Does your community do without it?
Why medical, surgical and/or cosmetic skin care delivered or overseen by a Board Certified Dermatologist should matter to you
What sets a board certified dermatologist apart?
They are medical doctors who diagnose and treat over 3,000 skin, hair, and nail diseases and conditions and understand the interaction between the skin and the rest of the body. What seems like a simple rash might be a sign of underlying disease. For example, an itchy rash could be hives, scabies, or a skin reaction called contact dermatitis. Each of these diseases requires different treatment. Dermatologists also know what other medical conditions to look for when a patient has a skin condition like acne, psoriasis, eczema, or rosacea. For example, people living with psoriasis have a higher risk of developing high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol, and diabetes. Making healthy choices now may help prevent these related issues from developing. People trust their concerns to board-certified dermatologists because these doctors have advanced knowledge of treatments. They also know the skin and the anatomy of the nerves and muscles that lie beneath the skin. This expertise helps them choose the best approach for each patient, which helps to avoid issues with treatments and correct an issue quickly if it happens. Another benefit of seeing a board-certified dermatologist for skin concerns is to diagnose what is really happening. For example, a pimple that won’t go away could be a skin cancer. Dermatologists can spot problems like this, which you may not know you have.
What is a board certified dermatologist?
A board-certified dermatologist is a doctor who has: completed medical school and then three to four years of advanced medical training in treating diseases of the skin, hair, and nails, passed rigorous exams in dermatology, made a commitment to keep up on the latest advances in dermatology. When you see the letters Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology (FAAD) by a dermatologist’s name, you know you’re seeing a doctor who: is board certified, has the most rigorous medical education and training in dermatology, keeps up with medical advancements and is a member of the American Academy of Dermatology.
How does someone become a board certified dermatologist?
They must complete medical school, a year-long internship, and three years of residency training in dermatology.
They also must become board-certified in dermatology and pass the rigorous board exams given by the American Board of Dermatology, the American Osteopathic Board of Dermatology, or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. They must keep up with medical advances, so dermatologists continue to study and learn. They are then tested on what they learn and must either: pass the board exam every 10 years or participate in ongoing self-assessment, which is monitored by their certifying board and is a member of the American Academy of Dermatology. Most dermatologists in the United States are members of the American Academy of Dermatology. Board certified dermatologists have a minimum of eight years of medical education, 12-16,000 hours of required patient care training and must achieve board certification through the American Board of Dermatology.
What is the value a board certified dermatologist?
In the case of Olympic Dermatology it enables our practice to care for more members of our community in Thurston County and surrounding communities like Shelton, Aberdeen, Centralia and Chehalis that may not have board certified dermatologists locally. Treating patients of all ages, from newborns to people who are more than 100 years old, either through direct patient care or by providing direction to our excellent Physician Assistants in the office. If our practice and others like it in the area are any indication, we simply don’t have enough board certified dermatologists in our community for everyone who wants to or should seek care from them. Having a professional like Dr. Nymeyer who chose Olympic Dermatology and our beautiful Pacific Northwest community helps meet that need.
Read this fascinating article about board certified dermatologists in our community on Thurston Talk and meet the newest to join OlyDerm, Dr. Hugh Nymeyer.
Want to know more? The American Academy of Dermatology is a good resource.
