Frequently Asked Questions
Just ask them! All dermatologists at the practice are Fellows of the Australasian College of Dermatologists and have achieved a very high standard of knowledge to pass their exams. Furthermore, the Fellows are required to undergo Continuous Medical Education throughout their careers; this is a requirement of the College and of the Australian medical licensing board. Dermatologists are required to have at least 150 hours of training over every 3 years in various areas of dermatology and practice management.
Here at Radien Dermatology Gordon, our dermatologists regularly supervise the training of junior dermatology trainees through our public hospital appointments. We give regular training tutorials to junior staff, and all participate in informal and formal teaching within and outside the practice. There is also an active habit by all our doctors to give regular teaching lectures to general practitioners in various local and national forums. Our dermatologists regularly attend national and international medical conferences to ensure that their patients are provide with globally-accepted standards of care. The practice has available to all doctors several international and local peer-reviewed dermatology medical journals. We regularly cross-refer between colleagues in the practice, at no cost to the patient!
Many of us have been involved in the trainee selection process as well as are members on state level College committees. Dr. Thai is on the board of directors of the Skin and Cancer Foundation Australia.
It is a Medicare Australia requirement that certain types of excisions and lesion removal be sent for pathology, in order to attract a rebate. Also it is important that all specimens that are sent, be examined to confirm its diagnosis, and if relevant whether the lesion has been completely excised. In other words, having your surgical specimen examined by a dermato-pathologist is an important part of your treatment and care. The pathologists we send our specimens to, are highly trained in the examination of skin specimens. They are private companies and will bill the patient directly, and their fees attract a Medicare rebate.
No. Dermatologists are specialist doctors who undergo an extra four or more years of advanced training apart from their medical school and post-graduate vocational training. The entry to dermatology training is exceedingly competitive, the training is rigorous and the qualifying examinations very demanding. This process ensures that those who become dermatologists can provide you with the highest quality care.
Skin cancer clinics are typically staffed by general practitioners, and not qualified dermatologists. They will provide the good standard of care you would expect from your own general practitioner. Skin cancer doctors may well have had extra education in the management of skin cancers; this training is likely to be different to the standard achieved by your dermatologist.
The field of medicine is exceedingly large, and no one doctor can possibly cater to every problem that they see. Your family doctor has the skill set to recognize that you need more specialized care that can best be catered for by a specialist in dermatology.
There is currently a significant shortage of suitably qualified dermatologists in Australia. Despite the Australasian College of Dermatologists’ constant lobbying of the state and federal governments for more training positions, dermatology training in Australia is often not seen as a priority by successive governments. Dermatology is a complex medical specialty and doctors require significant training to be competent dermatologists. This type of training can only be achieved through suitably supervised training positions in Australian hospitals.
If you feel that your problem is genuinely urgent, please advise your referring doctor, they should make contact with our service to discuss the need for an urgent review by one of our specialists.
Please call us on 02 94182188 to book an appointment time with the dermatologist of your choice. This is a private medical practice and a fee is payable for consultations and any services; bulk billing is not applicable. A rebate is available for medical care from Medicare Australia if you have a valid referral from your doctor, the amount of the rebate does not reflect the cost of providing the high quality care that you receive.
Please note that our service is quite busy and our wait-list typically extends for several months ahead. If you believe your problem cannot wait, please discuss this with your referring doctor and have him or her make contact with our clinic to arrange an urgent review. We always endeavor to provide the highest quality care in a appropriate time frame.
