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What is a dermatologist and how to choose one. |
Tips On Choosing The Right Dermatologist
Outside the medical world, the word dermatologist usually makes one think of a physician who makes ugly skin beautiful. We also hear of celebrities who credit their enviable skin appearance to their dermatologists. One would think they are skin improvement magicians. Are they? What really is a dermatologist ?
The American Board of Dermatology defines a dermatologist as follows:
A dermatologist is a physician who is trained to evaluate and manage pediatric and adult patients with benign and malignant disorders of the skin, hair, nails and adjacent mucous membranes. A dermatologist has had additional training and experience in the following:
1.0 The diagnosis and treatment of skin cancers, melanomas, moles, and other tumors of the skin.
2.0 The management of contact dermatitis and other inflammatory skin disorders
3.0 The recognition of the skin manifestations of systemic and infectious diseases.
4.0 Dermatopathology
5.0 Surgical techniques used in dermatology
Dermatologists also manage cosmetic disorders of the skin, including hair loss, scars, and the skin changes associated with aging.
If based on the above definition, it's a dermatologist who should attend to whatever is ailing or bothering you, then start the process of choosing the right dermatologist. Before you do, it is important that you have done some initial investigations about your medical concern. How does one choose the right dermatologist? Here are some tips:
If you start by looking at advertisements, read the fine print carefully. Understand the words carefully. Some are very well worded that at first, the reader could be misled.
Check the credentials. Verify if the dermatologist you want to go to is certified. The official source of this information is the American Board of Dermatology. A certificate is issued by the American Board of Dermatology to physicians who passed the certifying examination after successfully completing the required graduate degree and clinical training.
Be careful on verifying with organizations that a dermatologist may give as reference, Check if the organization is an accepted certifying body or just an association of a group of practitioners. We hear about people who pose as dermatologists when in fact they did not undergo any formal education and just gained some skills through experience.
Do some research and investigation. Ask around.
Try to visit the clinic. Are there many patients? Do they have the modern equipment you expect in a dermatologist's clinic? You can even ask, discreetly of course, some of the patients. They are good and reliable references. If it is not possible to visit the clinic in the near future, make a call and try to get as much information as you can to make a decision, Is the staff professional and helpful in dealing with prospective patients?
Ask for an appointment for preliminary discussions with the dermatologist. Assess if the dermatologist is somebody whom you can trust and talk with about your medical concern. Even if you have to pay, the first hand information and assessment you get is valuable in arriving at the right decision. Before this preliminary appointment, make sure you have also research about your medical concern so that you can have an intelligent exchange of ideas with the physician.
Inquire about the overall cost of the required treatment. . Can you afford it? Sometimes there is danger in availing of very cheap services. Is it within your health insurance? Research and compare prices.
Research about the follow up services provided to patients. What is the physician's reputation on this matter?
Is the dermatologist being considered the top and most reputable of his field in your place? What is his professional reputation? Is there any malpractice suit filed against him or her?
In choosing the right dermatologist, the most preferred basis is the result of the same procedure you are about to undergo on somebody you know, His or her experience on the skills and professionalism of the same dermatologist you plan to attend to your medical concern is most likely the same kind that you will experience. Any medical procedure has an element of uncertainty but in this case the risk is less because you already have an idea of the probability of success based on the actual result on somebody else.
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