Glossary
Dermatologist Terms & Vocabulary
15 essential dermatologist terms with plain-English definitions: the vocabulary you’ll hear in training and on day one.
Key dermatologist vocabulary
These 15 terms come up constantly in dermatologist training, on the job and in interviews. Knowing them helps you follow instructions, document accurately and sound prepared.
- ABCDE rule
- Warning signs of melanoma.
- Acne vulgaris
- Common acne.
- Actinic keratosis
- A precancerous sun spot.
- Alopecia
- Hair loss.
- Basal cell carcinoma
- The most common skin cancer.
- Biologic
- A targeted immune drug.
- Biopsy
- Removing tissue for testing.
- Cryotherapy
- Freezing lesions.
- Dermoscopy
- Magnified skin exam.
- Eczema
- Itchy inflamed skin.
- Melanoma
- A serious skin cancer.
- Mohs surgery
- Layer-by-layer cancer removal.
- Phototherapy
- Light treatment.
- Psoriasis
- Scaly patches from immune activity.
- Rosacea
- Facial redness condition.
Practice these terms
Test yourself with the free Dermatologist practice test: it includes vocabulary questions built from this list. For a complete course, see Dermatologist training.
Browse terms from every career in our career glossary.