Credentials
A surprising number of patients believe that all medical doctors are pretty much equal, and those who understand that isn’t true may not know how to measure one doctor versus another. A physician’s credentials are a key indicator of a doctor’s ranking and expertise in the medical world. Statistics such as board certification, number of procedures completed and hospital affiliations tell you critical information, as does medical school attended, research participation and fellowships.
America’s top allopathic (M.D.) medical schools draw their students from amongst the best and brightest candidates. The quality of education and rigorous standards demanded by these medical schools are unparalleled. Dr. Karlene and Dr. Gaffney not only graduated from Dartmouth Medical School and Brown University School of Medicine, respectively, both prestigious Ivy League institutions, but finished at the tops of their classes, a testament to their intelligence and work ethic.
Following are questions you should ask to ensure you are choosing the most qualified medical doctors possible.
> Q. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN PRACTICE? HOW LONG HAVE YOU PRACTICED IN THIS AREA?
For more than 25 years, both Dr. Scott Karlene and Dr. Kevin Gaffney have practiced in the Metropolitan Detroit and Genesee County areas and are listed among America's Top Doctors. Not only do they have extensive field experience, they know the area, its environmental hazards and common ailments affecting the surrounding communities, and are affiliated with the top hospitals in southeast Michigan.
> Q. ARE YOU BOARD CERTIFIED?
Dr. Karlene and Dr. Gaffney have each earned board certification by the American Board of Dermatology. Board certification tells you that our physicians have gone beyond what medical licensure requires, and have pursued additional training and examination to be certified in the specialty of dermatology
Not only does certification indicate a physician has successfully completed an accredited educational program, passed several evaluations, and possesses the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to provide care in the certified specialty, but it tells you they are committed to continued education. To remain certified, physicians must attend continuing medical education programs throughout their careers and pass a rigorous, closed-book recertification examination every ten years, demonstrating their continued proficiency in dermatology.
Both Dr. Karlene and Dr. Gaffney have been recertified twice since their initial certification, most recently in 2014, each time scoring in the top three percent of testing physicians. Their areas of clinical expertise overlap and complement each other as evidenced by their performance on these examinations. (Please note that physicians certified by the American Board of Dermatology prior to 1990 are not required to recertify and have not taken an examination to assess their skill in at least 28 years.)
Our doctors graduated from two of the top medical schools in the country – Ivy league institutions that accept only the top 1% of student applicants. Dr. Karlene graduated from Dartmouth Medical School in New Hampshire and completed specialty training in dermatology at Wayne State University Medical School with residency training at Detroit Medical Center. Dr. Gaffney graduated from Brown Medical School in Rhode Island and completed residencies at New York University Medical Center and University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers.
Both Lauren Weinberg and Meghan Haley have been certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants and have continued to highly pass their recertification exams proving their competence in Family Medicine, their continuing education, and desire to further their knowledge both within and beyond the field of dermatology.
> Q. HOW MANY PROCEDURES HAVE YOU PERFORMED?
Dr. Karlene and Dr. Gaffney have extensive experience in medical dermatology and appearance medicine. In their Metropolitan Detroit and Genesee County dermatology practices, they have:
more than 3 million patient visits
provided more than 250,000 skin cancer treatments
removed more than 100,000 precancerous moles
> Q. WHAT HOSPITALS ARE YOU AFFILIATED WITH?
Hospitals perform rigorous background checks and have extensive regulations for practice. Dr. Karlene and Dr. Gaffney are affiliated with the following 9 hospitals in southeast Michigan where they have on-call duties as well as responsibility for training other doctors in their field:
Detroit Medical Center
Harper Hospital
Children’s Hospital of Detroit
Genesys Regional Medical Center
Hurley Medical Center
McLaren Regional Medical Center
St John Macomb Hospital
St John Oakland Hospital
University of Michigan Laboratory
> Q. DO YOU HAVE ANY MEMBERSHIP AFFILIATIONS?
Our doctors have affiliations with many different medical societies that help them to keep current with the latest breakthroughs in technology and in the field of dermatology. These include the American Medical Association, Alpha Omega Alpha (Honor Medical Society), American Academy of Dermatology, the Michigan Dermatology Society and the Michigan State Medical Society.
