The Dunning Kruger Effect

The Dunning-Kruger effect in psychology is a cognitive bias whereby people with limited knowledge in a given intellectual or social domain OVERESTIMATE their own knowledge/competence in that domain relative to objective criteria or to the performance of their peers or of people in general.

How does this apply to me as a physician, specifically a dermatologist?

Well number one, I RECOGNIZE IT EXISTS. I am a mere human and I owe it to my patients to NOT be overconfident, to consider gaps in my knowledge, and to keep up with this ever changing and humbling landscape of medicine.

The antidote for me is a commitment to life long learning and to continue to take on hard cases and gain more and more experience. Easier said than done. But bring on the experience.

Number two. I RECOGNIZE IT EXISTS. For some odd reason, although dermatology is one of the most competitive specialties to train in, is waaaay complicated and honestly some of the hardest subject matter to be responsible for, it is the considered the "low hanging fruit" of medicine. This has led to tons of people taking a shot at it. Your aunt Sally, doctors and other providers in different specialties, the lady down the street, influencers...

A little knowledge can be dangerous. (Another way of interpreting the Dunning-Kruger effect). Everyone is susceptible to this phenomenon.

What I have seen lately in "taking a shot" at practicing dermatology without appropriate experience or follow up for patients is unsettling.

This ranges from years long non-healing wounds and rashes, to thousands spent on the wrong products or procedures, to being called emergently on procedures that others performed but lack the knowledge on the complications and how to work through them.

This cycle continues, because helpful and enlightening feedback is not looped back around and given.

There are so many options for your skin health needs.

Start with credentials, experience, and connection.

Let's make sure your skin is HEALTHY and SAFE FIRST. (No dangerous moles, life altering rashes, cancers, allergies).

The beauty of it all comes second. (both in happy skin and a trusting relationship).