Mental Health and the Dermatologist
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While some celebrities and star athletes are using their platforms to help normalize mental illness, dermatologists may remain hesitant to care for their own mental health.
“The nature of the road traveled to the medical profession and the performance demands placed upon physicians create a deeply ingrained belief that ‘perceived defect or weakness’ can be catastrophic for their careers� …
While some celebrities and star athletes are using their platforms to help normalize mental illness, dermatologists may remain hesitant to care for their own mental health.
“The nature of the road traveled to the medical profession and the performance demands placed upon physicians create a deeply ingrained belief that ‘perceived defect or weakness’ can be catastrophic for their careers� … 
Sang Kim, MD, was two weeks into his dermatology residency at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center when his wife was diagnosed with a serious pregnancy complication. “At that time, I felt my world was crashing down, and I immediately thought of the worst-case scenario; that I could lose my unborn son and wife.”
Thankfully, Dr. Kim’s son was born healthy, and his wife recovered. Dr … 
I was a solo dermatologist for 25 years, happily practicing for the first 10 or 15 years. Then I became burnt out from the loss of autonomy and authority that has plagued the specialty as of late. Government regulations have usurped our autonomy by requiring compliance with certain guidelines and use of an EHR. Payers have usurped our authority when, to quote my colleague Dr. Neal Bhatia, “The p … 
One of the most talked-about causes of burnout, aside from how many of us are too tired even though we sleep at home instead of at the hospital, is dealing with the difficult patient. It is a paradox because customers choose to do business with a certain establishment, and customer service is a business idea developed to attract and retain profits. However, a physician’s obligation to patients … 
Burnout can take many shapes and forms, and often times, identifying the risk factors leading up to it can be tricky. This series will explore the many faces of burnout by offering different perspectives from a panel of experts who presented at the AAD 2019 Annual Meeting in Washington DC. We kicked off the series last week with Dr. Elizabeth (Lisa) Swanson's advice on how to treat and prevent bur … 