Dermatology Elective

The introductory clinical dermatology elective was pretty useful. Since we don't get much dermatology exposure otherwise, I started with the basics. Over the two week span, I really became comfortable with the vocabulary and also realized how difficult it is to describe a skin lesion precisely. I learned a little bit about common diseases, but realized I've only experienced the tip of the iceberg of skin disorders.

I think I was particularly struck by the juxtaposition of my rotations in critical care and dermatology. In my last elective, half our service was dying. We had patients with necrotizing fasciitis, amputations, open fractures. We were concerned with keeping our patients breathing, comfortable, and safe. Then I moved to the outpatient dermatology world where most of my patients were concerned about the cosmetic result of a skin biopsy or the scar of acne. You could not find two more different clinical settings.

In the end, I think I appreciate dermatology a lot more than I used to. Skin baffles most doctors and we discount it. But there's a lot more to it than topical steroids. It's a little too outpatient focused for me, but the subject matter is interesting and the process of diagnosis is fun.