It was my first time to Vietnam, and I went there twice- once to lecture in Hanoi at DASIL on Atopic Eczema and Psoriasis chairing both sessions, and once to tour visiting the Vietnamese Venice (Hoi An), the ancient capital (Hue) and the coastal Paradise (Danang). Good Morning Vietnam was one of my favorite movies growing up, but as a High School student, and maybe even moreso today, I never understood why America was involved in the Vietnam war or how Americans were perceived by the Vietnamese. Now, after having visited, I am humbled by the absolutely ridiculous and inspiring work ethic of the Vietnamese people, including 2 of my Dermatology colleagues, Dr. Hanah & her husband, Dr. Peter who I visited in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)- this Dermatology power couple works 7 days a week from 9am to 8pm and like the great majority of Vietnamese I met, they don’t complain, which is a foreign concept given my upbringing.
As an editor for Practical Dermatology, I have the opportunity to opine on a variety of topics, and last month, I was interviewed about, “International Perspectives; Learning From Counterparts Around the World”. My latest trip also included a brief stop at the SCARS meeting in Bangkok, where besides participating in a water festival, I presented a case of post-procedure scarring successfully treated in partnership with my Aesthetician, Melissa Shipp at the Las Vegas Dermatology® clinic. Different practitioners have different styles and my international colleagues bring unique insights, and I loved learning how various scars were treated with different techniques, devices, and delivery systems by colleagues from Israel, India, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia and beyond. As Thanksgiving approaches, I am thankful this year for the opportunity to travel, learn and present.
Asia has been on my mind since the pandemic and after having not travelled for 2 years, in November, I returned to AKA Thailand for my 5th fitness adventure- although I have been training at home with former fighter turned Actor, Jay Hieron, being back in Phuket learning Muay Thai, surrounded by supportive people who cheer on my 3 to 4 hours a day of training, but who themselves train 6-10 hours a day for weeks or months at a time serves as inspiration. When I see everybody else do their moves, I think I need more practice, a lot more practice the kind of practice that makes one able to do those moves- that kind of practice comes with a six pack and real muscles at the expense of time, sweat and real effort.
What are you Thankful for right now? Have you let the people you’re thankful for know? In June I wrote about being ½ way through the year and reaching for your goals, time has nearly run out on 2024, make sure to end this year strong. We will introduce new treatment modalities in 2025, but you can still laser away unwanted hair, get PRP injections to grow hair, have a Hydrafacial to treat and clean skin, obtain a SkinPen® microneedling treatment for anti-aging, use the Sciton BBL to remove redness and brown spots, obtain a Moxi or CO2 Laser for more advanced wrinkle reduction or meet our aesthetician team for products and services that will improve your quality of life.
These are good times, and I do not take them for granted- our Seasonal Gathering and Office White Elephant party will happen next month, and I’ve asked the staff to record what they’re thankful for; I’m especially thankful for our new Physician Assistant, Xin Wang, pronounced Zin, who graduated her formal PA training earlier this year and has been learning with The Derm Bros® post PA School. Xin will be accepting new patients in December while the rest of our medical team remains Dr. Sarah Bovenberg (our world class MOHS surgeon), Dr. Scott MacLeod, P.A.-C. Jessica Pepich & P.A.-C. Joe Gurule, the other ½ of The Derm Bros®, Dr. David Cotter, and Team LVDerm.
As always, if you’re looking to make a difference, and don’t know where to donate, The Las Vegas Dermatology Foundation is a tax deductible 501c3 taking donations now and using funds to educate those interested in Dermatology careers, offering treatments for those with skin disease and soon we will be sponsoring lectures and community events- checks can be sent to the office or donate via Paypal.
Thankfully,
Dr. Vegas
