limitations as a Cosmetic PA Derm??

[charmstarz]

Could someone who is in this field or knows of someone in this field tell me exactly what a Cosmetic Derm PA does? What are the limitations?

 

Also, could you provide some pros and cons in this specialty?

 

Thank you!

[terripa]

It truely depends of the state regulations. What state do you practice in??

 

Cosmetic dermatology can include fillers, neurotoxins, facial rejuvenation. Also laser treatments including laser hair removal, acne treatments, skin

tightening, skin pigmentation, hair restoration, fat transfer. As well as skin care regimens and permanent makeup.

[charmstarz]

I actually don't practice anywhere yet. I'm taking my pre-reqs right now and doing my hours at a hospital. I'm really interested in Dermatology though specifically the cosmetic procedures that you described and also would like to know if PA's can do cosmetic surgery procedures?

 

I live in Pennsylvania and my plan is to go to school here and work here when I'm done (if I can find work in this area). However, I noticed not a lot of schools offer that in their clinical rotations. Where do you even get experience? Even though I'm not done school I browse the classifieds to see what specialties are hiring for PA's and the qualifications needed for each area. I've heard Derm is hard to get into though. How do you acquire the experience needed when they want someone with 3-5 years experience in this area?

 

Thanks again for taking the time to answer :)

[aprillh]

I am a dermatology PA with 11 years experience and have been practicing cosmetic dermatology for the past 7 years. The majority of my patients are fillers, neurotoxins, lasers, vein treatment, consults. I do see study patients in our clinical research arm of the practice as well as fee-for-service medical patients (minimally). My SP is not on any insurance plans and therefore, I am not either, which is why we see only cash pay medical patients. Other docs in our practice are on insurance plans however, so we are not a strictly cosmetic practice.

 

I am not sure what you mean when you are asking about limitations. I see my own patients, including new patients, do all evaluation and diagnosis/treatment. My SP is always available for me but I rarely have to consult with her. When I do it is for an unusual or interesting case and I value her experience and opinion. If I desired to see more medical patients, that could be arranged (one of the other derms who are on insurance plans would be listed as another SP), but I am practicing exactly the way I want and have no desire to change.

 

I suppose some would feel pigeonholed doing only cosmetic, but to each his own. Cosmetic dermatology is interesting, fun, and is what drives me. I love the visible nature of the field and especially the 'instant gratification' of cosmetic procedures. Our patients have reasonable expectations and are not high-maintenance.

 

There is no training in cosmetic procedures in PA school. Even dermatology residents get minimal exposure. It is all on the job. I was fortunate to be trained by my SP who is an expert in the field and well respected in our city. If cosmetic derm still interests you after PA school, I would highly encourage you to learn medical dermatology first. This is the crucial background of cosmetic dermatology. You don't want to miss an amelanotic melanoma on someone's cheek after you've injected them with filler. There are dermatologists out there who are looking to invest in a PA for the long term and would be willing to train. That would be the ideal situation for a new grad.