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 ...

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. ...

If I could give any future medical student advice about the ER, my three most important words would be: Vicks Vapor Rub. When I first entered the ER, I was prepared to be jaded, but I was not prepared for the smells: abscesses, STDs, rotten teeth, body odor, mildewed t-shirts, alcoholics, chain smokers, drug-addicts, and diarrhea diapers, to ...

I recently attended an aesthetics conference in south Florida. There were many great speakers- seasoned cosmetic surgeons and dermatologists, successful CEOs, and highly-acclaimed skin care specialists. Aside from learning about new and improved aesthetic technologies and techniques, a specific speaker enlightened me before he ...

Over the past month I have had some very challenging patients. I will often question, why and how did someone end up here at the correctional facility? I believe it is better I do not know. Actually, it is none of my business; it keeps the care unbiased and pure and it does not impact how I treat them. If one of the inmates upsets the ...

''Jim'' is a 66-year-old male with traumatic brain injury (TBI) with personality, cognitive, and behavioral deficits secondary to this injury. He had become a familiar face at our psychiatric unit because of his numerous previous admissions for the inability to take care of himself. He was found covered in his own waste in an apartment with ...

There was a disturbing incident that occurred a few weeks ago. I also look at this experience as an eye-opener for me. I have long come to this realization, but it was never more evident than when the incident happened. First, let me start off by stating, prior to my opportunity to work in corrections, I was judgmental and biased and I ...

Last week I read an article and now I find that I just can't get it off my mind. It announced a new government ''project'' initiated by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The agency is seeking approval from the White House to begin setting up a system for consumers to report ''medical mistakes'' and ''unsafe practices.'' The purpose ...

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 ...

My contact with pain patients was extensive during my residency in Aurora, North Carolina, a coastal town of about 400, with a patient population compromising of retirees, commercial fisherman and above-ground miners from a phosphate mine. I knew from that experience that even if I never found a job as an NP, I would not choose to do pain ...