What was your path to becoming a consultant dermatologist?
I don’t remember ever wanting to do anything else! My mum would take me to pharmacies as a child. I loved pharmacies and all the creams and supplements! I initially started in Pharmaceutical Sciences but I missed the human aspect of medicine, so I decided to become a doctor in dermatology.
What I love about dermatology is the fact you can build relationships with whole families; from children to grandparents and all ages in between. It took me 17 years before I qualified as a consultant dermatologist. I studied medicine in Belgium for seven years before earning my bachelor’s and master’s degree. Just like anywhere else in the world, it’s hugely competitive to become a dermatologist in Belgium once you qualify as a doctor.
To increase my chances I did further training in internal medicine and studied an additional masters in dermatology at King’s College. The plan was to stay for one year but then I got a fellowship…
