“Watching patients flourish made me appreciate how dermatology can change lives”
Dr Derrick Phillips shares his passion for dermatology and his role as spokesperson for the British Skin Foundation
Dr Derrick Phillips was born in the UK, but spent much of his childhood in Cape Coast, Ghana, surrounded by a family of lawyers and doctors. From an early age he was encouraged by his parents to pursue a career in law or medicine, following in his family’s footsteps. Being naturally drawn to physics, biology and chemistry at school, medicine quickly became the obvious choice for Dr Phillips. A notable familial influence for him was his aunt, who was the first female gynaecology consultant in Ghana.
Dr Phillips completed his medical degree from University College London Medical School in 2011, graduating with double merit and achieving First-class Honours in Medical Physics and Bioengineering. He later completed his medical training in London and New South Wales before training as a specialist dermatologist in Liverpool.
The transition from medicine to dermatology, as Dr Phillips describes it, was “pure serendipity.” Upon graduating from medical school, like many young doctors, he was unsure about his next step…
