Director Jung Min Bae Participates as YDC Panelist at the 78th Korean Dermatological Association Fall Academic Conference

Dr. Jung Min Bae, director of Heal House Gangnam Branch, served as a panelist at the YDC (Young Dermatologist Council) mentoring session held during the 78th Annual Autumn Conference of the Korean Dermatological Association on October 18. The YDC is a newly formed committee within the Korean Dermatological Association, created to help young dermatologists discuss career decisions and professional development with senior colleagues.

For its first activity at this conference, the YDC organized a mentoring session under the theme “Skin in the Game: Mentors, Milestones & Momentum.” Thirty-five dermatology residents, fellows, and assistant professors gathered with 15 senior dermatologist mentors to talk about career paths and professional growth.

A pre-session survey revealed the real concerns of young dermatologists. The biggest challenge in building a career was lack of information (60.0%), followed by lack of mentors (43.1%). The topics they most wanted the conference to address were choosing a salaried position and employment contracts, preparing for private practice, and clinic management. The most common request was to hear directly about senior doctors' career experiences.

Reflecting the strong desire to hear from those who had walked the path before, the mentoring session featured panelists who had experience in both university hospitals and private practice, answering questions directly from junior colleagues. Moderated by Professor Jong Hee Lee of Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, the panel included Professor Byung Chul Park of Dankook University College of Medicine, Professor Hwa Jung Yoo of Korea University College of Medicine, and Dr. Jung Min Bae. Dr. Bae shared his journey from university hospital professor—where he focused on research and patient care—to transitioning into private practice.

Dr. Jung Min Bae devoted nearly 10 years at a university hospital to treating and researching vitiligo, driven by a desire to become a dermatologist with deep expertise in one area. Six years ago, he opened his own clinic to create a specialized center for vitiligo patients. He noted that while K-beauty and Korean dermatology are now receiving global attention—an unprecedented opportunity for dermatologists—the current era also requires doctors to learn management and marketing skills alongside clinical care.

Regarding the first 3–5 years of a career, Dr. Bae recommended pursuing a fellowship. While procedural skills can be learned in a few years, a deep understanding of the skin built through research and pathology forms a foundation that makes a difference over time. His message to junior colleagues was: “Learn how to study on your own, be able to communicate with the public, and delve deeply into your own area of interest.”

When asked if he regretted leaving his professorship, Dr. Bae replied that he had no regrets—the ten years he spent at the university enabled him to establish his own distinctive approach in private practice. He predicted that demand for specialized clinics focused on specific diseases will continue to grow.

Having continued his academic activities and research even after opening his clinic, Dr. Bae demonstrated to junior colleagues that it is possible to remain engaged with both university hospital and private practice settings.

At Heal House, we believe that a specialist's role extends beyond treating patients in the clinic to sharing experiences with the next generation of doctors within the academic community. When the experiences of senior colleagues inform the practice of junior doctors, the quality of dermatologic care that patients receive also improves.

Heal House will continue to share the insights gained from clinical care and research with fellow and junior dermatologists, working together to shape the future of dermatologic medicine.