We were lucky to catch up with Andrea Rustad recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrea, thanks for joining us today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your professional career?

I prefer to do this prompt from the “creatives” section please: What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on? Tell us the backstory so we understand circumstances/context and why it’s meaningful to you.

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on was writing my children’s book on ichthyosis, a rare skin condition. I first became interested in raising awareness and advocating for those with this condition after volunteering at a camp for kids with skin conditions called Camp Discovery. This was the first time I met children and adults with ichthyosis. Ichthyosis is a rare condition where skin layers grow too fast and thick and people with ichthyosis have scaly, thickened skin that can be uncomfortable. It takes a lot of time and effort to care for their skin. What struck me the most is the social challenges faced because other people do not know about this condition and thus misunderstand, thinking that those with ichthyosis have a contagious disease, are badly burnt, or other false assumptions. Kids are often teased or excluded and hearing the stories of mistreatment from those I met at camp motivated me to want to advocate for the ichthyosis community. With the valuable input from people affected by ichthyosis and their parents, I wrote a book to educate others about ichthyosis, provide positive representation for people with skin conditions, show children with skin conditions that they are not alone, and encourage children without visible or function differences to be accepting of their peers who are different. Seeing the power of community and resilience by getting to know people affected with ichthyosis was a great experience, and I am so happy when people tell me how much this book has meant to them and their family. This book is called Skin-Vincible and has been translated into 4 languages and is available online (Mascot Books, Barnes and Noble, Amazon) and the profits go to support the ichthyosis community.

Andrea, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a dermatology resident, dancer, barre instructor, and content creator. I am particularly passionate about pediatric dermatology and hope to pursue this subspecialty to help children with skin conditions and their families. Skin conditions truly affect self-esteem, how others view you, and many other elements of psychosocial health and people with skin conditions, including children, often struggle with their mental health because of their skin condition. Dermatology – especially pediatric dermatology by intervening at a vulnerable age – can uniquely improve our patients’ psychosocial as well as physical health.
On my Instagram account, @thebalancedderm, I aim to show what my journey and career in healthcare and dermatology looks like and what it is like to become a dermatologist. I also strive to find balance with workouts, being in a dance team and taking dance classes, healthy eating, and travel and to encourage others in medical school and residency to not give up their passions outside of medicine. Educating about truths and evidence in skincare is another important goal of mine, as there are so many myths spread by people who lack training or qualifications in health/dermatology, and I want to help people avoid following potentially harmful skincare trends.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

The road to becoming a doctor is very difficult, and I definitely encourage anyone interested in healthcare to fully explore other careers in healthcare as well as physician to be absolutely certain that this is what you want to do before embarking on it. Becoming a dermatologist is one of the most competitive specialties as a doctor as well, so it was definitely very difficult and stressful to get to this point in my training, but I am so grateful that my hard work paid off and I am lucky to have had incredible mentorship to guide me. Every day in clinic treating patients with skin conditions is so fulfilling and even when things are super busy and stressful, and I don’t leave until after 6 PM, I still enjoy work and am so grateful. I would definitely choose the same profession and specialty if I had to go back!

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Mentorship and research experiences are incredibly important for success if you are a medical student hoping to match in dermatology. Finding the right mentors who will support you and guide you towards opportunities is so key. You need people who will advocate for you and who can give you helpful, honest advice. For finding research experiences, reach out to students in the classes above you who are interested in dermatology as well and see if you can help with any projects they have. Often this can lead to connections that continue for more projects. Try to figure out what specifically within the field you have an interest in and make this a niche so you can show you have a clear passion – for me this is psychosocial impacts of skin conditions, especially genetic skin conditions.

Contact Info:

• Website: barreandbrunch.com – recipes, workouts, and travel guides
• Instagram: @thebalancedderm

Image Credits

Image at barre studio and blue dress doing ballet – Kelsey Campbell

Image looking in the mirror doing skincare – Sydney Ross