Elisabeth Novak hails from a family lineage of doctors and nurses. Medicine is in her blood. A strong artistic current runs through her veins, too. Her grandfather was a renowned surgeon by day in New York City, and sketch-artist by night, providing drawings for medical textbooks. In high school, Elisabeth participated in a “magnet” program that focused on painting and the arts. She developed a predilection for creativity early on in addition to nurturing her naturally sharp scientific instincts. The convergence of art and medicine drives Elisabeth’s passion for her work in dermatology today, as she relies on her artistic eye and mechanistic mind to conduct cosmetic procedures.
So, I sat down with Elisabeth to get the low down and get a sense of what she has to offer as the newest provider at Southern Marin Dermatology. She definitely has an easy way about her, a mellow disposition that belies her impressive background and work ethic. Aside from her knack for discovering the most inconspicuous rash, Elisabeth’s zeal for educating patients and her thorough knowledge of skin physiology is what makes her stand apart from the crowd. We’ve never heard the words “methyl-chloro-isothiazolinone allergy” spoken so eloquently — and that makes her one of the most impressive physician assistants we’ve ever had the pleasure to work with.
What did your early years look like?
“I was born in New York, and bounced around New England quite a bit, but always found time to visit California, where my dad lived in my later childhood years. I was adventurous as a kid and industrious, always excited to travel, and determined to work hard towards my goals.
When it was time to apply for college, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in Medicine while nurturing my snow country roots. So, I went to Colby Sawyer in New Hampshire and majored in biology with a chemistry minor. Post-graduation, I taught science and art to middle and high school kids at an academy in Vermont. It was also during that time I discovered a passion and skill for pottery. When you work in dermatology, it definitely helps that you’re good with your hands.”
So, can you tell me about your journey to becoming a Physician Assistant?
“After teaching, I decided to pursue a Masters of Medical Science and become a Physician Assistant. I appreciated that the role of PA often lets you spend more time with your patients, allowing for opportunities to educate them, a welcome parallel to my work as a teacher.
I attended MCPH University outside of Boston, which is one of the oldest PA schools in the country. I opted for an accelerated curriculum, so it took me two years to complete the program instead of three. I graduated with honors and then shortly after, Dartmouth afforded me the prestige of a dermatology residency audit for three years, allowing me to specialize in dermatology in much the same fashion as my physician colleagues and mentors.”
What was special about your time at Dartmouth?
“I not only focused on the resident curriculum, but I was also working, seeing patients during this time, under the supervision of some of the brightest minds in dermatology. I was able to gain invaluable practical knowledge and hands on experience guided by true experts in their field. It was an honor to learn from the same dermatologists that helped author the dermatology textbooks I was studying.
I also spent three years focusing on a fascinating (in my opinion) sub-specialty — allergic contact dermatitis and the application of patch testing. My mentor was a brilliant woman — Dr. Catherine Zug, of the North American Contact Dermatitis Society, whom was a lead contributor to the research in the field.”
What brought you to California?
“After Dartmouth, I worked with a private dermatology practice with increasing exposure to cosmetics. It was a Laser heavy practice, where I became the go to provider of such services. I thoroughly enjoyed my work there but wanted an opportunity to grow my cosmetic practice further in a less rural environment. After spending the last 15 years in New England, it was time for a change. Different weather. Different demographic of patients. California just made the most sense, especially because I had such fond memories of the time I spent here growing up.
Why did you want to work at SMD?
“Culturally it’s a perfect fit for me. When I was interviewing, I nicknamed SMD the goddess practice. The all-female line up of providers here are so smart and strong, yet kind, which reflects upon the presence of the entire SMD team. There is an amazing energy here. I knew immediately that these are the type of mentors in the type of environment I wanted to call home.”
What is a physician assistant? For some of the readers who might not know
“A Physician Assistant is a Board Certified medical provider with a Masters in Medical Science. Our training consists of a rigorous general medical curriculum — incorporating both didactic studies and clerkships within the core medical specialties — and modeled after a traditional Doctor of Medicine degree.
PAs gain specialty knowledge through on the job training, but in rare circumstances, can participate in a residency to specialize, much in the way that Physicians would, to achieve the most thorough level of training afforded to them in their chosen field.
As a PA in the workplace, we work as a team with our supervising Physician(s) to deliver the best care within our own scope of practice based on our individual level of training and specialization, which respects the Standard of Care and the scope of practice of our Physicians.”
What would you say are your core offerings as a PA at SMD?
“As a part of the SMD team, I offer a full-scope of practice in medical dermatology, and most cosmetic dermatology services for adult and pediatric patients. Being new to the practice, I have lots of availability in my schedule to accommodate New Patients, even same day and walk-ins!
As my sub-specialty is contact dermatitis. I’m working on expanding patch testing at SMD — a test to evaluate for skin allergies. Traditionally it can be difficult to find a provider that offers this kind of testing, and if they do, the wait list of often several months long. I am hoping to provide increased availability for this much needed resource for patients in the Bay Area.”
What do you like to do outside of work?
“I have a deep interest in food and wine, having worked in the restaurant industry most of my life, while putting myself through school. I love living close to wine country; I go on culinary and viticulture adventures most weekends since moving here. As I’ve spent the majority of my life living in VT and NH, I’m also avid snowboarder, so love that Tahoe is also nearby.”
What is the one career accomplishment that makes you most proud?
“Being a part of Southern Marin dermatology. It’s the culmination of a lot of hard work to becoming a strong, well rounded provider within an even stronger, highly specialized team.”
What is the biggest misconception that people have about you?
“That I’m not in school anymore, because I (thankfully still) look young, but in fact have had many years of training, ha! We have a few tricks up our sleeve in dermatology to keep things looking fresh, I’ll say with a wink.”
Why should patients choose you as a provider over others?
“I love to educate and interact with patients. People often tell me I’m good at explaining things. I want to help patients achieve the best level of care by helping them understand why and or what is happening to their skin. If you happen to suffer from skin allergies, I have even more knowledge to share with you! And when it comes down to cosmetic procedures, I tap into the artist in me to deliver great results.”
Interview conducted by Maya