Dear Derm PA,

“The capacity to learn is a gift. The ability to learn is a skill. The willingness to learn is a choice.” - Brian Herbert

I try to learn something everyday. Some days, medical. Some days, ethical. Some days, personal. Some days, emotional.

I recently attended two conferences where I learned A LOT of clinical pearls.

• How to better spot suspicious lesions

• Historical questions to ask to uncover a rash diagnosis

• New treatments for various skin conditions

• Unconventional OTC hacks

The list goes on. All extremely valuable to my daily practice. But the information that I haven’t stopped thinking about are the non-clinical tips that I picked up on, some of which I already do, others that I certainly started the day I returned to the office.

So, without further ado, my top non-clinical tips to all derm PAs out there.

1. Sit down

   • I used to sit down. Then, I got busy. Always running from room to room to try to stay on schedule. It’s actually pretty easy to walk into a room, freeze a wart or remove a mole, and leave. Don’t.

   • Sit down. Even if it’s for 15 seconds before you remove the mole or freeze the wart. Sit down, answer any questions they may have, explain what you’re going to do, shoot maybe you just ask them how their day is going. Whatever it is to make them feel like they are not just a “wart” or a “mole”, they’re a patient. Just do it.

2. Don’t lie

   • Humility is admirable. No one is perfect and patients appreciate honesty. If you don’t know something, don’t lie. Instead, explain how you’re going to figure it out. Maybe it’s with a biopsy. Maybe you grab a colleague to see the patient with you.

3. Be consistent

   • Some days, you feel like you can’t lose. Other days, it’s a struggle to keep your head above water. Lately, it’s the latter for me.

   • No matter what kind of day you’re having, when you step into the room, give it your all. Set the expectation that, no matter how long the patient waited that day, whether they are your first or your last patient, they know what they’re getting from you.

4. Hand-written notes

   • I know, I know. It takes more time. But, I promise, patients will look at your hand-written note of their diagnosis or their routine far more than the pre-printed brochure.

5. Remember them

   • Not by their diagnosis or treatment plan. Remember that they were nervous for basketball try-outs at the last visit. Remember they were excited for an upcoming vacation. Remember they have a sick family member at home and ask how they are doing.

   • Patients will forget what you called their rash. They will forget the cream you gave them to use. But they will never forget your personality and character.

   • As Maya Angelou once said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.” No one wants to feel like a number.

Until next time……

-xoxo