Skin is in – now more than ever.
As The Wall Street Journal reports, applications for dermatology medical residencies have increased 50% over the past five years, due in part to the “prevalence of dermatology.”dermfluencerWho has millions of followers online.
“People are more aware of our area now,” NYC dermatologist Dr. Shereen Idris told the Journal. skin care popularity But social media And time spent in virtual Zoom calls causes derm boom.
Mississippi dermatologist Dr. Lindsey Zubritsky claims 3 million followers He said on his social media platforms that the industry has become “ungodly competitive” as a result.
Luck It is reported that the number of vacancies may not keep pace with the demand for jobs, making dermatology the second most competitive medical profession.
At UConn Health in Farmington, Connecticut, the hospital’s dermatology program received more than 600 applicants for four residency positions, Dr. Jane Grant-Kells, vice chair of dermatology at the hospital, told The Journal.
“The quality of these applicants is scary,” he said.
Dermatologists also earn hefty salaries, about $541,000 a year, the Journal reported, citing a survey by the Medical Group Management Association. The cash flow for “dermafluencers” is even higher, with some earning $30,000 for a sponsored post.
Idris, who charges $500 for microneedling and $4,000 for laser and filler treatments at her clinic, said “the sky’s the limit” when it comes to income as a cosmetic dermatologist.
Additionally, according to the Journal, unlike other on-call physicians, dermatologists typically do not have to respond to medical emergencies, and the flexibility of their schedules is an attractive prospect.
“It is one of the only [medical] Fields where you can work 40 hours a week like a normal person,” Zubritsky told the Journal.
This means they have time to grow their audience on social media, sharing their opinions on the latest cosmetic trends how to use themOr launching side gigs as a podcast host, signing brand deals, appearing in commercials, and more.
“One of the great things about our field is that careers are very flexible in many ways,” said dermatologist Dr. Angelo Landrisquina. to coax earlier this year. “You can make it exactly how you want it.
But the proliferation of dermatologists on TikTok has raised concerns from fellow doctors who are not on the app. He fears for the future of his field if more professionals stop seeing patients and focus their efforts solely on content creation.
“I see the appeal,” Dr. Sandra Lee, better known as the viral Dr. Pimple Popper, told Allure when speaking on the prospects of “dermflushing” full-time.
“But if you’re not seeing patients on a regular basis, and you’re not putting what you’ve learned into practice, I don’t know if you can really call yourself a dermatologist.”
Some people even scoff at the idea of gaining followers online.
Dr. Adam Friedman, chair of dermatology at George Washington University, told the outlet that patients have shown him TikToks of other dermatologists online dancing or endorsing products and asked, “Why aren’t you doing that?”
“I think so, ’cause I’m here looking at you,” he retorted.
