Dr. Purnima Sau, MD

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Get to know Dermatologist & Dermatopathologist Dr. Purnima Sau, who serves patients in Silver Spring, Maryland.

A well respected dermatologist & Dermatopathologist, Dr. Sau is the Founder of Silver Spring Dermatology in Silver Spring, Maryland. To recapture the confidence that comes with beautiful, glowing skin, she offers the following services: laser hair removal, laser genesis skin therapy, laser vein therapy, microdermabrasion, as well as treatment for acne, melasma, psoriasis, eczema, and more.

Since 1993, she has served as an Associate Professor of Dermatology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. 

Throughout her academic career, Dr. Sau received her medical degree from Calcutta National Medical Institute in Calcutta, India in 1966. She trained in pathology at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore (1970-1971), Kings County Medical Center in New York (1972-1973) and the Mallory Institute of Pathology in Boston (1974-1975). She then did a year of fellowship training in gynecologic pathology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital from 1975 to 1976. 

That same year, Dr. Sau joined the US Air Force as a pathologist and later as the Chief of Pathology at USAF Regional Hospital in Eglin, Florida. She trained in dermatopathology at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington, D.C. where she served as consultant dermatopathologist in the Department of Dermatopathology from 1979 to 1984. She then served as the Chief of Anatomic Pathology at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center, Lackland AFB, Texas from 1984 to 1985, and trained in dermatology at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. from 1985 to 1988. 

From 1988 to 1995, she was appointed as the Assistant Chief of Dermatology and Chief Dermatopathologist in the Dermatology Service at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. She then became Chief of Dermatology Service and Director of the Dermatology Residency Training Program at the said institution in 1995. She retired from the US Army in 1998 and is currently in private practice. 

With a focus on better skin today, Dr. Sau is affiliated with Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Holy Cross Hospital-Silver Spring, and MedStar Washington Hospital Center. In addition to her regular practice, she conducts skin cancer screenings at community hospitals as well as occasional guest lectures for academic institutions.

A Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, she is board-certified in dermatology by the American Board of Dermatology (ABD). The ABD is a voluntary, non-profit, private, autonomous organization formed for the primary purpose of protecting the public interest by establishing and maintaining high standards of training, education, and qualifications of physicians rendering care in dermatology.

Furthermore, she is board-certified in dermatopathology & anatomic and clinical pathology by the American Board of Pathology (ABPath). The mission of the ABPath is to promote the health of the public and advance the practice and science of pathology by establishing voluntary certification standards and assessing the qualifications of those seeking to practice the specialty of pathology.

Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the skin, nails, hair and its diseases. It is a specialty with both medical and surgical aspects. Dermatopathology, on the other hand, is a joint subspecialty of dermatology and pathology or surgical pathology that focuses on the study of cutaneous diseases at a microscopic and molecular level. As a dermatologist and dermatopathologist, Dr. Sau specializes in studying skin samples and diagnosing skin conditions. 

In her years as an academic physician, Dr. Sau has produced over 50 publications, including a book chapter in Pathology of the Skin, 2nd Edition by Farmer and Hood and a Dermatopathology Interactive Atlas, CD-ROM.

On a more personal note, she speaks both English and Bengali.

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