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Is Dermatology the Best Paid/Lifestyle Combo Speciality for PA?


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So i am still in the process of applying to be a PA, but based on what I am hearing from different people, dermatology seems to be the best paid/lifestyle specialty.

I read in the forum of people making 200k+ as a derm PA, but this seems too good to be true or maybe it is the case if you are exceptional and have many years of experience? It just seems ridiculous considering some physicians don't even make 200k starting. 

I want to get a sense of realistically speaking, after 2 years in the job, what is your expected annual salary of 40 hrs/week as a derm PA? 

 

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For me, my greatest regret is not that I didn't go to medical school.  It's that I didn't go into dermatology early in my career and become a god in it.  I could easily be making $200k now with Zero call and limited liability.  Today?  Good luck.  It's virtually impossible to break into the field.  Having said that, if I was a new grad, I would find a private Derm doc or group and offer to work for $15/hr for a minimum of 15 months for them.  I know people here will scream at this suggestion, but if you want to do Derm, you must be willing to do ANYTHING to break into the field.  Hell, I would offer to mow the Dermatologists lawn on the weekends if it gave me experience.  One thing I can tell you that I know for sure is this:  You will close your eyes one night and wake up 25 years later in your career.  Do you want to be slogging it out or in a field making great money, with low liability and a great work/life balance?   If so, eat it for a year or two and it will be worth it in the end.

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19 minutes ago, Cideous said:

For me, my greatest regret is not that I didn't go to medical school.  It's that I didn't go into dermatology early in my career and become a god in it.  I could easily be making $200k now with Zero call and limited liability.  Today?  Good luck.  It's virtually impossible to break into the field.  Having said that, if I was a new grad, I would find a private Derm doc or group and offer to work for $15/hr for a minimum of 15 months for them.  I know people here will scream at this suggestion, but if you want to do Derm, you must be willing to do ANYTHING to break into the field.  Hell, I would offer to mow the Dermatologists lawn on the weekends if it gave me experience.  One thing I can tell you that I know for sure is this:  You will close your eyes one night and wake up 25 years later in your career.  Do you want to be slogging it out or in a field making great money, with low liability and a great work/life balance?   If so, eat it for a year or two and it will be worth it in the end.

I disagree. Derm folks work their $&## off. Yeah it may be procedural, but when you're doing 30-40/day it's got to add up. And liability seems like it would be fairly significant to me, you miss a melanoma as a freckle/onychomycosis and you're done, as is your patient. Eczema or SCC? Is that rash cutaneous T cell lymphoma? 

I suppose if all you're doing is burning off SK/AK all day 'erry dang day or seeing follow ups/acne and you're good with that it would be ok. But if you're going to do something for 30 years you'd better like it!

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12 hours ago, Cideous said:

For me, my greatest regret is not that I didn't go to medical school.  It's that I didn't go into dermatology early in my career and become a god in it.  I could easily be making $200k now with Zero call and limited liability.  Today?  Good luck.  It's virtually impossible to break into the field.  Having said that, if I was a new grad, I would find a private Derm doc or group and offer to work for $15/hr for a minimum of 15 months for them.  I know people here will scream at this suggestion, but if you want to do Derm, you must be willing to do ANYTHING to break into the field.  Hell, I would offer to mow the Dermatologists lawn on the weekends if it gave me experience.  One thing I can tell you that I know for sure is this:  You will close your eyes one night and wake up 25 years later in your career.  Do you want to be slogging it out or in a field making great money, with low liability and a great work/life balance?   If so, eat it for a year or two and it will be worth it in the end.

Do you mind breaking down the 200k salary? is this something you project to make 10+ years into the derm? 

 

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On 8/21/2020 at 8:22 PM, MediMike said:

I disagree. Derm folks work their $&## off. Yeah it may be procedural, but when you're doing 30-40/day it's got to add up. And liability seems like it would be fairly significant to me, you miss a melanoma as a freckle/onychomycosis and you're done, as is your patient. Eczema or SCC? Is that rash cutaneous T cell lymphoma? 

I suppose if all you're doing is burning off SK/AK all day 'erry dang day or seeing follow ups/acne and you're good with that it would be ok. But if you're going to do something for 30 years you'd better like it!

I  agree  with  MediMike:  Life  is not  easy!   No  matter  what  they  tell you.

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