Arizona-Trained Expertise Matters

When it comes to skin cancer treatment, where your surgeon trained matters. Arizona has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the United States due to its intense year-round ultraviolet (UV) exposure, high elevation, and large population of individuals with significant lifetime sun damage. As a result, dermatology residents and Mohs surgery fellows training in Arizona are exposed to an extraordinary volume and complexity of skin cancers that few programs elsewhere in the country can match.

During training, Arizona-based dermatologists routinely diagnose and treat thousands of skin cancers, including basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma, and many uncommon or aggressive tumors. This experience extends beyond simple skin cancer removal to managing advanced, high-risk cancers involving the face, eyelids, nose, lips, ears, scalp, and other anatomically complex areas where preserving both function and appearance is essential.

For patients, this means choosing a surgeon who trained in Arizona provides the confidence that your physician has developed their surgical judgment and technical skills in one of the nation's most demanding environments for skin cancer care.

Fellowship Training Makes a Difference

Not all physicians who perform Mohs surgery have completed formal fellowship training.

An ACGME-accredited or American College of Mohs Surgery (ACMS)-approved fellowship provides an additional year of intensive, full-time subspecialty training after completion of a dermatology residency. During this fellowship, surgeons receive advanced education in:

• Mohs micrographic surgery

• Dermatopathology and interpretation of frozen sections

• Complex facial reconstruction using flaps and grafts

• Management of advanced and high-risk skin cancers

• Periocular, nasal, lip, ear, and other cosmetically and functionally sensitive reconstructions

This focused training is designed specifically to prepare surgeons to treat the most challenging skin cancers while achieving the highest possible cure rates and optimal reconstructive outcomes.

Why American College of Mohs Surgery Membership Matters

The American College of Mohs Surgery (ACMS) is the nation's leading professional organization dedicated exclusively to fellowship-trained Mohs surgeons.

Membership is limited to surgeons who have successfully completed a rigorous ACMS-approved fellowship (or meet equivalent historical eligibility requirements). This distinction demonstrates a commitment to advanced surgical training, continuing education, quality improvement, and excellence in patient care.

While some physicians perform Mohs surgery without completing an ACMS-approved fellowship, fellowship-trained ACMS members have undergone a standardized, intensive curriculum specifically dedicated to skin cancer surgery and reconstruction.

Arizona Experience for Arizona Patients

Patients in Arizona face unique challenges. Years of intense sun exposure often lead to larger, more aggressive, and recurrent skin cancers, particularly on the head and neck. Successfully treating these cancers requires not only removing every cancer cell but also restoring both appearance and function in highly visible areas.

Training in Arizona provides unparalleled exposure to these complex cases. Surgeons who complete both their dermatology residency and Mohs fellowship in Arizona have cared for an exceptional volume of patients with advanced sun damage and have developed expertise treating the types of skin cancers most commonly seen throughout the Southwest.

When choosing a Mohs surgeon, consider asking:

• Did you complete a dedicated Mohs surgery fellowship?

• Are you a member of the American College of Mohs Surgery?

• Where did you complete your dermatology residency and Mohs fellowship?

• How frequently do you perform Mohs surgery and facial reconstruction?

Selecting a fellowship-trained Mohs surgeon with extensive experience caring for Arizona patients can help ensure you receive expert treatment tailored to the unique patterns of skin cancer seen in our desert environment.