A dermatologist is a physician trained in all conditions and diseases of the skin.  The skin is the largest organ on the body and requires regular maintenance.

Not only do dermatologists treat skin infections and diseases, they also practice cosmetic medicine.  Cosmetic medicine is on the rise as many women and men are choosing to get rid of wrinkles, increase their lip size, zap unwanted hair, or extend their eyelashes.

Dermatology is considered one of the best lifestyle fields to go into because the quantity of emergency dermatologic conditions is significantly less than other specialties.  They also have a very nice salary.

salary.com

How much do dermatologists make?

The median salary of reporting dermatologists is $250,614.  Salary.com showed a salary range of $206,870 to $309,965 whereas Medscape showed a range of less than $100,000 to greater than $500,000 dollars!

However, you’ll be comforted to know that more than 72% of dermatologists earned more than $200k with a healthy 17% earning greater than $500k.

medscape.com

There’s also a disparity by geographic area.  The mid-atlantic reports the least at $242,500 while the northwest beats out the other regions at $385,000.

Dermatology is a 4 year program.  The first year is usually spent learning adult medicine and may or may not be at the same program as the dermatology residency.  It’s called the preliminary or transitional year.  Some residency programs offer a categorical 4 year training program so that you do not have to go elsewhere.  But sometimes, it’s easier to get into a preliminary spot and then go on to a dermatology residency.

The dermatology residency itself is 3 years long.  Currently, there are 114 dermatology residency programs.  Meaning, it’s very competitive.  You will need top scores and strong letters of recommendation for this field.

After your residency, you have the option of doing fellowships to further sub-specialize.  These usually last 1-2 years.  Some of the options include :

• dermatopathology
• procedural dermatology
• moh’s surgery
• pediatric dermatology
• laser medicine
• cutaneous oncology

Dermatologists are specialists of the skin and all of it’s disorders such as rashes, skin cancers, hair and scalp diseases, and tons more.  They are heralded for having one of the best lifestyles in medicine with an impressive salary to boot.

It’s a procedural field, so if you enjoy skin biopsies, moh’s surgery, and laser therapy, take a look at this field to see if it suits you.

Sources
Medscape Compensation Survey
Salary.com, Physician – Dermatology Salary
Allied Physicians – Physician Salary Survey
ACGME

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