Why choose a board-certified dermatologist?
After graduating from medical school, doctors who want to treat patients must complete an internship, residency, and some additional medical education, and then pass a general exam to become licensed in the state where they plan to treat patients. Being certified is not the same as being licensed. Medical licensure sets the minimum competency requirements to diagnose and treat patients and is not specialty-specific. Being board certified indicates that a doctor has undergone further and extensive specialty-specific training beyond the requirements to become licensed, proving a high level of expertise in that specialty. This specialty-specific training makes the doctor better qualified to practice in that specialty compared to a non-certified doctor. While a license is required to practice medicine, board certification is a voluntary process taken to demonstrate that they desire to practice at the top of their profession and deliver high-quality care to their patients. To maintain board certification, the physician has annual continuing education requirements as well as recertification testing every ten years.
The practice of dermatology is centralized around the medical treatment of more than 3000 diseases, impairments, and issues related to the skin, scalp, hair, and nails treating patients of all ages, from children to adults. On any given day, a dermatologist may treat patients with melanoma (a type of skin cancer that can turn deadly), warts, eczema, or another long-term disease. That same day, a dermatologist may also see a patient who has a condition caused by problems with the immune system like psoriasis, an allergic skin reaction like allergic contact dermatitis, and an infection that can be life-threatening like cellulitis. Another benefit to seeing a board-certified dermatologist for a yearly skin check is to make sure a simple pimple that won’t go away isn’t skin cancer. Dermatologists can spot problems like this, which you may not know you have. Many skin diseases involve serious health risks. Even if the condition is not life-threatening, it may reduce a person’s quality of life causing loss of sleep, poor self-image, serious depression, and lost productivity. Dermatologists understand the interaction between the skin and the rest of the body. What seems like a simple rash might be a sign of an underlying disease. Each of these diseases requires different treatment. Dermatologists also know what other medical conditions to look for when a patient has a skin condition like psoriasis, eczema, or rosacea.
Dr. Kristina Britton, a board-certified dermatologist and a native of the Brainerd Lakes Area, is excited to offer dermatologic services to central and greater Minnesota. She received her Bachelor’s degree from St. Cloud State University in 2004. She attended medical school and obtained her Doctoral degree from the University of Minnesota School of Medicine in 2009. After receiving her medical degree, she completed a one-year Transitional Program at Hennepin County Medical Center. She extended her education with a three-year dermatology residency at the Marshfield Clinic/St. Joseph’s Hospital in Marshfield, WI. Since completing her education in 2013, she has been practicing as a board-certified dermatologist in central Minnesota.
Dr. Britton holds the following professional memberships: FAAD- Fellow the of American Academy of Dermatology ABD- American Board of Dermatology MDS- Minnesota Dermatology Society
Dr. Britton is passionate about diagnosing and treating all aspects of dermatology, including hair, skin, and nails. She welcomes patients of all ages and cultural backgrounds. She strives to educate her patients about their skin conditions, which enables patients to be active partners in their own health care.