Aaron Farberg, MD, Gears Up For Early Career Advice and Melanoma Sessions at Fall Clinical

“There is real, significant data from the NCI, the National Cancer Institute, utilizing the SEER database, as well as another study I'm going to be highlighting, that shows there's no doubt, there's solid evidence that GEP saves lives for those that are diagnosed with invasive melanoma,” said Aaron Farberg, MD, ahead of his sessions at Fall Clinical 2023.

Farberg, a board-certified dermatologist and the chief medical officer at Bare Dermatology in Dallas, Texas, spoke to Dermatology Times to discuss the highlights of his sessions at Fall Clinical in Las Vegas. At the meeting, Farberg will present alongside panelists during the “Early Career Controversies” to discuss what early career dermatologists need to know now. When discussing early career advice, Farberg also gives his tip for avoiding burnout as a physician. Finally, Farberg provides key highlights from his session “Clinical Applications of Gene Expression Profiling in the Management of Melanoma.”

Transcript

Aaron Farberg, MD: Hi, I'm Aaron Farberg, board-certified dermatologist based in Dallas, Texas, and chief medical officer at Bare Dermatology.

Dermatology Times: What tips will you be sharing during the Early Career Dermatology Initiative session at Fall Clinical?

Farberg: The Early Career Dermatology Initiative session at Fall Clinical was the most highly anticipated and one of the most viewed sessions at the conference. This year, it's going to be even better. We've got great topics including contracting pitfalls, office efficiency, work-life balance, academics versus private practice, and of course, clinical trials. We're going to have a star-studded group of dermatologists discussing all of these topics and arguing over which they think is right and wrong. It's going to be a great session.

Dermatology Times: You mentioned work-life balance, what advice do you have for early career dermatologists on avoiding burnout?

Farberg: When it comes to work-life balance and avoiding burnout, the important thing is to make sure you're doing what you enjoy. If what you're doing is what you enjoy, and you're having a fun time doing it, it's not even going to feel like work, and you won't burn out.

Dermatology Times: What highlights do you want clinicians to take away from your session, “Clinical Applications of Gene Expression Profiling in the Management of Melanoma?”

Farberg: I'm also going to be giving a talk on gene expression profiling in melanoma. And this should be one of the most highly anticipated talks of the entire conference. This is a mic drop moment, there is real, significant data from the NCI, the National Cancer Institute, utilizing the SEER database, as well as another study I'm going to be highlighting that shows there's no doubt, there's solid evidence that GEP saves lives for those that are diagnosed with invasive melanoma. Stay tuned.

Dermatology Times: With so many conferences to attend in the year, what do you enjoy about Fall Clinical?

Farberg: There are so many conferences and so many meetings, but there's one that always floats to the very tip-top. And we all know it. It's Fall Clinical. It's the place that everyone wants to be. And thankfully, they've opened up for a lot more registration. So we can all be there. I'm looking forward to it because they have the top and most excellent speakers, the best topics, and what's also exciting is it seems like every single conference, they're adding in new sessions, new topics, and new opportunities for didactics. It's a fresh conference every year and I'm excited for 2023.

[Transcript edited for clarity]