In clinical practiceContinuity and community
Dermatology
A visual specialty with clinical depth and a busy outpatient life.
At a glance
- Training after MBBS
- Three years of postgraduate training after MBBS.
- Time and predictability
- Clinic-based with few emergencies.
- Geographic flexibility
- Skills travel; licensing and local practice norms do not.
- Room to build your own
- Own practice is common; procedures need equipment and careful governance.
- AI exposure
- Image-based tools for lesion assessment are developing; examination and procedures remain.
Contents · 9 sections
The work
Diagnosing and treating diseases of the skin, hair and nails, from infections and inflammatory disease to skin cancer, with procedures and aesthetic work for some.
Where you might work
- Outpatient clinics
- Own practice
- Hospital departments
- Procedure rooms and day-care settings
Getting there
MBBS, then MD Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy, or the DNB equivalent.
How long: Three years of postgraduate training after MBBS.
Skills that matter
- Visual diagnosis
- Procedural skill
- Explaining chronic conditions
- Ethical judgement where aesthetics meets medicine
The life it gives you
Largely outpatient with few emergencies, so hours are usually predictable.
Skills travel; licensing and local practice norms do not. Own practice is common; procedures need equipment and careful governance.
Money
Private practice and procedures shape income considerably. It varies with setting, city and the mix of medical and aesthetic work.
What shapes income most
- Own practice or employed
- Medical and procedural mix
- City
Weighing it up
What it offers
- Predictable hours
- A strong independent-practice route
- Visible results
What it costs
- Commercial pressure from aesthetics
- Chronic conditions without quick wins
- Acute-care skills fade over time
On AI: image-based tools for lesion assessment are developing; examination and procedures remain.
Who may enjoy it
You may find this path suits you if:
- you are visual
- you like a clinic-based week
- you want to run your own practice
Related paths
- Family medicine and general practiceFirst contact, whole person, for years.
- PathologyThe diagnosis behind the diagnosis.
- EntrepreneurshipBuilding something of your own: a practice, a service, a company.
Further reading
- Choosing a specialty with your eyes openIn preparation
- Choosing a specialty: the RICH DOCTOR guideIn preparation