Medesthetics

MAR 2015

MedEsthetics magazines offers business education and in-depth coverage of the latest noninvasive cosmetic procedures for physicians and practice managers working in the medical aesthetics industry.

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CAPITAL CARE 52 MARCH 2015 | Med Esthetics A DAY IN THE LIFE Several decades later, Dr. Burgess offers both medical and cosmetic dermatology care in her downtown Washington, D.C., practice. "Most of all, I want to make people with medical conditions look and feel better," she says. "Dermatology hits the points of all my interests. I like patient contact, but I also like the academic and research aspects." Since launching the Center for Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery in 1988, Dr. Burgess has expanded the practice to include a wide range of dermatologic and noninvasive cosmetic procedures, and opened a second location in Annapolis, Maryland. "I still teach, and I mentor students and residents. I do Phase 3 and Phase 4 clinical trials in my offi ce. I publish papers, and I've patented two procedures—fi ller injection tech- niques that I created for HIV patients who have facial wasting," she says. Today, her biggest challenge is fi nding enough time in the day to accomplish everything she wants to fi t in. "My father always said, 'You can't store time in your pocket, so make the best use of each moment.' I am the person who will put in 200%, but I just don't have enough time to complete all the tasks I want to complete," she says. "For example, I would love to do more research, but I am now at the point where I realize it's OK to occasion- ally say no." EMBRACING AESTHETICS As a high school student, Dr. Burgess had her sights set on a career in the arts. Her father, however, was less keen on the idea. "My dad was the only one of eight siblings to go on to college, on an athletic scholarship. So he was adamant about his children going to college," she says. "He put art out of my mind. He said, 'That is not a profession. You need something to fall back on.' A professor once told me that I'd make a good doctor, so I applied to medical school." When she completed her residency in the 1980s, dermatology was quite different than it is today. Col- lagen fi llers had only recently come onto the market. Chemical peels and dermabrasion were state-of-the-art procedures. But even then, "it fascinated me how I could Dr. Burgess' love of fi ne art shines through in her work and in her practice.

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