Medical dermatologist goes above and beyond his medical training to take additional years to study pathology, which can take up to four extra years. Your regular dermatologist in NYC often takes skin, hair and nail samples to send for testing to either develop or confirm a diagnosis. Those samples are sent to a dermatologist.
One of the most common reasons for testing is to check for cancer. As a matter of fact, most skin samples undergo cancer screening. The pathology specialist then provides your doctor with the report, called a biopsy.
Mohs Surgeon: If your NYC dermatologist determines that you do indeed have skin cancer, you’ll most likely be referred to a Mohs surgeon. These dermatology specialists have undergone considerably more training to successfully remove cancers and provide you with reconstructive surgery if necessary.
As with pathology, your medical dermatologist has received training in Mohs operations and often may perform the procedures himself. Whether you’re a candidate for Mohs depends on the type of cancer you have and where it’s located.