Since graduation, I've had plenty of reminders - good and bad - that I am no longer a student. There is the ''PA-C'' behind my name and my shiny new state license. A paycheck arrives every two weeks like an airplane dropping supplies on a desert island. And, of course, I now hold myself to an even higher professional standard. While these ...

Was it losing weight? Spending more time with your family? Dragging your body to the gym? Reading more books? When's the last year you set a new year's resolution? And how far did you get before you broke it? And why are you so discouraged about trying again in 2013? We students in the medical field are required to study behavior change ...

  1. A patient presents with a new spot on the nose for 3 months. No history of skin cancer. I believe it's a BCC and path proves it's a SCC, WOW! 2. Ceruloderma, a drug-induced pigmentation secondary to Lupus medication.   3. ''Show and Tell:'' I love a zip lock bag attached to the chart on the door. This patient was proud of the ...

A patient presents with discrete patches of hyperpigmentation on the face, particularly involving the cheeks and upper lip. She denies recent sun exposure or use of oral contraception pills. She was diagnosed a year ago with melasma and given hydroquinone, which she used as directed in the evening for three months. She now ...

  This blog is brought to you by ADVANCE and DNA. The Dermatology Nurses' Association (DNA) will host a Virtual Psoriasis Symposium on Saturday, Nov. 10.  This event offers a unique educational format for dermatology and primary care nurses as well as nurse practitioners who treat patients with psoriasis. An estimated 7.5 ...

Last week, NP and PA readers submitted questions to our communities asking for advice from fellow clinicians. Below are a sample - if you have any advice for these NPs and PAs, comment on the respective article or share with us here and we'll make sure to pass along the wisdom. Have something you'd like a clearer answer on? Let us know on our ...

Autumn is my favorite time of year. I love the colors of the leaves, cool brisk evenings, baking with pumpkins and Sunday soup making. Fall also just happens to be a favorite season of mine in the office, too. I call it ''catch-up time'' for a number of reasons. First and foremost, this is an excellent opportunity to discuss with patients the ...

Cryolipolysis is a new noninvasive technology that uses cold exposure to result in lipolysis, the breakdown of fat by freezing. Clinical studies have demonstrated 20% to 25% reduction in superficial fat layer thickness after each treatment. After a cryolipolysis treatment, the fat layer gradually decreases in thickness over about 3 months. ...

Last week, readers commented on two of our recent orthopedic articles. In response to ''After Your Patient's Knee Replacement,'' reader Thomas said, ''Nice article Jennifer - I had my TKR in 2010 and you described my overall experience quite well. Patients do really tend to forget that they lost their joint mobility slowly over a sustained time ...

I spent the better part of my summer interviewing for a new job, exploring other derm offices and traveling to different cities I was considering. I was surprised by the volume of offices looking to hire a dermatology PA or NP. I had a wonderful experience searching and interviewing, and I was lucky to have many options to choose from. I decided ...