon. Maybe trauma surgery.
2) Any other type of surgery with the word "surgery" in the name, cardiology, probably oncology, maybe neurology (a lot of people think neurologists and neurosurgeons are basically the same thing).
3) Every other type of IM, urology/ophtho (don't have the word "surgery" in the name), family med, etc. I'd also put both derm and dentistry around here. This is the "average doc" category.
4) Pediatrics.
5) Radiology, psychiatry. I'd also put PM&R here, because based on my limited experience, people think PM&R docs and DPTs are the same thing.

Path isn't on the list.

 

[Maxamillion12]

Tiers of "general public" prestige, IMO:
1) Neurosurgery, heart surgery. Doesn't matter if you're CT surg or interventional cardio, just say heart surgeon. Maybe trauma surgery.
2) Any other type of surgery with the word "surgery" in the name, cardiology, probably oncology, maybe neurology (a lot of people think neurologists and neurosurgeons are basically the same thing).
3) Every other type of IM, urology/ophtho (don't have the word "surgery" in the name), family med, etc. I'd also put both derm and dentistry around here. This is the "average doc" category.
4) Pediatrics.
5) Radiology, psychiatry. I'd also put PM&R here, because based on my limited experience, people think PM&R docs and DPTs are the same thing.

Path isn't on the list.

Why rads so low?

 

[sella.turcica]

Tiers of "general public" prestige, IMO:
1) Neurosurgery, heart surgery. Doesn't matter if you're CT surg or interventional cardio, just say heart surgeon. Maybe trauma surgery.
2) Any other type of surgery with the word "surgery" in the name, cardiology, probably oncology, maybe neurology (a lot of people think neurologists and neurosurgeons are basically the same thing).
3) Every other type of IM, urology/ophtho (don't have the word "surgery" in the name), family med, etc. I'd also put both derm and dentistry around here. This is the "average doc" category.
4) Pediatrics.
5) Radiology, psychiatry. I'd also put PM&R here, because based on my limited experience, people think PM&R docs and DPTs are the same thing.

Path isn't on the list.

What did they do to you in your pathology course?

 

[Oh_Gee]

What did they do to you in your pathology course?

histology probably

 

[mrbreakfast]

Why rads so low?

General public doesn't realize they're physicians.

What did they do to you in your pathology course?

I actually considered path myself, but to the average person, do you think "I'm a pathologist" means more like "I'm someone you see when you're sick, like your GP" or "I'm a scientist in a lab, like a chemist?"


Also my list was kinda meant to be lighthearted so please don't read into it too much

 

[Splenda88]

Tiers of "general public" prestige, IMO:
1) Neurosurgery, heart surgery. Doesn't matter if you're CT surg or interventional cardio, just say heart surgeon. Maybe trauma surgery.
2) Any other type of surgery with the word "surgery" in the name, cardiology, probably oncology, maybe neurology (a lot of people think neurologists and neurosurgeons are basically the same thing).
3) Every other type of IM, urology/ophtho (don't have the word "surgery" in the name), family med, etc. I'd also put both derm and dentistry around here. This is the "average doc" category.
4) Pediatrics.
5) Radiology, psychiatry. I'd also put PM&R here, because based on my limited experience, people think PM&R docs and DPTs are the same thing.

Path isn't on the list.

At least I am in tier 3 😛 ... Should have gone into neurology..

 

[Splenda88]

histology probably

The most annoying and arguably the most useless class in med school...

 

[PhillyMed777]

Was having a conversation with my friend about this the other day, so I was curious what other people thought.

Even though derm is one of the most competitive fields to get into, my impression was that it is one of the least "respected" fields in medicine for the general public.

Do you think that most of the public even knows that dermatologists are doctors? I wouldn't be suprised if some people thought of them the same way they think of a dentist.

What are your thoughts? How do you think they are thought of?

Why do you care?
I'm a derm resident because I like derm. I didn't do this to please other people.
When patients need something; when other doctors can't figure something out, it's my door they'll knock on.

 

[CherryRedDracul]

Why rads so low?

They think radiologists and radiology technicians, the people who take the X-rays, are one and the same.

 

[Sleepingdoc]

The lifestyle of Derm is something I would be jealous of.. whether people think they are doctors or not.

 

[mrbreakfast]

I'm a derm resident because I like derm. I didn't do this to please other people.

^this. Everyone talks about lifestyle but all the derm residents I've ever met are the first people to put their face inches from the stinky fungating lesion the rest of the team shudders away from. Ultimately, very few people outside the hospital will care what specifically you do while in it, so just do what makes you happy.

They think radiologists and radiology technicians, the people who take the X-rays, are one and the same.

Yep. The tech takes the film, goes and looks at a computer, and comes back and tells the patient the diagnosis. I doubt the average person even realizes someone in a different room looks at the images as well.

 

[Little Green Mensch]

Just like any other kind of physician, the people who most respect dermatologists are patients who have had a very good dermatologist taking care of them. John Q. Public doesn't have a great understanding of medicine as a whole, and his opinion is colored by his interactions with individual physicians more than anything else.

Also relevant: Dr. Cox on dermatologists

 

[username456789]

When my patients ask me why I became a dermatologist I often tell them “eh I flunked out of everything else.”

 

[7331poas]

You did not need to add the qualifier "general public". Derm is probably the least respected within medicine outside of maybe psych or EM.

 

[username456789]

You did not need to add the qualifier "general public". Derm is probably the least respected within medicine outside of maybe psych or EM.

Most coveted, too.

Anyone who chooses their specialty based on perceived glory is destined for misery.

Similar to the argument that “facts don’t care whether you believe in them or not”, Derm is amazing whether you respect it or not. We also understand that most other physicians have next to zero knowledge within our specialty, so it’s difficult to form a useful opinion about something you don’t understand.

 

[CherryRedDracul]

Yep. The tech takes the film, goes and looks at a computer, and comes back and tells the patient the diagnosis. I doubt the average person even realizes someone in a different room looks at the images as well.

Well, technically, the tech shouldn't be giving a diagnosis unless I explicitly tell them they can. In that case, I'd be the one giving the diagnosis, and that would be in a more urgent situation like an outpatient head bleed or miscarriage.

 

[Sleepingdoc]

Most coveted, too.

Anyone who chooses their specialty based on perceived glory is destined for misery.

Similar to the argument that “facts don’t care whether you believe in them or not”, Derm is amazing whether you respect it or not. We also understand that most other physicians have next to zero knowledge within our specialty, so it’s difficult to form a useful opinion about something you don’t understand.

True.. You go into a specialty because of how it fits your personality too..

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

You did not need to add the qualifier "general public". Derm is probably the least respected within medicine outside of maybe psych or EM.

Really?

Psych and Derm are the top 2 specialists that from my perspective I'm always wishing we had more of. EM is very provider dependent, a good one is great to have around while a bad one sucks beyond most other specialists.

 

[68PGUN]

I'm pretty sure that dermatologists really don't care about your opinion or the general public's of them when they're banking 400s-500s K a year while working 4 days a week without any weekend calls shenanigans.

 

[werd]

there are some out there that don't respect derm as much as many other medical fields. dermatologists were never destined to be awed by the general public in the same way as some other fields, as we don't do things like massage a heart to resuscitate the patient or remove brain tumors. but contributing to the public sentiment, I think, is that most of the general public doesn't understand what dermatologists actually do, and that the cosmetic aspects of dermatology such as Botox, fillers, and lasers are spotlighted and advertised much more than medical dermatology.
it's amusing that derm is simultaneously disrespected and coveted, and sometimes by the same people.

 

[7331poas]

Most coveted, too.

Anyone who chooses their specialty based on perceived glory is destined for misery.

Similar to the argument that “facts don’t care whether you believe in them or not”, Derm is amazing whether you respect it or not. We also understand that most other physicians have next to zero knowledge within our specialty, so it’s difficult to form a useful opinion about something you don’t understand.

Your statement and mine are not mutually exclusive.

 

[username456789]

Your statement and mine are not mutually exclusive.

Not once did I suggest they were.

In fact, it was kind of my point.

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

who cares what the public thinks?

 

[username456789]

who cares what the public thinks?

Premeds.

 

[Ho0v-man]

I’m sure that dermatologists lose a lot of sleep wishing they trained way longer to be an interventional cardiologist.

Oh wait, only one of those two specialties has ever lost any sleep.

 

[deleted103644]

The lifestyle of Derm is something I would be jealous of.. whether people think they are doctors or not.

If it’s wet, dry it, if it’s dry, wet it.

If you know what it is, don’t touch it.

If you don’t know what it is, definitely don’t touch it.

 

[Medic741]

FWIW any kind of medicine where you can have a peaceful zen rock fountain in your *private practice* office and set the hours to whatever the **** you please is top tier medicine

 

[Dantes]

Derms up at night worrying about lack of prestige

 

[zanzizic]

OP is childish in a way that only a premed can be. No offense...I get it. I was once a premed and had the same kind of silly thoughts.

Now I’m a practicing dermatologist/Mohs surgeon. I primarily treat melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and basal cell carcinoma. Use my histology knowledge to interpret slides while excising skin cancers. I also do skin flaps and grafts daily. I also treat skin cancer with superficial radiation, photodynamic therapy, and chemotherapeutic agents. Besides skin cancers I also treat transplant patients and cancer patients for their iatrogenic skin conditions. I do no cosmetic procedures. I get referrals from plastic surgeons, ENTs, family/internists, and oncologists.

My fellow derm colleagues do dermatopathology or general dermatology and treat varied conditions that impact people’s lives like psoriasis, lupus, and yes even acne.

Despite the fantasies of premeds wanting to be “hospital heroes” and worrying that derm may not measure up, derms are real docs with a vital role to play. The patients who need our services and the referring docs who need our expertise all feel likewise. And I’ve never had a patient ask me if I was a real doctor. Ever.

 

[MSTP18]

Just like any other kind of physician, the people who most respect dermatologists are patients who have had a very good dermatologist taking care of them. John Q. Public doesn't have a great understanding of medicine as a whole, and his opinion is colored by his interactions with individual physicians more than anything else.

Also relevant: Dr. Cox on dermatologists

Came in here specifically to post that link

 

[MSTP18]

Tiers of "general public" prestige, IMO:
1) Neurosurgery, heart surgery. Doesn't matter if you're CT surg or interventional cardio, just say heart surgeon. Maybe trauma surgery.
2) Any other type of surgery with the word "surgery" in the name, cardiology, probably oncology, maybe neurology (a lot of people think neurologists and neurosurgeons are basically the same thing).
3) Every other type of IM, urology/ophtho (don't have the word "surgery" in the name), family med, etc. I'd also put both derm and dentistry around here. This is the "average doc" category.
4) Pediatrics.
5) Radiology, psychiatry. I'd also put PM&R here, because based on my limited experience, people think PM&R docs and DPTs are the same thing.

Path isn't on the list.

What did they do to you in your pathology course?

As a path resident, I agree with @mrbreakfast. Either don't know what a pathologist even is or assume it's 100% autopsies all day every day. In most patients' eyes, whoever did the biopsy/surgery is the one generating the path report, not us.

 

[MSTP18]

Well, technically, the tech shouldn't be giving a diagnosis unless I explicitly tell them they can. In that case, I'd be the one giving the diagnosis, and that would be in a more urgent situation like an outpatient head bleed or miscarriage.

And the worst thing is sometimes he'll just tell the patient "yeah, your appendix is fine" and then I read it and I'm like "your appendix is fine" and the patient's like "yeah, no **** Sherlock, I talked to Bob," and I'm like "You're not supposed to talk to Bob about that! That's why I get paid the big money! I.e. Bob can't bill for that diagnosis."

 

[MSTP18]

Tiers of "general public" prestige, IMO:
1) Neurosurgery, heart surgery. Doesn't matter if you're CT surg or interventional cardio, just say heart surgeon. Maybe trauma surgery.
2) Any other type of surgery with the word "surgery" in the name, cardiology, probably oncology, maybe neurology (a lot of people think neurologists and neurosurgeons are basically the same thing).
3) Every other type of IM, urology/ophtho (don't have the word "surgery" in the name), family med, etc. I'd also put both derm and dentistry around here. This is the "average doc" category.
4) Pediatrics.
5) Radiology, psychiatry. I'd also put PM&R here, because based on my limited experience, people think PM&R docs and DPTs are the same thing.

Path isn't on the list.

Neurosurgery eh? Not exactly Rocket Science now is it?