Department of
Medical Education

Colleen Beatty, MD

Name:  Colleen Beatty, MD

Board Certification: Dermatology, Dermatopathology

Medical School: West Virginia University

Residency: West Virginia University - Dermatology

Fellowship:  University of Pittsburgh Medical Center - Dermatopathology 

Faculty Rank: Assistant Professor, Associate Program Director for Dermatology Residency Program 

Special Clinical/Research Interests:

  • Clinicopathological correlation
  • Alopecia
  • Medical education
  • Cutaneous oncology
  • Rural & community outreach

Is there a particular population of students (e.g., ethnicity, spiritual, sexual orientation) that you would particularly like to advise?

All are welcome!

What does a typical day in the life of a dermatologist/dermatopathologist include?

I spend half of my week in dermatology clinic, seeing patients and staffing the dermatology residents. The rest of the week, you can find me in my office reading dermatopathology slides.

What is the biggest challenge of being a dermatologist & dermatopathologist?

Balancing two different positions (dermatologist and dermatopathologist) can be challenging, but I enjoy how well they complement each other. It makes the challenge worth it.

How do you foresee dermatology & dermatopathology changing over the next 20 years?

I think dermatology will continue to be a competitive field, because of all it has to offer – lots of direct patient care, plenty of procedures, and a great quality of life.

Within the next 20 years, I think dermatopathology will be completely digital.

What advice would you give a student who is considering a dermatology residency?

Dermatology is an amazing field for countless reasons! Unfortunately, that means residency spots are competitive. Make yourself a competitive applicant - be an active member of your class, do well and try your best in all of your classes/rotations, join the interest group, find a dermatology mentor, serve the community, find some dermatology research. Reach out to our department – we’re happy to help mentor interested students.