About This Career

Diagnoses and treats diseases relating to the skin, hair, and nails. May perform both medical and dermatological surgery functions.

This career is part of the Health Science cluster Therapeutic Services pathway.

A person in this career:

• Conducts complete skin examinations.
• Diagnoses and treats pigmented lesions such as common acquired nevi, congenital nevi, dysplastic nevi, Spitz nevi, blue nevi, or melanoma.
• Performs incisional biopsies to diagnose melanoma.
• Performs skin surgery to improve appearance, make early diagnoses, or control diseases such as skin cancer.
• Counsels patients on topics such as the need for annual dermatologic screenings, sun protection, skin cancer awareness, or skin and lymph node self-examinations.
• Diagnoses and treats skin conditions such as acne, dandruff, athlete's foot, moles, psoriasis, or skin cancer.
• Records patients' health histories.
• Recommends diagnostic tests based on patients' histories and physical examination findings.
• Prescribes hormonal agents or topical treatments such as contraceptives, spironolactone, antiandrogens, oral corticosteroids, retinoids, benzoyl peroxide, or antibiotics.
• Conducts or orders diagnostic tests such as chest radiographs (x-rays), microbiologic tests, or endocrinologic tests.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would sit most of the time. There's some walking and standing. You may have to lift and carry things like books, papers or tools weighing 10 lbs. or less.
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Exposed to disease and infections more than once a month through work such as patient care, laboratory work, and sanitation control
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
• Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Identifying color and seeing differences in color, including shades and brightness
• Seeing clearly at a distance
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

• Regular working hours and limited travel