The 411 on Medical Coding
Medical CodingThe importance of understanding coding cannot be understated. Knowing how to code well will ensure you get paid appropriately for what you do. It will also help you avoid/survive an audit, and make you more efficient at documenting. Unfortunately, coding is complicated and not intuitive. It is something you need to spend time studying and learning; look for sessions at conferences to help you beco …
Medical Coding
I Wish I Had Known: Residency Tips
Residency TipsIn the midst of residency, it seemed like the training, endless consults, biopsies, lectures and oversight would never end. Afterwards, I longed for the second opinion, the grand rounds discussions and the fabulous mentors. Cherish the unique approach each attending takes for both common and uncommon dermatologic conditions. What may seem like an unusual treatment regimen may prove useful some d …
Residency Tips
The Importance of Obtaining a Proper Informed Consent
signature consentObtaining a proper informed consent may be one of the best ways to protect oneself from undue litigation. In a study published in JAMA Dermatology1, approximately one-third of lawsuits stemming from injury sustained following laser surgery cited a failure to obtain a proper informed consent. All patients have the right to an informed consent. Informed consent is when a medical provider provides in …
signature consent
I Wish I Had Known: Finding the Right Fit Post-Training
As someone currently immersed in this process, I have learned a few lessons along the way -- some old made new again and others understood for the first time. Each of us has a unique way of sorting through information and making decisions, and for many of us a constant inner dialogue develops inside our own minds throughout this process. Below are five lessons that I find helpful, but of which I …
Tips For Preparing For The Certifying Examination (Part 2 Of 2)
preparing boardsIn this second article in this series, we will take a further look at some tried and true methods for preparing yourself for “The Boards.” 1) Dermatology is a visual medical specialty One of the great challenges of our specialty is that different conditions can look similar, and the same condition can look different (or “atypical”) across anatomic sites and populations. Many of the quest …
preparing boards