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Dermatologist
HealthcareYou're the doctor everyone wants to see but can never get an appointment with. Your waitlist is six months, you make more than most surgeons, and your day is split between life-saving melanoma biopsies and teenagers who drove 90 minutes for an acne prescription. The lifestyle is legendary — no nights, no weekends, no emergencies at 3 AM.
Salary Range
Low
$250k
Median
$350k
High
$500k
10-Year Growth
faster than average
US Workers
13K
Education
Medical degree (MD/DO) + dermatology residency (one of the most competitive)
Environment
indoor
Tools & Technical Skills
- ▸Dermoscopy and skin lesion evaluation
- ▸Skin biopsy and excision techniques
- ▸Mohs micrographic surgery
- ▸Cryotherapy and electrosurgery
- ▸Phototherapy (UVB, PUVA) protocols
- ▸Cosmetic injection techniques (Botox, fillers)
- ▸Patch testing for contact dermatitis
People & Mindset Skills
- ▸Visual diagnostic acuity
- ▸Patient communication
- ▸Attention to detail
- ▸Empathy
- ▸Business management
Learn the skills
Courses and certifications to get you job-ready
Mohs micrographic surgery
What you'll actually do
- 01Examine skin lesions and decide which ones need a biopsy and which ones are just weird moles
- 02Prescribe acne treatments to teenagers whose parents are more stressed about it than they are
- 03Perform Mohs surgery and excisions on skin cancers — the part of this job that actually saves lives
- 04See 40+ patients a day in 10-minute appointments that feel like speed dating with rashes
- 05Inject Botox and fillers in the cosmetic side of the practice where the real money lives
- 06Explain to patients that yes, they need to wear sunscreen even when it's cloudy
Related Shifts
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