Spotlight On: Jennifer Stein, MD, PhD

Dr Stein received her Bachelor of Science in molecular biophysics and biochemistry from Yale University. She completed the medical scientist-training program at New York University (NYU) where she earned her doctorate in developmental genetics.

After receiving her medical degree, she stayed at NYU for her internship in medicine and residency in dermatology. She then joined the NYU faculty where she is now an associate professor of dermatology and the associate director of the pigmented lesion section. She is a member of the American Academy of Dermatology performance measurement task force and is the co-chair of its melanoma measures work group.

Dr Stein has an interest in patients at high risk for melanoma or other skin cancers and specializes in managing patients with atypical moles using imaging techniques to minimize unnecessary biopsies. Her research focuses on early detection of melanomas, melanoma on special sites, and melanoma in minority populations. She lives in New York City with her husband and 2 sons.

Q. WHAT PART OF YOUR WORK GIVES YOU THE MOST PLEASURE?
A. I enjoy the mixture of patient care, research, and teaching. I spend half my time seeing patients, many of whom have a history of or are at high risk for melanoma or other skin cancers. Some of my time I teach residents and medical students. They constantly challenge me to explain my approach, and force me to justify or improve how I practice.The rest of my time I do clinical research based on questions that arise in my patient care. Each part of my work influences and improves the others, and makes for a very satisfying career.

Q. ARE AN UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION OF THE HUMANITIES IMPORTANT IN DERMATOLOGY AND WHY?
A. Much of dermatology focuses on improving quality of life. An understanding and appreciation of the humanities allows us to connect with our patients and put their suffering in perspective.

Q. WHO WAS YOUR HERO/MENTOR AND WHY?
A. Al Kopf, MD, became my mentor during my residency, and changed the course of my career. Two fortuitous events made this happen.The first was that my chief resident was working on a project with Dr Kopf and needed someone to continue it after he graduated. It was an incredible opportunity to be mentored by Dr Kopf. The second is that Dr Kopf was retiring at the same time as I was finishing residency, and I assumed some of his responsibilities and took over his clinics when I started on faculty. Dr Kopf has been a wonderful teacher, mentor, and role model. He taught me to take advantage of all opportunities that arise, but at the same time to always prioritize family.

Q. WHICH PATIENT HAD THE MOST EFFECT ON YOUR WORK AND WHY?
A. The first patient to walk into my office when I started as a faculty member had just had a melanoma on his face excised by another physician with nonstandard margins. I was not sure how to approach the situation. As a new dermatologist, I was worried about losing the patient’s trust if I told him I did not know what to do, and did not want to upset him unnecessarily. I consulted with several colleagues and mentors as well as combing through the literature, and finally talked to the patient about his options. I learned numerous lessons from this experience. Reading the literature with a specific patient in mind is the best way to focus your thoughts on it critically and cement it in your memory. Colleagues and mentors are invaluable sources of information. Consulting with them can take you beyond the reaches of the literature, and is the best part of working in an academic setting. Do not be afraid to tell a patient that you are unsure how to proceed in a complex situation. I have learned that patients respect when you are honest and are willing to research the best answer for them. I still see this patient to this day, and each year we celebrate our anniversary together at his skin exam.

Q.WHAT IS THE GREATEST POLITICAL DANGER IN THE FIELD OF DERMATOLOGY?
A. Dermatology needs to maintain its role as a respected member of the house of medicine. It is important for us to demonstrate the value we add to the health care system.We do not want to devolve into a field that only takes care of simple issues and can be easily replaced by physician extenders or primary care physicians.We need to continue to take care of complex patients and train the next generation of dermatologists to do so as well.