I've had hand dermatitis (eczema) since I was a young child, and am still afflicted by it as a first year college student. I am currently a pre-med student, but my parents have been asking me to reconsider since my eczema, in the past, has rendered my skin vulnerable to cuts/cracks, which they believe will increase my chances of getting sick from a patient (and I of course would not want to pass anything onto my patients, even though I am a healthy individual at the moment). I plan to become a pediatrician/family practitioner in the future, nothing high-risk like infectious disease, but do you think that they still have a valid point? I've volunteered at a hospital before (one of the best in the nation for primary care), and doctors are absolutely NOT allowed to use gloves while seeing patients (but then again, I've never stepped foot into any of the ID depts.). They're scared because one of their friends (a current dentist) has hand dermatitis as well, and complains of having to double/triple-glove his hands every time he sees a patient and has to undergo other extreme measures to ensure that both he and the patient are safe (though he did not elaborate).
My skin gets better as long as I don't irritate them (e.g. by scratching/participating in sports involving the hands), but I believe it's still a lot easier for me to get cuts from everyday tasks than it is for other people. I think one of the main reason as to why my eczema is still a problem is because I wash my hands with soap A LOT. Following my dermatologist's advice, I've tried to increase my use of alcohol-based sanitizers as a substitute, but I still feel the need to soap up when possible. Do you think I should reconsider pursuing the pre-med route because of my hand dermatitis or should this not pose a major problem in the future (with regards to employment AND my treatment of patients)? Thank you all for the input!
My skin gets better as long as I don't irritate them (e.g. by scratching/participating in sports involving the hands), but I believe it's still a lot easier for me to get cuts from everyday tasks than it is for other people. I think one of the main reason as to why my eczema is still a problem is because I wash my hands with soap A LOT. Following my dermatologist's advice, I've tried to increase my use of alcohol-based sanitizers as a substitute, but I still feel the need to soap up when possible. Do you think I should reconsider pursuing the pre-med route because of my hand dermatitis or should this not pose a major problem in the future (with regards to employment AND my treatment of patients)? Thank you all for the input!
