Dr. Cynthia Golomb: Triple Board Certified Mohs Surgeon
I have great news to share. I recently passed the board certification exam for Micrographic Dermatologic Surgery. You may know this as Mohs, a type of surgery for skin cancer that is often done on the face to retain as much non-cancerous skin tissue as possible to reduce scarring.
I am now triple board certified in Dermatology, Dermatopathology and Mohs.
This was the first year that board certification was offered for Mohs. Eventually this certification will be required for a dermatologist to do Micrographic Dermatologic Surgery.
I perform this type of surgery on high-risk or complex skin cancers. Cancerous tissue is progressively removed and examined until only cancer-free skin remains. I then repair the area where the cancer was removed.
For example, I performed Mohs surgery on the patient above and then did a skin graft. She had a basal cell cancer on her ear. The second photo was taken 3 1/2 months after her surgeries. Her face mask is pulling her ear forward in the “after” photo.
Mohs is ideal for treating cancer in cosmetically and functionally prominent areas such as the ears, nose, eyelids, lips, hairline, hands and feet.
The exam and board certification demonstrates that I have the knowledge, experience and skills to be a specialist in Mohs.
Does a doctor have to be board certified to practice medicine? No.
But as a patient you want a physician who stays up-to-date with the latest developments, medicines and treatments in her specialty. Board certification means your doctor has gone above and beyond the many years of education required for a medical license by passing the exams given by her specialty’s governing body.
