A Day in the Life of a Dermatology PA

You are likely reading this article for one of two reasons. You are either interested in switching to dermatology from another specialty or you are currently in PA school, trying to figure out which direction is best for you. I am going to share a behind-the-scenes peek into what my daily routine looks like at work. Dermatology is fast-paced, makes you think, and allows you to constantly be learning and growing. I do find that at times a fast-paced specialty such as dermatology can have its setbacks. If you want to learn more about the pros and cons of being a dermatology PA please read the article below. Otherwise, let’s dive into what my typical workday looks like.

COMMUTING TO WORK AND WORKING AT DIFFERENT OFFICE LOCATIONS

The practice I work for has 3 different offices. One is 15 minutes from my house, one is 30 minutes and one is 45 minutes. I drive to the two that are further away 2 times a week each. The closest office I only go to on Fridays. I made the decision to work 5 days a week even though I had the option to only work 4. That may be changing in the future. During my commute, I typically listen to podcasts. Since I am trying to grow this blog I am currently listening to business podcasts. I currently like the Goal Digger podcast with Jenna Kutcher and Marketing Made Easy with Amy Porterfield. Sometimes I will listen to finance podcasts as well.

AS SOON AS A I ARRIVE TO WORK

I am usually running about 5-10 minutes behind schedule. This works for me because by the time I get to work the medical assistant (MA) already has the first 1-2 patients pulled back into a room. The patient’s history is already in their chart and they are ready to be seen. I don’t want them waiting any longer so as soon as I arrive at work I am getting my dermatoscope out of my bag, and grabbing a pen and notepad to put in my scrub pockets. The MA will give me the first patient’s chief complaint and history. Then I am off to start the day.

PATIENT LOAD ON AN AVERAGE DAY

I see patients from 8:15-12:00 every morning with a 1-hour lunch break from 12:00-1:00. In the afternoon I will see patients from 1:00-4:00. On average I will see anywhere from 25-40 patients depending on which office I am in working at that day. Two of the offices tend to be busier than one of them. A little over 2 years in as a dermatology PA I feel like my sweet spot is between 30-35 patients per day. Any less I start to feel antsy and any more can lead to longer wait times and I may start to feel a little overwhelmed. I know as I continue to work my efficiency will increase and I will feel comfortable seeing more patients.

TYPES OF PATIENT VISITS I SEE MOST OFTEN

The most common reason a patient comes to see me is for a full-body skin exam. This is where the patient gets undressed and I check them head to toe looking for skin cancer. This type of visit may require additional procedures such as biopsies or cryotherapy. If that is the case I will mark out what needs to be numbed up and while I go see the next patient the MA will get the patient’s written consent, biopsy site numbed, and necessary photos taken for their medical records. If the biopsy is say on the face or the scalp then we let the patient get dressed. That process will repeat itself any time a biopsy needs to be done.

While I am in a room the MA is pulling patients back that are checked in and checking on my voicemails for anything urgent that needs to be addressed before lunch. On my busy days, I will have two MAs working with me. However, on the not-so-busy days, only one medical assistant will be working with me in which case I really need to be efficient with my time. I used to have MAs come into the room to chart but now I regurgitate what needs to be done as soon as I leave the room so that they are able to work while I see patients.

Other types of common visits I see include acne, eczema, hair loss, itching, psoriasis, rashes, warts, and spot checks. Visits such as psoriasis or hair loss can be lengthy if it is their first time seeing me. They will sometimes need blood drawn or lengthy education may be required.

MY WORKFLOW

As I mentioned above, I do like to start seeing patients as soon as I am in the office. I do not sit down and look at my messages right away because I wouldn’t have time to address them and that would make me feel like I am already behind. I try my best to finish signing off all of my morning encounter notes during my lunch period and my afternoon encounter notes before I leave the office for the day.

Checking my tasks, signing out pathology, and calling patients are done when I have the time. Sometimes on slower days, I can tackle these tasks in between patients. Typically it waits until lunchtime or at the end of the day. I try my best to not bring work home with me but there are some super busy days when that simply cannot be avoided. I used to do all of my documenting at home, and realized that it was burning me out so I have tried to stop.

For the most part, my days look pretty similar to one another but they can definitely get crazy busy at times especially if I have complicated patients or if a medical assistant calls out unexpectedly and we are understaffed. My days fly by and I never find myself looking at the time. During this season of my life, I love the fast-paced environment and mix of procedure and non-procedure work. I love being a dermatology PA and wouldn’t want to be in any other specialty.