Dermatology manpower needs

The future need for dermatologists is difficult to predict, as it depends on the structure of our health care delivery system, which is still rapidly evolving, and whose future shape is unknown. The best strategy to deal with this unpredictable situation is to de-emphasize trying to predict the future and focus on responding as rapidly as possible to whatever changes in dermatologic manpower needs the future may bring. From that perspective, it is best to train fewer rather than more dermatologists, as it is much quicker to rectify a shortage than an excess in medical manpower. Other issues that impact on dermatologist manpower include a very rapid increase in nonphysicians taking care of skin diseases, the maldistribution of dermatologists, the decreasing proportion of common skin diseases treated by dermatologists, and the need to upgrade the residency training to master the explosion in medical knowledge which has occurred, and to gain a greater expertise in the medical and cosmetic aspects of the specialty.