As dermatologists we all have our individual styles of practice and favorite areas of dermatology on which we prefer to focus. But we all share one thing in common: We have a strong desire to improve our skills. Getting input from colleagues can help us achieve this goal. This column will highlight a wide range of pearls from practicing dermatologists — everything from a better way to perform a clinical procedure to a more effective method for communicating with patients to advice for improving an office function.
Tip 1: The Power of Word-of-Mouth Referrals
Do whatever you can to make people feel special. I often tell my cosmetic patients that I will try my hardest to make them happy. Little touch-ups are usually free. Word gets around and that’s how you get word-of-mouth referrals — our biggest source of referrals. Gerald Bock, MD Lodi, CA
Tip 2: A Hemostasis Trick
When performing surgery on fingers or toes, controlling bleeding is very important. A rubber band that has been sterilized in the surgical pack with your other instruments functions as an excellent tourniquet for providing hemostasis during a procedure. Placed at the base of the digit, it can easily be held in position with a hemostat. This inexpensive tool is a must in the surgical suite. Sandra Mamis, RPA-C Hudson Valley Dermatology Newburgh, NY
Tip 3: How to Deal With Difficult Facial Warts
I’ve had a couple of patients respond well to intralesional Gardasil vaccine (mix it 50:50 with 1% lidocaine) injected using BD-II 31 gauge 0.3 ml insulin syringe, intradermal, about 0.02 ml per shot, repeat every month. If the patient can’t afford Gardasil, DTP vaccine (free from Public Health department [Canada]) mixed and administered as above can also work. Kevin C. Smith, MD, FRCPC Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Tip 4: The Benefits of Using Assonance as an Educational Tool
Assonance is resemblance of sound, particularly vowel sounds, occurring in words of close proximity. It can be used to enhance recall of certain words or statements and can be regarded as a form of mnemonic. It is one way to soften the hard core of science, as it has similarity to poetry. Here are some examples I find useful in my clinic: • Don’t fear, we are here. • Old is gold. • No pain, no gain. • If in doubt, cut it out. (for melanoma) • Don’t run under the sun. • Between eleven and three, stay under the tree. Khalid Al Aboud, MD King Faisal Hospital Makkah, Saudi Arabia
Tip 5: Thin Cotton Gloves
We often recommend to patients with hand eczema or psoriasis to purchase thin cotton gloves, yet they often have difficulty finding them. One good source of these is www.saraglove.com. Tell patients to type ‘80-1362’ in the Product Search box to find Cotton Inspection Gloves - Mens 12'' and 14''. Steve Feldman, MD, PhD Wake Forest University School of Medicine Winston-Salem, NC
Tip 6: Explaining Aspects of Aging to Patients
When explaining the effects of aging to patients and the need for various treatment modalities, it’s worth discussing the 4 Ds: 1. Deflation — best dealt with by fillers or fat implants. 2. Descent — best dealt with by threadlift or facelift. 3. Degeneration — best dealt with by chemical peels, microdermabrasion, lasers or light sources. 4. Dynamic wrinkles — best dealt with by botulinum toxin treatment. Benjamin Barankin, MD, FRCPC Toronto, Canada Dr. Barankin is a dermatologist based in Toronto, Canada. He is author-editor of six books in dermatology, and is widely published in the dermatology and humanities literature. He is also the co-editor of Dermanities, an online journal (dermanities.com) devoted to the humanities as they relate to dermatology.
As dermatologists we all have our individual styles of practice and favorite areas of dermatology on which we prefer to focus. But we all share one thing in common: We have a strong desire to improve our skills. Getting input from colleagues can help us achieve this goal. This column will highlight a wide range of pearls from practicing dermatologists — everything from a better way to perform a clinical procedure to a more effective method for communicating with patients to advice for improving an office function.
Tip 1: The Power of Word-of-Mouth Referrals
Do whatever you can to make people feel special. I often tell my cosmetic patients that I will try my hardest to make them happy. Little touch-ups are usually free. Word gets around and that’s how you get word-of-mouth referrals — our biggest source of referrals. Gerald Bock, MD Lodi, CA
Tip 2: A Hemostasis Trick
When performing surgery on fingers or toes, controlling bleeding is very important. A rubber band that has been sterilized in the surgical pack with your other instruments functions as an excellent tourniquet for providing hemostasis during a procedure. Placed at the base of the digit, it can easily be held in position with a hemostat. This inexpensive tool is a must in the surgical suite. Sandra Mamis, RPA-C Hudson Valley Dermatology Newburgh, NY
Tip 3: How to Deal With Difficult Facial Warts
I’ve had a couple of patients respond well to intralesional Gardasil vaccine (mix it 50:50 with 1% lidocaine) injected using BD-II 31 gauge 0.3 ml insulin syringe, intradermal, about 0.02 ml per shot, repeat every month. If the patient can’t afford Gardasil, DTP vaccine (free from Public Health department [Canada]) mixed and administered as above can also work. Kevin C. Smith, MD, FRCPC Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Tip 4: The Benefits of Using Assonance as an Educational Tool
Assonance is resemblance of sound, particularly vowel sounds, occurring in words of close proximity. It can be used to enhance recall of certain words or statements and can be regarded as a form of mnemonic. It is one way to soften the hard core of science, as it has similarity to poetry. Here are some examples I find useful in my clinic: • Don’t fear, we are here. • Old is gold. • No pain, no gain. • If in doubt, cut it out. (for melanoma) • Don’t run under the sun. • Between eleven and three, stay under the tree. Khalid Al Aboud, MD King Faisal Hospital Makkah, Saudi Arabia
Tip 5: Thin Cotton Gloves
We often recommend to patients with hand eczema or psoriasis to purchase thin cotton gloves, yet they often have difficulty finding them. One good source of these is www.saraglove.com. Tell patients to type ‘80-1362’ in the Product Search box to find Cotton Inspection Gloves - Mens 12'' and 14''. Steve Feldman, MD, PhD Wake Forest University School of Medicine Winston-Salem, NC
Tip 6: Explaining Aspects of Aging to Patients
When explaining the effects of aging to patients and the need for various treatment modalities, it’s worth discussing the 4 Ds: 1. Deflation — best dealt with by fillers or fat implants. 2. Descent — best dealt with by threadlift or facelift. 3. Degeneration — best dealt with by chemical peels, microdermabrasion, lasers or light sources. 4. Dynamic wrinkles — best dealt with by botulinum toxin treatment. Benjamin Barankin, MD, FRCPC Toronto, Canada Dr. Barankin is a dermatologist based in Toronto, Canada. He is author-editor of six books in dermatology, and is widely published in the dermatology and humanities literature. He is also the co-editor of Dermanities, an online journal (dermanities.com) devoted to the humanities as they relate to dermatology.
As dermatologists we all have our individual styles of practice and favorite areas of dermatology on which we prefer to focus. But we all share one thing in common: We have a strong desire to improve our skills. Getting input from colleagues can help us achieve this goal. This column will highlight a wide range of pearls from practicing dermatologists — everything from a better way to perform a clinical procedure to a more effective method for communicating with patients to advice for improving an office function.
Tip 1: The Power of Word-of-Mouth Referrals
Do whatever you can to make people feel special. I often tell my cosmetic patients that I will try my hardest to make them happy. Little touch-ups are usually free. Word gets around and that’s how you get word-of-mouth referrals — our biggest source of referrals. Gerald Bock, MD Lodi, CA
Tip 2: A Hemostasis Trick
When performing surgery on fingers or toes, controlling bleeding is very important. A rubber band that has been sterilized in the surgical pack with your other instruments functions as an excellent tourniquet for providing hemostasis during a procedure. Placed at the base of the digit, it can easily be held in position with a hemostat. This inexpensive tool is a must in the surgical suite. Sandra Mamis, RPA-C Hudson Valley Dermatology Newburgh, NY
Tip 3: How to Deal With Difficult Facial Warts
I’ve had a couple of patients respond well to intralesional Gardasil vaccine (mix it 50:50 with 1% lidocaine) injected using BD-II 31 gauge 0.3 ml insulin syringe, intradermal, about 0.02 ml per shot, repeat every month. If the patient can’t afford Gardasil, DTP vaccine (free from Public Health department [Canada]) mixed and administered as above can also work. Kevin C. Smith, MD, FRCPC Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Tip 4: The Benefits of Using Assonance as an Educational Tool
Assonance is resemblance of sound, particularly vowel sounds, occurring in words of close proximity. It can be used to enhance recall of certain words or statements and can be regarded as a form of mnemonic. It is one way to soften the hard core of science, as it has similarity to poetry. Here are some examples I find useful in my clinic: • Don’t fear, we are here. • Old is gold. • No pain, no gain. • If in doubt, cut it out. (for melanoma) • Don’t run under the sun. • Between eleven and three, stay under the tree. Khalid Al Aboud, MD King Faisal Hospital Makkah, Saudi Arabia
Tip 5: Thin Cotton Gloves
We often recommend to patients with hand eczema or psoriasis to purchase thin cotton gloves, yet they often have difficulty finding them. One good source of these is www.saraglove.com. Tell patients to type ‘80-1362’ in the Product Search box to find Cotton Inspection Gloves - Mens 12'' and 14''. Steve Feldman, MD, PhD Wake Forest University School of Medicine Winston-Salem, NC
Tip 6: Explaining Aspects of Aging to Patients
When explaining the effects of aging to patients and the need for various treatment modalities, it’s worth discussing the 4 Ds: 1. Deflation — best dealt with by fillers or fat implants. 2. Descent — best dealt with by threadlift or facelift. 3. Degeneration — best dealt with by chemical peels, microdermabrasion, lasers or light sources. 4. Dynamic wrinkles — best dealt with by botulinum toxin treatment. Benjamin Barankin, MD, FRCPC Toronto, Canada Dr. Barankin is a dermatologist based in Toronto, Canada. He is author-editor of six books in dermatology, and is widely published in the dermatology and humanities literature. He is also the co-editor of Dermanities, an online journal (dermanities.com) devoted to the humanities as they relate to dermatology.
