National Doctors’ Day
Wednesday March 30, 2022

I wanted to be a scientist from the time I was 6. years old. When I went to college I decided I wanted to conduct research pertinent to human disease. I became a doctor in order to have a deep understanding of human disorders and where research might address unmet need.

I fell in love with dermatology from the very beginning. It is visual and very hands on and I love performing procedures. I also love the breadth of knowledge that is required, medical, surgical , dermatologic and cosmetic.

A solid and simple anti-aging skin care regimen is to use an anti-oxidant serum in the morning and a retinoid

My first career was in finance, but I realized that my true passion was in medicine. I decided to become a doctor in pursuit of a career that I would find both intellectually and emotionally fulfilling. Being a doctor has given me the opportunity to combine my intellectual curiosities of science and medicine with my humanitarian interests in helping others. Although it was a long road, and everybody thought I was crazy at the time when I left my job to become a student again, I have no doubt that I have been lucky enough to land in the best career possible for me and couldn’t be happier.

I love the visual aspects of dermatology – being able to see the conditions we treat and the results of our work in both medical and cosmetic dermatology. I also love the variety that we see in dermatology, allowing me to work with both my mind and my hands. In any given day, I am doing such a wide range of activities: surgery on skin cancers, managing complicated medical conditions, and performing cosmetic procedures.

Of course, like every dermatologist, I’m telling all my patients to wear sunscreen, etc. However, one tip that many people don’t think about, is the benefit of sleeping on your back. Sleeping on your back will avoid those wrinkles and volume loss that come from years of pressing your face against a pillow. I can always tell when my cosmetic patients favor one side of their face for sleeping, because after a lifetime, it shows, and we have to compensate for it with our treatments.

I have been surrounded by medicine my entire life! My grandmother was a gynecologic surgeon and graduated from medical school in India back in the 1930s! My parents as well as both of my brothers are also Physicians. I have always felt that becoming a physician is one of many ways to serve our community.

Dermatology truly combines every aspect of the science and art of medicine in one field. The ability to care for pediatric and adult patients, to diagnose a wide range of skin conditions that can be a reflection of internal health, to guide patients through the challenges of navigating marketing of skincare and cosmetics, and to have the ability to directly treat patients surgically and/or cosmetically is a privilege. I love that I “switch gears” throughout the day between skin cancer, rashes, acne, cosmetic, and surgical concerns. My day is never boring.

I have two major skin tips to offer all of my patients.

The first: Consider your skin a “check engine light”. Sometimes our skin can be a reflection of our internal health or stress in our lives. If you are facing challenges with your skin, talk to your Dermatologist to help ease your concerns.

The second: Paying more for skincare does not always mean you are getting more. There is a lot of marketing noise that can make it difficult to navigate skincare routines. Save yourself a lot of time and money and talk to your Dermatologist to offer a concise and targeted skincare routine.

I have always loved science, and grew up exposed to health care – my mother was a nurse with a local physicians office.

Dermatology has it all – a great combination of complex medicine, surgery, pathology and cosmetics. We are often able to make diagnoses and improve skin conditions in real time.

Sunscreen is the cheapest and most important anti-aging product on the market!

I wanted to be a doctor since I can remember. It was just something in me from the beginning.

There is so much that I love about dermatology–seeing patients of all ages, the variety of issues seen daily, it is both a medical and procedural profession, and being able to help people feel so much better physically and psychologically.

As far as skin tips, I tell everyone to use sunscreen daily, even if they never leave their apartment.

My path to medicine was not straightforward. After doing non-medical work for a number of years, I realized that I didn’t feel fulfilled on a daily basis. After doing a medical mission abroad, I realized that helping patients improve their health was my calling, one that would sustain me day in and day out.

I love the satisfaction of treating a skin condition and seeing the immediate, visible improvement. Dermatology offers this unique opportunity in medicine. In my subspecialty of Mohs skin cancer surgery, diagnosing the condition, treating it and assessing clear margins under the microscope in real time, and then repairing the resulting skin defect offers a sense of completeness and ownership over the process.

As a skin cancer doctor, I stress the importance of wearing sunscreen, or a moisturizer with sunscreen in it, all year round. Millions of Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer annually, and the vast majority of these are caused by chronic sun exposure. Studies have shown that SPF 30 blocks 97% of UV rays, however that is based on perfect, lab supervised application. Increasing the SPF to 50 or above is helpful, especially in the case of imperfect application or less frequent reapplication.