A Conversation With James G. Marks, MD

Q. What part of your work gives you the most pleasure?

A. I entered medicine to take care of patients. This has not changed 5 decades later and is the most rewarding part of my professional life. I have seen some patients for more than 30 years and gotten to know them and their families. For one family, I have taken care of 4 generations of their clan. It is an honor to help my patients, both physically and emotionally. For some of my patients, advances in medicine/dermatology have made remarkable improvements in their disease and quality of life.

Q. What is the best piece of advice you have received and from whom?

A. Dr Donald Lookingbill was the first dermatologist at the Hershey Medical Center, and it was because of Don that I came to Hershey. Dr Jeffrey Miller succeeded me as chair of the department and has extended my career by years. Both Don and Jeff are wonderful human beings from whom I often sought advice. Perhaps observing their emotional intelligence rather than specific advice had the most positive impact on me. I am forever grateful to them as a friend and a colleague.

Q. What is your greatest regret?

A. In a strange way, the Vietnam War. If it had not been for that war, I would not have volunteered for the USAF and been stationed in Italy and Texas. This was a great opportunity for me culturally and professionally. However, it was a terrible loss of life for the United States, Vietnam, and others, as well as being terribly divisive for our nation. War is never a “good” thing, and the human cost is great.

Q. Are an understanding and appreciation of the humanities important in dermatology and why?

A. Caring for the whole human being is very important. Often, we are managing the disease, not curing it. This requires connecting with the patient on a personal level, not just a technical level. Medicine has made great strides in the diagnosis and treatment of cutaneous disease since I started practicing dermatology. However, there needs to be a human touch to comfort the patient. The Penn State College of Medicine was the first US medical school to have a department of humanities, and our department of dermatology has an annual endowed grand round of visiting humanities professors.

Q. Which patient had the most effect on your work and why?

A. I remember a patient with allergic contact dermatitis to carbonless copy paper and several florists who were allergic to alstroemeria. It was like solving a mystery because these allergies had not been reported previously in the United States and resulted in publishing case reports. I also remember the first patients I treated with isotretinoin, itraconazole, etanercept, and dupilumab. These were life-altering medicines for these patients. I cannot wait for the next patient who is positively impacted by a new pharmaceutical or for whom I solve the cause of their allergic contact dermatitis.