For medical students, skin is hot

As thousands of medical students await word this week on residency programs, two specialties concerned with physical appearance — dermatology and plastic surgery — are among the most competitive, a story in today's New York Times says, while primary care shortages continue.

Thomas Hocker and Meena Singh, a married couple in their final year at Harvard Medical School (left, with their two daughters) face competition to enter dermatology that will be even tougher for them because they hope to land in the same program, or at least the same region.

Only 61 percent of seniors at American medical schools whose first choice was dermatology received a residency in that field last year, compared with 98 percent for those whose first choice was internal medicine and 99 percent for those seeking family medicine, the story said, citing a report by the Association of American Medical Colleges and the National Resident Matching Program, which pairs candidates and programs.

“Nobody can see if you have hypertension or asthma, but everybody knows if you have a pigmentary disorder and these changes are a lot more obvious and devastating to patients with skin of color,” Singh told the Times about her choice. “Having something on your skin is not life or death for people, but it can be equally important for them emotionally as a life-threatening disease."

A Chestnut Hill dermatologist reflected on the economics of the specialty.

“It is an unfortunate circumstance that you can spend an hour with a patient treating them for diabetes and hypertension and make $100, or you can do Botox and make $2,000 in the same time,” said Dr. Eric C. Parlette, 35, who told the Times he chose dermatology because he wanted to perform procedures, like skin-cancer surgery and cosmetic treatments, while keeping regular hours and earning a rewarding salary.