I had a student ask me recently if I had a dermatoscope and if I could show her how to use it. The answer was simple enough. No, I don't need one. This of course led to the logical question...Why? This blog post was inspired by this exchange. The simplest answer to this question is that if I see something that looks abnormal, I biopsy it. ...

For those of you just entering the healthcare world, you may have noticed that any and every field has a conference. Having lived in Orlando for 5 years, I know about conferences (Orlando is probably the conference capital of the east coast). So, why all these conferences? What's the point, besides the CME for actual professionals? Can't you ...

Her only enemy was time. There was too much of it. As my patient lay in her bed and slowly suffocated, each tick of the clock brought a desperate battle to stave off panic. Ms. M had dealt with her difficult lungs for years. Without explanation, the delicate tissues and air sacs had hardened and scarred; they stiffened and refused to ...

One of the most common questions I am asked by candidates is whether they should be creating a CV or a resume. And then the second most common question is ''What is the difference between a CV and a resume?''    The correct answer is really simple. If you are applying for a clinical position you should be submitting a resume. ...

Graduation day is just around the corner (but who is counting?), so I've decided to reflect back on the ''lessons learned'' during my clinical year of PA school. It has been a challenging and rewarding experience for me. There have been ups and downs; both were very much needed. Live and learn, as they say. Avoid asking questions that ...

You don't have to break the law to fail a pre-employment drug test. In fact, you could lose your job just by using countless products hanging on the wall of your local gas station. That's because at my hospital, when an employee's urine drops into that little plastic device during a pre-employment drug screen, it is checked for ...

Dear Career Coach: I have been applying for jobs and I have recently been on several interviews. I think (actually, I am pretty sure) that I will be receiving an offer from one clinic. The job sounded good and I think I would be happy there but I am not sure I want to accept the offer before I know the results of my other interviews. I don't ...

Above, a 75-year-old patient with stage 4 metastatic melanoma. He came to us after a staged excision and graft. The black dots are new satellite nodal mets. Above, metastatic satellite lesions on the scalp of the same patient. He had the original scalp lesion treated numerous times with LN2. The lesion continued to be treated with LN2 ...

So I go from working part-time as a nurse to not really working and just doing clinicals. My preceptors were pretty good about working with us regarding schedules, which was amazing because I have 2 kids and a crazy husband. This was more beneficial than I EVER realized! Now? I realize... Let's see... In my first three weeks, I've gotten ...

Move over Botox and Dysport. There's a new botulinum on the market. Incobotulinumtoxin A, or Xeomin, is the latest serotype A botulinum toxin available. Manufactured by Merz Aesthetics, it has been used in Europe since 2008 with over 84,000 patients treated to date worldwide. Xeomin was originally FDA approved in the US for ...