9-minute read

Dermatology Education

In medical school, physicians on track to practice in primary care or urgent care, receive an average of six hours of dermatology. Those accepted into a dermatology residency, study extensively for three years with emphasis on textbooks, clinical research, and patient care. In contrast, nurse practitioners receive very little exposure to dermatology in nurse practitioner school outside of learning the integumentary system. There is a growing number of education programs available, but very few are offered online, self-paced, available all year long at your convenience, include a lecture and exam format, and created by a Board-Certified Dermatologist specifically for nurse practitioners (NPs), physician associates (PAs), and those in primary care. Enter, Derm Boot Camp with Dr. Boswell.

The Interview

Dr. Scott Boswell

Dr. Boswell received his bachelor’s degree in microbiology from Brigham Young University. He then attended medical school at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans. He returned to his home town of Fresno, California for his preliminary intern year where he studied Internal Medicine. Lastly, he completed his dermatology residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. He taught and practiced in academics at a satellite campus of University of California San Francisco for about 3.5 years. Afterwards, he started his private practice in 2013 in his native Fresno, where him and his wife call home. Even though his time in an academic setting ended, his passion for teaching never did.

The Dermatology Team

In his private practice, he is joined by a Fellowship Trained, Board-Certified Mohs Surgeon, another Board-Certified Dermatologist, and ten Nurse Practitioners. The thirteen of them (50 employees in total) share patients and manage various medical, surgical, and cosmetic challenges together at his private practice. Fun fact, his NPs receive a higher bonus collection once they become Board-Certified through the Dermatology Nurse Practitioner Certification Board which represents a standard of excellence. Many NPs in my network have enrolled in Derm Boot Camp to prepare for board examination.

Why Derm Boot Camp with Dr. Boswell?

Dr. Boswell was working with Rockstar Nurse Practitioners (his words) in his office who had a passion for dermatology and a desire to learn more. He recognized while educational opportunities existed for Advance Practice Providers (APPs) to learn dermatology, the feedback was that providers were looking for more. Over the course of ten years, he developed a curriculum heavily based on Andrews’ Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology to provide the book knowledge to the basis of dermatology. Andrews’ Diseases of the Skin is the same textbook all dermatologists read during residency. In fact, Dr. Boswell read it every year during his dermatology training.

A Ten-Year Passion Project

In addition to Andrews, the curriculum is based on his personal experience of teaching his nurse practitioners. Early in the morning in his office, he taught didactics twice a week and administered an exam once a week to test clinical understanding. During this time, he developed a large book of 78 lessons and a little over 50 lectures about 20-to-30-minute each, on the approach to various dermatologic diseases, diagnosis, treatment, and evaluation. In total, it took ten years to develop and nine months to film which took place during 2020.

Blood, Sweat, and Sunscreen

The filming of Derm Boot Camp was supported by the help of a high school videography teacher who does freelancing on the side. The two of them met every Friday afternoon and all-day Saturday for nine months to develop what is now known as Derm Boot Camp with Dr. Boswell. Needless to say, the videographer learned quite a bit about dermatology! The MP4 files were then uploaded to Thinkific, a Canadian-based platform for teaching courses.

Mission & Vision

The mission and vision: Provide the book knowledge and training to those without residency training, to improve patient care, and to improve dermatology knowledge for any provider treating patients.

Dr. Boswell was clear to point out during the interview and on his website www.dermbootcamp.com, Derm Boot Camp is not a replacement for a dermatology residency or a Board-Certified Dermatologist. As I’ve discussed extensively and he notes, there are not enough Dermatologists to meet the needs of the patient population. Nurse practitioners, physician associates, and primary care physicians play a critical role, particularly in underserved areas and dermatology provider shortage areas. Patients can wait an average of 35 days to get an appointment with a dermatologist and those in rural areas may wait as long as 75 days, according to the latest data. In the meantime, patients are being seen by NPs, PAs, and primary care providers who simply want to provide the best care.

Statistics

At the time of this interview, nearly 800 providers have participated in Derm Boot Camp with Dr. Boswell.

Structure

In each video, Dr. Boswell appears with a whiteboard paying homage to an old school teaching style to help enrollees feel as though they are in a classroom setting and comfortable enough to ask questions. You will not find him reading a PowerPoint slide. There are a little more than 20 exams based on Andrews’. Due to copyright, he doesn’t quote directly from the text nor will you find any of the photos from the textbook. In the six months you have access to the materials, you’ll receive comprehensive education on just about all of dermatology. Approximately, 20-30% of students return to purchase a one-, three-, or six-month extension at a lower price than the full course. In addition to the online course, enrollees can purchase a 158-page bound notebook specifically designed for Derm Boot Camp which is an outline of the entire course and a place to take notes.

Cost

When deciding on the cost of the program, Dr. Boswell considered the average financing we’re allotted for continuing education (CEs) credits, the annual requirement for CEs, and structured the cost around this understanding. He offers over 32 hours of category one American Medical Association credits, the highest quality of Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit available. You can sign up on a monthly basis at a lower cost and cancel at any time, but it limits how much time you have to learn, and coincidentally, it’s one of the least purchased options.

The cost to maintain accreditation through the hospital is expensive, however, Dr. Boswell feels it’s worth it to provide access to quality education. Further, he believes and I agree, employers should support this type of education and training and thus understand the value he is offering. This is especially true for employers when you consider 100% the cost goes to education and doesn’t have to be portioned to cover lodging or transportation.

How Do You Get into Dermatology?

A frequently asked question among Aspiring Dermatology Nurse Practitioners is, “How to get into dermatology?” The second most commonly asked question is, “Where to receive education and training?” Derm Boot Camp with Dr. Boswell has become a highly recommended platform for nurse practitioners and physician associates interested in practicing dermatology. Some participating APPs have already secured a job and are looking to optimize their clinical knowledge outside of work hours. Others seek programs like Derm Boot Camp with Dr. Boswell to obtain initial dermatology education and increase their chances of securing their first job. While it is possible to get a job without dermatology experience (although very difficult) and to be offered on-the-job training, many nurse practitioners have stated that learning on-the-job can still be challenging in light of the busy atmosphere and competing priorities during clinic.

Many NPs in my network have reported their satisfaction with Derm Boot Camp, how it increased their confidence, and helped them secure a job before completing the course. Dr. Boswell has received similar feedback from new providers in dermatology, as well as from experienced clinicians who attested to the degree of clarity they received after taking the course.

Community

Thinkific allows enrollees to connect through their platform. Participants can email Dr. Boswell directly if they have questions about the lessons and expect an answer in about a day or two. He is considering offering virtual office hours in the future to share general knowledge, not answer questions about specific cases, understandably.

Mentors

He’s partnered with Joe Gorelick, MSN, FNP-C, Founder of the Dermatology Education Foundation (DEF). Dr. Boswell serves as faculty during the annual Derm NP/PA CME Conferences where he lectures for two hours presenting about 200 case scenarios using a rapid-fire quiz style in leu of a formal PowerPoint presentation, of which if you may have noticed, he’s not a fan. DEF helps to advertise his course and over the years they developed a great relationship. While Dr. Boswell reached out to a number of dermatology organizations to establish a partnership, Joe was quick to respond and realize the power in collaboration. Together they show the beauty of partnership and the potential outcomes when two parties bring something of value to the table.

Dermoscopy, Cosmetics, Pharmaceuticals, and Pathology Reports

Enrollees will not get lectures on dermoscopy, cosmetics, teledermatology, cosmetics, or skills like suturing. The lectures do not cover how to optimize your relationship with Medical Science Liaisons or Pharmaceutical Reps.  Pharmaceuticals are presented in an unbiased manner as is a requirement to maintain CME accreditation. You will get exposure to general pathology terms and how to interpret a pathology report. During the course, Dr. Boswell shares images of pathology while explaining the pathologist’s interpretation. He addresses ethical billing, coding, CPT codes and modifiers.

Completion of the Course

Upon completion of the course, Thinkific provides a generic certification of completion. Once Dr. Boswell is notified of your completion, he contacts the governing body for his CME so you can receive your 32.25 credits which are linked to your National Provider Identifier (NPI) number. Within a week, you’ll receive your formal CME transcript.

National Provider Identifier

If you are an aspiring dermatology nurse practitioner in nurse practitioner school, you can enroll, but will not be able to obtain CEs until you complete/pass boards and obtain your NPI number. Although, if you’re in NP school, you likely don’t need CEs! Most NP schools allot for a certain number of clinical hours outside of the primary care curriculum. If you have the time and find a dermatology preceptor, you could combine that experience with the education you learn in Derm Boot Camp to share with a future employer and perhaps get your first NP job in dermatology. If that is something you pursue and it works out, I would love to hear about it!

Essential Components to Postgraduate Education and Training

Dr. Boswell is a proponent of combining textbook knowledge with clinical experience to see as many patients as possible and the multiple ways diseases present on different patients and at varying levels of severity. He also believes in having the support of a mentor who can guide you and provide you access to different clinical approaches to assessment, diagnosis, and treatment.

Skin of Color

In the course, Dr. Boswell addresses the unique approaches to skin of color dermatoses and various pigmentary disorders.

The Future of Dermatology

When asked about the future of dermatology in the next 5 years, he expressed concern about the growth of private equity-owned practices; a change that is reflected in the latest evidence and a popular conversation amongst Dermatology NPs. He discussed how the rate of inflation and the decrease in reimbursement (nearly 26%) to dermatologists in the last 20 years has impacted the number of physician-owned practices. These changes have put stress on private practices owners, who on one hand want to appropriately compensate their employees who deserve it and with whom they empathize with as we’re all faced with the increased cost of living. Yet, on the other hand, they must also take into consideration the cost of running a practice in a competitive market with big organizations with big budgets. He believes it’s important for medical professionals to have a seat at the table where decisions are being made so the patient is always at the center of those conversations. In the next five years, you can anticipate fewer physician-owned practices.

Connect with Dr. Boswell

While Dr. Boswell is busy running a practice, treating patients, and managing Derm Boot Camp, he still finds time to update the courses based on the latest evidence and clinical guidelines. You can connect with him by visiting www.dermbootcamp.com.

My Sincere Gratitude

I can’t thank Dr. Boswell enough for agreeing to chat with me to share his journey, his passion for nurse practitioners and physician associates, and his desire to improve patient outcomes through accessible education. During this interview, he invited us into his personal journey and daily sacrifice from a health care provider perspective and business owner, a rare, yet invaluable opportunity.

I shared with him that while I have fallen in love with dermatology, I have not always felt welcomed.  I sincerely appreciated his response to my statement and I am grateful that he made me feel comfortable enough to share my experience.  He has created an inclusive platform, surrounds himself with nurse practitioners, and continues to invest in his business so it reaches as many people as possible. I look forward to following his journey and can’t wait to see what he does next. Perhaps he’ll find a way to incorporate AI!

I encourage you to visit his website www.dermbootcamp.com and learn more. If you enroll in his course and find it helpful, please tell him I sent you!

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*I am an Amazon Associate. I earn a small commission when you click on my product links.

Kimberly Madison, DNP, AGPCNP-BC

Kimberly Madison is a nurse practitioner with a passion for writing, entrepreneurship, education, and mentorship. I created this blog to share my journey as source of motivation and as a blueprint as you embark on your journey. Most importantly, I’m looking forward to increasing access to dermatology education and clinical training for aspiring and practicing nurse practitioners. I invite you to view the mission and vision statement on the homepage to see how we can best partner to make our dreams align.

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