What does a dermatologist do?
A dermatologist is a physician with expertise in diagnosing and treating skin, nail, and hair problems such as rashes and acne. Their responsibilities include conducting initial assessments and examinations, offering consultations and advice, studying a patient's medical histories, and performing non-invasive procedures as needed. They may also prescribe medication and various services, referring patients to other specialists as necessary. Furthermore, as a dermatologist, it is essential to discuss skin conditions and the extent of treatments to patients, helping them learn different care procedures.
Dermatologist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real dermatologist resumes:
- Manage all incoming medical records requests (ensuring office is within HIPPA guidelines).
- Enter patient information into EMR.
- Maintain OSHA logs on all equipment.
- suture removal, assist in MOHS surgery.
- Scrub multiple hospital procedures (facelifts, liposuction, augmentations, facial reconstructive surgery, breast reconstructive surgery . )
- Keep medical histories and interview patients to procure or verify information.
- Establish long-term, trusting relationships with patients which encourage repeat visits, customer referrals and overall company goodwill.
- Experience with electronic medical records and the coordination and distribution of professional documents in accordance to HIPAA regulations.
- Assist the surgeon with Moh's surgery, biopsies and removal of cysts.
- Train under Dr. James Fulton, co-developer of Retin-A.
- Develop and institute a marketing plan to support Dr. Hunters introduction of her own skin care line to market.
- Assist with office surgery and cryotherapy.Triage, assist with very busy dermatological practice.
- Perform simple laceration repairs, application of cryotherapy for skin lesions, gynecologic and prostate examinations.
Dermatologist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 34% of Dermatologists are proficient in Patients, Mohs, and Patient Care. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Dexterity, and Physical stamina.
We break down the percentage of Dermatologists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 34%
Established long-term, trusting relationships with patients which encouraged repeat visits, customer referrals and overall company goodwill.
- Mohs, 26%
Assist in Mohs surgeries, Assist with cosmetic surgeries.
- Patient Care, 13%
Assisted MD and 2 Physician Assistants on rotating days in all aspects of patient care.
- EMR, 9%
Record the medical history and vitals in the patient's chart and EMR.
- Private Practice, 2%
Note: Dates overlap because I still had my private practice.
- Medical Assistants, 2%
Trained new medical assistants and other staff in office procedures.
Common skills that a dermatologist uses to do their job include "patients," "mohs," and "patient care." You can find details on the most important dermatologist responsibilities below.
Communication skills. The most essential soft skill for a dermatologist to carry out their responsibilities is communication skills. This skill is important for the role because "physicians and surgeons need to be excellent communicators." Additionally, a dermatologist resume shows how their duties depend on communication skills: "ensured open lines of communication between patients, staff, and physicians with efficiency and confidentiality. "
Dexterity. Many dermatologist duties rely on dexterity. "physicians and surgeons may work with very precise and sometimes sharp tools, and mistakes can have serious consequences.," so a dermatologist will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways dermatologist responsibilities rely on dexterity: "gained invaluable knowledge of the medical industry and patient care; developed diagnostic and problem-solving skills through hands-on clinical experience. "
Physical stamina. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of dermatologists is physical stamina. This skill is critical to many everyday dermatologist duties, as "physicians and surgeons should be comfortable lifting or turning disabled patients, or performing other physical tasks." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "work closely with ob/gyn doctors during physical examinations and medical procedures. "
Problem-solving skills. dermatologist responsibilities often require "problem-solving skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "physicians and surgeons need to evaluate patients’ symptoms and administer the appropriate treatments." This resume example shows what dermatologists do with problem-solving skills on a typical day: "provided solutions to the patients for their needs. "
Compassion. A commonly-found skill in dermatologist job descriptions, "compassion" is essential to what dermatologists do. Dermatologist responsibilities rely on this skill because "patients who are sick or injured may be in extreme pain or distress." You can also see how dermatologist duties rely on compassion in this resume example: "provided outstanding and compassionate patient care with gained knowledge and experience in nearly every imaginable setting possible. "
Detail oriented. Lastly, "detail oriented" is an important element of what a dermatologist does. Dermatologist responsibilities require this skill because "patients must receive appropriate treatment and medications." This resume example highlights how dermatologist duties rely on this skill: "roomed patients, prepared charts, and detailed patient assessments and histories. "
The three companies that hire the most dermatologists are:
- Schweiger Dermatology Group21 dermatologists jobs
- West Dermatology14 dermatologists jobs
- National Veterinary Associates9 dermatologists jobs
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Compare different dermatologists
Dermatologist vs. Pediatric dermatologist
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a dermatologist are more likely to require skills like "patients," "mohs," "patient care," and "private practice." On the other hand, a job as a pediatric dermatologist requires skills like "diagnosis," "patient examinations," "ema," and "sample analyses." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
The education levels that pediatric dermatologists earn slightly differ from dermatologists. In particular, pediatric dermatologists are 4.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a dermatologist. Additionally, they're 8.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Dermatologist vs. Medical dermatologist
Each career also uses different skills, according to real dermatologist resumes. While dermatologist responsibilities can utilize skills like "patients," "private practice," "phototherapy," and "medical assistants," medical dermatologists use skills like "ema," "billing procedures," "electronic submissions," and "diagnosis."
Medical dermatologists earn higher levels of education than dermatologists in general. They're 7.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 8.8% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Updated January 8, 2025
