TL;DR
- A dermatologist is a doctor who studies and treats skin diseases. NHS Health Careers says dermatologists treat patients with a wide variety of skin, hair and nail conditions, of all ages from babies to the elderly, and that patients could present with approximately 2,000 different skin conditions.
- The job has six duties: diagnose, treat medically, operate, run light and specialist therapies, lead the multidisciplinary team, and teach and research. Most dermatologists become skin surgeons as well as skin physicians, with theatre time at least once a week.
- In the UK the route is medical school, the two-year foundation programme and a minimum of six or seven years of specialty training. A job description should name the setting, the sub-specialty interests and the surgical and clinic sessions.
Skin is the largest organ and the most visible one, which is why the dermatology clinic sees everything from a teenager's acne to a pensioner's melanoma, and why a good dermatologist is part physician, part surgeon and part counsellor. A dermatologist job description that just says "diagnose and treat skin conditions" misses most of that.
This article explains what a dermatologist does, using NHS Health Careers as the primary source, sets out six duties, describes the sub-specialties, summarises the UK training route and the skills the NHS asks for, and gives a job description template for a consultant or specialty doctor post. It is written for hiring managers and medical staffing teams; it is general information, not career or medical advice, and the training route is the UK one.
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What is a dermatologist?
The Cambridge Dictionary defines a dermatologist as “a doctor who studies and treats skin diseases”.
NHS Health Careers' page on dermatology puts it more widely: “Dermatologists treat patients with a wide variety of skin, hair and nail conditions.” It lists common conditions such as skin cancer, eczema, psoriasis, acne and severe drug rashes, says that “You'll treat patients of all ages from babies to the elderly”, and notes that “Patients could present with approximately 2,000 different skin conditions”.
Two features distinguish the job from most hospital medicine. First, it is surgical as well as medical: Health Careers says “You'll likely become a skin surgeon as well as a skin physician”, that skin surgery is increasingly important as the prevalence of skin cancer grows, and that a skin surgeon will likely work in an operating theatre at least once a week. Second, it is largely outpatient: the page says you could work from a primary care setting such as a GP's surgery or be based in a hospital.
Dermatologist job responsibilities: six duties
The procedures Health Careers lists include removing skin cancers, diagnostic biopsies, UV light therapy for inflammatory dermatoses, contact dermatitis investigation, examining and diagnosing skin conditions using a dermatoscope, intralesional injections and cryosurgery for precancerous or benign skin lesions. Grouped for a job description, the work has six duties.
- Diagnose. Examine and diagnose skin, hair and nail conditions in clinic, using the dermatoscope, biopsies and allergy investigation, and distinguish the serious from the common.
- Treat medically. Prescribe and monitor topical and systemic treatments, including the specialist drugs used for severe inflammatory disease, and manage drug reactions.
- Operate. Remove skin cancers and other lesions, carry out biopsies and cryosurgery, and run a regular theatre or minor procedures list.
- Run light and specialist therapies. UV light therapy, intralesional injections and the sub-specialty clinics the department offers.
- Lead the multidisciplinary team. Health Careers says a consultant dermatologist may have the responsibility to lead a large multidisciplinary team and cross-consult with other specialists: skin cancer MDTs, specialist nurses, GPs with an extended role and other specialties.
- Teach, supervise and research. Train resident doctors and nurses, contribute to audit and research, and keep the service's guidelines current.
Sub-specialties and settings
Health Careers says that after training a dermatologist can specialise in advanced skin surgery and Mohs' micrographic surgery, paediatric dermatology, cutaneous allergy and immunology, advanced medical dermatology, photodermatoses and photobiology, oral and genital dermatoses, hair and nails, and cosmetic or aesthetic dermatology.
| Area | What the work involves |
|---|---|
| Skin cancer and surgery | Diagnosis, excision, Mohs' surgery, the skin cancer multidisciplinary team |
| Medical dermatology | Severe inflammatory disease, systemic and specialist drugs, drug reactions |
| Paediatric dermatology | Children's skin conditions, often jointly with paediatrics |
| Allergy and photodermatology | Contact dermatitis investigation, light-related conditions, UV therapy |
| Community and primary care | Clinics in GP surgeries and community settings, referral triage |
| Cosmetic and aesthetic | Mostly private practice |
A job description should say which of these the post covers, and how many clinic, theatre and MDT sessions the job plan contains. For the paediatric overlap, see our pediatrician job description.
Skills the NHS asks for
Health Careers lists the must-have skills: excellent communication skills to manage a wide range of relationships with colleagues, patients and their families; emotional resilience, a calm temperament and the ability to work well under pressure; teamwork and the capacity to lead multidisciplinary teams; problem-solving and diagnostic skills; outstanding organisational ability and effective decision-making; and first-class time and resource management for the benefit of patients.
For dermatology specifically, add manual dexterity and surgical skill, visual pattern recognition, and the ability to explain a visible, sometimes stigmatised condition to a patient who has lived with it for years. Many patients, Health Careers notes, have conditions that significantly impact their lives.
Training and registration in the UK
The route, as Health Careers sets it out, is medical school (typically excellent GCSEs and three A or A* passes at A level including chemistry for the five-year degree, or a four-year postgraduate degree for graduates), then the paid two-year foundation programme with six placements, then paid specialty training to become a dermatologist, “which will take a minimum of six or seven years”. Part-time training may be possible. Health Careers gives one measure of competition: “In 2020, there were 166 applications for 42 specialty training places.”
For a job description, the requirements follow from the grade: full GMC registration with a licence to practise for every post; entry on the specialist register, or within six months of a certificate of completion of training, for a consultant post; and the relevant experience and competences for a specialty doctor post. Our psychiatrist job description shows the same structure in another specialty.
Dermatologist job description template
Job title: Consultant Dermatologist (or Specialty Doctor in Dermatology)
Reports to: Clinical Director, Dermatology; professionally to the Medical Director
Purpose: Provide expert diagnosis, medical treatment and skin surgery for patients with skin, hair and nail conditions, lead the multidisciplinary team, and contribute to teaching, audit and service development.
Responsibilities:
- Run general and specialist dermatology clinics, including urgent skin cancer referrals.
- Diagnose using clinical examination, dermoscopy, biopsy and investigation.
- Prescribe and monitor topical and systemic treatments, including specialist drugs.
- Undertake skin surgery and minor procedures, including excision of skin cancers, in a regular theatre list.
- Deliver light therapy and other specialist treatments as the department provides.
- Participate in and, where appropriate, chair the skin cancer multidisciplinary team.
- Advise GPs, community services and other specialties; support referral triage.
- Supervise and teach resident doctors, nurses and students.
- Take part in audit, clinical governance, guideline development and research.
- Share on-call or advice cover as set out in the job plan.
Requirements:
- Full GMC registration with a licence to practise.
- Consultant: on the specialist register in dermatology, or within six months of CCT at interview. Specialty doctor: the experience and competences set out in the person specification.
- Evidence of skin surgery competence; sub-specialty interest as required by the department.
- Communication, leadership and teamwork skills as listed by NHS Health Careers.
Job plan: Number of programmed activities, split between clinics, theatre, MDT, administration and supporting professional activities; base site and any community clinics.
Our job description template explains each section, and our employee onboarding guide covers the first weeks in post.
Frequently asked questions
What does a dermatologist do?
A dermatologist diagnoses and treats skin, hair and nail conditions in patients of all ages. NHS Health Careers lists common conditions such as skin cancer, eczema, psoriasis, acne and severe drug rashes, and procedures including removing skin cancers, biopsies, UV light therapy, contact dermatitis investigation, dermoscopy, intralesional injections and cryosurgery.
What are the responsibilities of a dermatologist?
Six duties: diagnose, treat medically, operate, run light and specialist therapies, lead the multidisciplinary team, and teach, supervise and research. Most dermatologists are skin surgeons as well as skin physicians, with theatre time at least weekly.
How long does it take to become a dermatologist in the UK?
Medical school (five years, or four for graduates), the two-year foundation programme, and specialty training that NHS Health Careers says takes a minimum of six or seven years. Part-time training may be possible.
What skills does a dermatologist need?
NHS Health Careers lists excellent communication, emotional resilience and calm under pressure, teamwork and the capacity to lead multidisciplinary teams, problem-solving and diagnostic skills, organisational ability and decision-making, and time and resource management. Surgical skill and visual pattern recognition matter in dermatology specifically.
What are the sub-specialties of dermatology?
NHS Health Careers lists advanced skin surgery and Mohs' micrographic surgery, paediatric dermatology, cutaneous allergy and immunology, advanced medical dermatology, photodermatoses and photobiology, oral and genital dermatoses, hair and nails, and cosmetic or aesthetic dermatology.
Where do dermatologists work?
In hospitals and, increasingly, in primary care and community settings such as GP surgeries, according to NHS Health Careers, with theatre sessions for skin surgery. Some work in private practice, particularly in cosmetic dermatology.
Your next step
- Decide the grade and the sub-specialty interests the department needs.
- Write the job plan first: clinics, theatre, MDT and supporting activities.
- Use the six duties and the NHS skills list for the description and person specification.
- Plan the first weeks: induction, systems, clinic templates and a named mentor.
For a structured start for a new doctor, read and download our employee onboarding guide. The guide is free to read, and the PDF uses our short download form.
Want consultant job plans, objectives and appraisals tracked in one place? Book a New Dynamics demo and bring your current job descriptions. You can also email contact@new-dynamics.com.
