Navigating Difficult Conversations in Dermatology Clinics
Difficult conversations are a routine part of dermatology. They are especially tricky in our specialty because of the time pressure in a full clinic (often 30+ patients a day) and the visual, often deeply personal, nature of skin disease. Medical school teaches universal communication techniques, such as active listening, teach-back, agenda setting, and shared decision-making, that are necessary t …
Difficult conversations are a routine part of dermatology. They are especially tricky in our specialty because of the time pressure in a full clinic (often 30+ patients a day) and the visual, often deeply personal, nature of skin disease. Medical school teaches universal communication techniques, such as active listening, teach-back, agenda setting, and shared decision-making, that are necessary t … Continue reading "Navigating Difficult Conversations in Dermatology Clinics"
As a first-year dermatology resident, you are finally in the role you worked so hard for, yet you are expected to function, contribute, and grow from day one. The most prepared residents aren't necessarily the ones who memorized the most before July. They're the ones who built the right foundation — the right resources, the right habits, the right systems — so they’re ready when the learning … 
Congratulations on starting dermatology residency! It’s thrilling, humbling, and yes—sometimes downright overwhelming. You’ll stretch both personally and professionally over the next year, and the lessons you learn now will shape your entire career. There are many unknowns, and it’s hard to navigate expectations. Don’t worry! I’ve been there too. Here’s some real advice that will hel … 
My colleagues often joke about how much my patients “love me.”
Over the years, I’ve come to think that what they are really seeing in my patients is a profound commitment to the therapeutic relationship: a willingness to trust the plan we have laid out and a deep engagement in their own care, even when visits are short and clinic is moving fast.
For physicians, that same commitment is … 
In the continuity clinic, the patients are there to see you! Most residency programs have some kind of continuity clinic. They vary across institutions and even across sites within the same institution. They can vary from one half-day per week to two full days per week, and be at the same site throughout the residency or change. An attending may staff each patient, or they may only see a patient i …