NEWS - March 2008
DERMATOLOGY
Feed-back.com's latest report (The U S Esthetician Market) looks at estheticians' job prospects and their important role in the skin care services market. Some dermatology practices employ estheticians to perform procedures such as chemical peels and facials. More typically, dermatologists focus on providing medical care for common skin ailments and conditions. The following abstracts highlight recent news.
Galderma's Acquisition Of CollaGenex Pharmaceuticals
In late February 2008, Galderma Laboratories Inc. (the U.S. holding company of Galderma Pharma S.A.) released details of the planned acquisition of CollaGenex and its dermatology products / portfolio. Sales of Oracea® and Alcortin® contributed to 2007 revenues of $63.6 million for CollaGenex (a 141% increase over 2006). In 1981, Galderma was formed as a joint venture between L'Oreal and Nestle. Within the dermatology market, Galderma sells products in 85 countries for the treatment of conditions such as acne, fungal nail infections, psoriasis, rosacea, etc.
For more information, visit: Galderma
Residency Roulette?
While estheticians take a limited financial risk to gain necessary skills and training (thousands of dollars), physicians usually incur several hundred thousand dollars in student loan debt. A feature article [The Price of Beauty] recently published by The New York Times explores the job outlook for newly graduated physicians by following one couple's efforts to gain employment.
Two of the most competitive disciplines are dermatology and plastic surgery, which also offer the highest average annual salaries (more than twice as much as for family physicians). The New York Times article noted that only two-thirds of American medical school seniors seeking dermatology as a first choice got residencies from the few hundred that were available. In contrast, thousands of family medicine and internal medicine residencies were available, where the first choice acceptance figures were 99% and 98%, respectively (Association of American Medical Colleges and National Resident Matching Program).
As observed in an article published by The Tennessean, there was a slight increase in the match percentage in family medicine this year (a 7.6% increase over 2006) and a smaller-than-expected decline in internal medicine (-1%). One explanation is that family and internal medicine provides opportunities for physicians to develop personal relationships with their patients (despite the lower pay scale).
For more information, visit: The New York Times and The Tennessean.
