It’s not uncommon to visit a primary care physician if you have a problem with your skin. But, says Dr. Todd Minars of Minars Dermatology, based in Hollywood, Florida, it makes more sense to see a dermatologist first, who can save you time, money and worry.
As a dermatologist, of course, I am somewhat biased when it comes to people visiting their primary care physician for a skin complaint. For the most part, in medical school you do not learn much about the skin unless you are a dermatologist. Most doctors do not get much exposure to skin disease, which is why it makes sense to see a dermatologist if you have a problem with your skin.
A lot of times I find that patients will have seen a primary care doctor, or even gone to two or three, before they come to see us. The doctor had treated them with something that did not work, so they finally came us in the hopes of solving their problem. Because we as dermatologists do training in skin, we can take a look in five minutes and determine what is wrong. We could have saved patients a lot of time and unnecessary aggravation by coming to us first.
Training in Dermatology
The majority of doctors do not get a lot of exposure to dermatology unless they do a residence in dermatology, which is why it is difficult for a doctor who deals in everything to take care of specific skin diseases and to stay up on all the latest stuff. A lot of stuff that is considered fairly simple for a dermatologist, as things that we see every day on patients, may not be seen frequently by a non-dermatologist.
One of the most important things that a dermatologist is trained to do is being able to determine a benign from a malignant lesion. Sometimes that is obvious, but other times it’s not. Of course, when it is not, it is better to be seen by a dermatologist than by a primary care physician.
In some cases, sure to be based on convenience, somebody needs to see his primary care doctor, or if he is already there for a different reason and chooses to bring up a skin complaint and have it looked at. But if it does not seen to get better, he should see a dermatologist to get everything sorted out properly.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
