The American Academy of Dermatology just recently started a new campaign to help increase public awareness of the importance of seeing a Board-Certified Dermatologist for your skin, hair, nails and mucous membrane (lips, tongue, eyes) needs. Please take a few moments to review the diagrams to help familiarize yourself with the significant training differences between board-certified dermatologists, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners.
For many, this article will be an eyeopener and help shed light on many questions that have remained unanswered within the general public. We at Dimensional Dermatology feel that all of these levels of training have their place within the dermatology specialty. However, the important takeaway from this post should be that there are varying levels of expertise. We believe that both physician assistants and nurse practitioners should have proper supervision by a board-certified dermatologist to aid in the recognition of difficult diagnoses and help facilitate varying levels of treatment in complex dermatology cases.
In many instances, physician extenders (physician assistants and nurse practitioners) help increase access to healthcare for underserved and underprivileged populations, while still being properly supervised. However, there are ongoing instances in which proper supervision does not occur, putting patients lives and wellbeing in jeopardy. Overall, physician assistants and nurse practitioners are valuable contributors to patient care and will continue to increase access to healthcare across the country.
For more information on the difference between physicians and physician assistants, please read our other article entitled: What is the Difference Between a Physician and Physician Assistant?
Is your dermatologist certified by the American Board of Dermatology? Find out HERE: https://www.certificationmatters.org/is-your-doctor-board-certified/search-now.aspx
For more information about this important public awareness campaign, please follow the link below:
https://www.aad.org/public/find-a-dermatologist/why-see-a-board-certified-dermatologist
References:
*All pictorials and diagrams are property of the American Academy of Dermatology
- https://www.aad.org/public/find-a-dermatologist/why-see-a-board-certified-dermatologist
- https://www.aad.org
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