Skin deep

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Professor Abdul-Ghani Kibbi is chairman of the Department of Dermatology at the American University of Beirut (AUB), Lebanon. Medical Times sat down with him at the Dubai International Obs-Gyne & Fertility Conference to discover how dermatology is making its mark among regional physicians.

As chairman of the AUB's dermatology department, this seems an unusual choice of conference to attend...

Since its inception, AUB has been involved in projects across the Gulf and across specialties. We offer consultative visits to countries in the Gulf area, and we help regional universities in establishing academic programmes and facilities in line with our standards in Beirut. The conditions that affect the skin during pregnancy are the medical bridge between obstetrics, gynaecology and dermatology.

In clinical practice, do you commonly see these types of cases presented?

Individuals in the Gulf who have skin type four or five often have a higher prevalence of skin discolouration during pregnancy. The earlier the age of the lady getting pregnant, the higher the chance of developing stretch marks. This is very important from the perspective of the Middle East, as we tend to have early marriages and the prevalence is therefore quite high. These are cosmetically unappealing in many situations and we are seeing a surge in demand for the treatment. The affect of the discolouration that can occur during pregnancy is that the patients become withdrawn both socially and psychologically. These conditions are not really affected by what region of the world it is - they are largely universal.

Is dermatology a popular specialty among the university's medical students?

It is becoming quite competitive, and this is simply because dermatologists perform a lot of procedures that are revenue-making. There are large aspects of our specialty that are money-making because of the elective cosmetic component, and therefore there is a lot of demand among graduates to train in this field. Many of the young MDs nowadays are highly interested in specialising in dermatology.

Are there sufficient regional opportunities for would-be dermatologists?

Ultimately this [postgraduate] demand cannot be met in many parts of the world. Young graduates who entertain going into dermatology may spend one or two years doing other things before they can even get a slot for specialised training in their native country.

Are most graduates forced to train abroad?

We are facing a high level of demand, and this demand cannot be met in the Arab world. It has to be the very high achievers who get into the universities to study dermatology. Those who are highly motivated - and I know of many - complete their medical degree and then sit the relevant exams to allow them to go abroad and train abroad. It is easier to secure a training slot in Europe than the US - the exams can be very tough - but even in Europe it is very competitive and you have to be lucky to get a role.

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