In dermatology, we are fortunate to have many insightful practitioners and great teachers and mentors. Some are bright stars in our special universe – others unsung heroes. All of these colleagues have much to share, from wisdom to humor to insights into dermatology and life. This column allows us to gain insight from these practitioners and learn more about them.
Doris Day is a board certified dermatologist who specializes in laser, cosmetic and medical dermatology on the Upper East Side in New York City. She is a clinical associate professor of dermatology at New York University Medical Center where she was presented with the award for Dedication and Excellence in the Teaching of Dermatology.
She has won awards for her work in laser research and continues to actively participate in FDA clinical research trials. Dr. Day regularly lectures nationally and internationally to her peers and the public. She is an active member of many organizations including the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery, the American Academy of Dermatology and the Women’s Dermatologic Society. She also actively participates on boards and dermatology advocacy groups.
Dr. Day has a master’s degree in medical journalism, is author of 2 books: 100 Questions and Answers About Acne, and Forget the Facelift, is host of the Dermatology Show on Doctor Radio on Sirius XM 110 and has frequent appearances on many national media outlets.
Q. What part of your work gives you the most pleasure?
A. As physicians, I believe we are healers, and as a dermatologist I know and appreciate that I have a special role in my patients’ lives as I help them look and feel their best. I love learning and growing, and I love teaching and seeing others learn. Every day I wake up and feel joy that I get to do what I do. I understand it is a privilege and comes with great responsibility to be my best each and every day. I have a passion for and get energy from my work and spending time with my patients. I also greatly enjoy and gain satisfaction from participating in and speaking at national and international meetings, ad boards, doing research projects, networking with colleagues, writing, educating and being able to contribute to the improvement and future of my specialty. My background in medical journalism has greatly helped me communicate the importance of dermatology to the public and to educate the public on all matters of health and medicine and brings together my 2 passions of medicine and education.
Q. Are an understanding and appreciation of the humanities important in dermatology and why?
A. This is critical because as physicians, and especially as dermatologists who treat appearance as well as overall health, understanding the humanities and the impact of social circumstances on health is the difference between being a technician and prescription pusher versus being a true healer. So much of my day is spent helping my patients understand the connection between the skin and the mind and body. In this way, I see their conditions truly resolve rather than just be controlled or masked. I believe strongly that the skin is a reflection of your overall health and well-being and understanding the humanities, traveling the world, reading literature and knowing that every patient has a story, allows me to best be able to reach and heal my patients. I majored in English Literature in college, being fortunate enough to have been able to have traveled extensively and to focus on journalism and investigative reporting, has helped me have a deeper understanding of my patient’s life circumstances and that has helped me reach them on a deeper level. It helps me help them in ways that sometimes surprises us both.
Q. What is your greatest regret?
A. I do have a few regrets, but what I have learned is that for every regret, I have made so many important changes and improvements that the regrets have fallen away and some have even become positives. I regret I do not have more time in the day to do all the things that interest me.
Q.Who was your hero/mentor and why?
A. My hero mentors are the women like Drs. Jean Carruthers, Rhoda Narins, Susan Weinkle and Mary Lupo, among others — women who have balanced career and family, who have always taken the time to give back and to contribute to our specialty and to create a path for women even at the highest levels of leadership. They have been a champion of other women at a time when the field was very male-dominated.
Q. What is the best piece of advice you have received and from whom?
A. The best piece of advice I received was from my dad, also a physician. I consider myself his youngest apprentice, starting from a very young age and getting to hear his stories and see how much he loved his work and his patients. He taught me the art of medicine. He taught me that science has some of the answers but that you have to know the patient, understand them and pay attention to detail in order to really make a difference. He also taught me to “first be a woman” and to not try to succeed like a man, but to do things in a way that works for me — to pay attention to how I look, wear makeup and understand that looking and feeling feminine does not make me less smart, less serious or less of a success.
Q. Which medical figure in history would you want to have a drink with and why?
A. I would love to have a drink with Sigmund Freud. He had a point of view and understanding of people that was completely out of the box for his time, but he had the courage of his convictions and persevered when others considered him a fraud. If I could get him and Nietzsche in a conversation together and just sit back and listen, that would be heaven.
Q. What is the greatest political danger in the field of dermatology?
A. The greatest danger for us is giving up our autonomy and becoming employees of the system. I see more and more that we are being buried under paperwork and demands that have nothing to do with patient care. We are at risk of becoming technicians and drug pushers rather than the true healers that we were trained and destined to be. I fight this every day and am very lucky that I come from a family of physicians and my father practiced and taught me the love of the art as well as science of medicine. I also trained at a time where we were taught to touch our patients, make eye contact, listen and care about the whole person, a time before all the “efficiencies” of computers and automation created distance between the doctor and patient. Being a doctor is my passion and it is in my blood and gives me the greatest of joy each and every day. I fear it will become impossible to practice the true art of medicine in the not so distant future.
Dr. Barankin is a dermatologist in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is author-editor of 7 books in dermatology and is widely published in the dermatology and humanities literature.
In dermatology, we are fortunate to have many insightful practitioners and great teachers and mentors. Some are bright stars in our special universe – others unsung heroes. All of these colleagues have much to share, from wisdom to humor to insights into dermatology and life. This column allows us to gain insight from these practitioners and learn more about them.
Doris Day is a board certified dermatologist who specializes in laser, cosmetic and medical dermatology on the Upper East Side in New York City. She is a clinical associate professor of dermatology at New York University Medical Center where she was presented with the award for Dedication and Excellence in the Teaching of Dermatology.
She has won awards for her work in laser research and continues to actively participate in FDA clinical research trials. Dr. Day regularly lectures nationally and internationally to her peers and the public. She is an active member of many organizations including the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery, the American Academy of Dermatology and the Women’s Dermatologic Society. She also actively participates on boards and dermatology advocacy groups.
Dr. Day has a master’s degree in medical journalism, is author of 2 books: 100 Questions and Answers About Acne, and Forget the Facelift, is host of the Dermatology Show on Doctor Radio on Sirius XM 110 and has frequent appearances on many national media outlets.
Q. What part of your work gives you the most pleasure?
A. As physicians, I believe we are healers, and as a dermatologist I know and appreciate that I have a special role in my patients’ lives as I help them look and feel their best. I love learning and growing, and I love teaching and seeing others learn. Every day I wake up and feel joy that I get to do what I do. I understand it is a privilege and comes with great responsibility to be my best each and every day. I have a passion for and get energy from my work and spending time with my patients. I also greatly enjoy and gain satisfaction from participating in and speaking at national and international meetings, ad boards, doing research projects, networking with colleagues, writing, educating and being able to contribute to the improvement and future of my specialty. My background in medical journalism has greatly helped me communicate the importance of dermatology to the public and to educate the public on all matters of health and medicine and brings together my 2 passions of medicine and education.
Q. Are an understanding and appreciation of the humanities important in dermatology and why?
A. This is critical because as physicians, and especially as dermatologists who treat appearance as well as overall health, understanding the humanities and the impact of social circumstances on health is the difference between being a technician and prescription pusher versus being a true healer. So much of my day is spent helping my patients understand the connection between the skin and the mind and body. In this way, I see their conditions truly resolve rather than just be controlled or masked. I believe strongly that the skin is a reflection of your overall health and well-being and understanding the humanities, traveling the world, reading literature and knowing that every patient has a story, allows me to best be able to reach and heal my patients. I majored in English Literature in college, being fortunate enough to have been able to have traveled extensively and to focus on journalism and investigative reporting, has helped me have a deeper understanding of my patient’s life circumstances and that has helped me reach them on a deeper level. It helps me help them in ways that sometimes surprises us both.
Q. What is your greatest regret?
A. I do have a few regrets, but what I have learned is that for every regret, I have made so many important changes and improvements that the regrets have fallen away and some have even become positives. I regret I do not have more time in the day to do all the things that interest me.
Q.Who was your hero/mentor and why?
A. My hero mentors are the women like Drs. Jean Carruthers, Rhoda Narins, Susan Weinkle and Mary Lupo, among others — women who have balanced career and family, who have always taken the time to give back and to contribute to our specialty and to create a path for women even at the highest levels of leadership. They have been a champion of other women at a time when the field was very male-dominated.
Q. What is the best piece of advice you have received and from whom?
A. The best piece of advice I received was from my dad, also a physician. I consider myself his youngest apprentice, starting from a very young age and getting to hear his stories and see how much he loved his work and his patients. He taught me the art of medicine. He taught me that science has some of the answers but that you have to know the patient, understand them and pay attention to detail in order to really make a difference. He also taught me to “first be a woman” and to not try to succeed like a man, but to do things in a way that works for me — to pay attention to how I look, wear makeup and understand that looking and feeling feminine does not make me less smart, less serious or less of a success.
Q. Which medical figure in history would you want to have a drink with and why?
A. I would love to have a drink with Sigmund Freud. He had a point of view and understanding of people that was completely out of the box for his time, but he had the courage of his convictions and persevered when others considered him a fraud. If I could get him and Nietzsche in a conversation together and just sit back and listen, that would be heaven.
Q. What is the greatest political danger in the field of dermatology?
A. The greatest danger for us is giving up our autonomy and becoming employees of the system. I see more and more that we are being buried under paperwork and demands that have nothing to do with patient care. We are at risk of becoming technicians and drug pushers rather than the true healers that we were trained and destined to be. I fight this every day and am very lucky that I come from a family of physicians and my father practiced and taught me the love of the art as well as science of medicine. I also trained at a time where we were taught to touch our patients, make eye contact, listen and care about the whole person, a time before all the “efficiencies” of computers and automation created distance between the doctor and patient. Being a doctor is my passion and it is in my blood and gives me the greatest of joy each and every day. I fear it will become impossible to practice the true art of medicine in the not so distant future.
Dr. Barankin is a dermatologist in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is author-editor of 7 books in dermatology and is widely published in the dermatology and humanities literature.
In dermatology, we are fortunate to have many insightful practitioners and great teachers and mentors. Some are bright stars in our special universe – others unsung heroes. All of these colleagues have much to share, from wisdom to humor to insights into dermatology and life. This column allows us to gain insight from these practitioners and learn more about them.
Doris Day is a board certified dermatologist who specializes in laser, cosmetic and medical dermatology on the Upper East Side in New York City. She is a clinical associate professor of dermatology at New York University Medical Center where she was presented with the award for Dedication and Excellence in the Teaching of Dermatology.
She has won awards for her work in laser research and continues to actively participate in FDA clinical research trials. Dr. Day regularly lectures nationally and internationally to her peers and the public. She is an active member of many organizations including the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery, the American Academy of Dermatology and the Women’s Dermatologic Society. She also actively participates on boards and dermatology advocacy groups.
Dr. Day has a master’s degree in medical journalism, is author of 2 books: 100 Questions and Answers About Acne, and Forget the Facelift, is host of the Dermatology Show on Doctor Radio on Sirius XM 110 and has frequent appearances on many national media outlets.
Q. What part of your work gives you the most pleasure?
A. As physicians, I believe we are healers, and as a dermatologist I know and appreciate that I have a special role in my patients’ lives as I help them look and feel their best. I love learning and growing, and I love teaching and seeing others learn. Every day I wake up and feel joy that I get to do what I do. I understand it is a privilege and comes with great responsibility to be my best each and every day. I have a passion for and get energy from my work and spending time with my patients. I also greatly enjoy and gain satisfaction from participating in and speaking at national and international meetings, ad boards, doing research projects, networking with colleagues, writing, educating and being able to contribute to the improvement and future of my specialty. My background in medical journalism has greatly helped me communicate the importance of dermatology to the public and to educate the public on all matters of health and medicine and brings together my 2 passions of medicine and education.
Q. Are an understanding and appreciation of the humanities important in dermatology and why?
A. This is critical because as physicians, and especially as dermatologists who treat appearance as well as overall health, understanding the humanities and the impact of social circumstances on health is the difference between being a technician and prescription pusher versus being a true healer. So much of my day is spent helping my patients understand the connection between the skin and the mind and body. In this way, I see their conditions truly resolve rather than just be controlled or masked. I believe strongly that the skin is a reflection of your overall health and well-being and understanding the humanities, traveling the world, reading literature and knowing that every patient has a story, allows me to best be able to reach and heal my patients. I majored in English Literature in college, being fortunate enough to have been able to have traveled extensively and to focus on journalism and investigative reporting, has helped me have a deeper understanding of my patient’s life circumstances and that has helped me reach them on a deeper level. It helps me help them in ways that sometimes surprises us both.
Q. What is your greatest regret?
A. I do have a few regrets, but what I have learned is that for every regret, I have made so many important changes and improvements that the regrets have fallen away and some have even become positives. I regret I do not have more time in the day to do all the things that interest me.
Q.Who was your hero/mentor and why?
A. My hero mentors are the women like Drs. Jean Carruthers, Rhoda Narins, Susan Weinkle and Mary Lupo, among others — women who have balanced career and family, who have always taken the time to give back and to contribute to our specialty and to create a path for women even at the highest levels of leadership. They have been a champion of other women at a time when the field was very male-dominated.
Q. What is the best piece of advice you have received and from whom?
A. The best piece of advice I received was from my dad, also a physician. I consider myself his youngest apprentice, starting from a very young age and getting to hear his stories and see how much he loved his work and his patients. He taught me the art of medicine. He taught me that science has some of the answers but that you have to know the patient, understand them and pay attention to detail in order to really make a difference. He also taught me to “first be a woman” and to not try to succeed like a man, but to do things in a way that works for me — to pay attention to how I look, wear makeup and understand that looking and feeling feminine does not make me less smart, less serious or less of a success.
Q. Which medical figure in history would you want to have a drink with and why?
A. I would love to have a drink with Sigmund Freud. He had a point of view and understanding of people that was completely out of the box for his time, but he had the courage of his convictions and persevered when others considered him a fraud. If I could get him and Nietzsche in a conversation together and just sit back and listen, that would be heaven.
Q. What is the greatest political danger in the field of dermatology?
A. The greatest danger for us is giving up our autonomy and becoming employees of the system. I see more and more that we are being buried under paperwork and demands that have nothing to do with patient care. We are at risk of becoming technicians and drug pushers rather than the true healers that we were trained and destined to be. I fight this every day and am very lucky that I come from a family of physicians and my father practiced and taught me the love of the art as well as science of medicine. I also trained at a time where we were taught to touch our patients, make eye contact, listen and care about the whole person, a time before all the “efficiencies” of computers and automation created distance between the doctor and patient. Being a doctor is my passion and it is in my blood and gives me the greatest of joy each and every day. I fear it will become impossible to practice the true art of medicine in the not so distant future.
Dr. Barankin is a dermatologist in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is author-editor of 7 books in dermatology and is widely published in the dermatology and humanities literature.
