Welcome to Dr.Pat Clinic Dermatology

Dr. Passaratep Anuruk-paiboon M.D., D.Sc. (or Dr. Pat, as he is better known), was the director of dermatology and chief dermatologist at Dermatology Department at Phuket International Hospital. He is originally from Bangkok, but was raised in Samui for about five years. After getting his medical degree from Mahidol University in 2003, Dr. Pat began working in Ranong province, where he was later appointed as the hospital director of a 30-bed public hospital in Kraburi District.

Dr. Pat started to pursue dermatology in 2005 with inspiration and recommendation from his uncle, Dr. Somharn Saekow M.D., who is also a dermatologist at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, California, USA.

“Back then I wanted to experience different fields to see which one I liked. Originally, I wanted to be a pediatrician, because when I was young, I had asthma and bad allergies. Then, I had to have treatment once a week for two and a half years. The doctors and nurses really helped me, so I felt like this would be a rewarding field to pursue,” says Dr. Pat.

He first started out in aesthetic dermatology about 12 years ago. He practiced for five years in Bangkok and then enrolled at Boston University (BU) for the doctorate degree in Dermatology (D.Sc.) to move beyond cosmetic treatments and learn more about skin diseases. Although he never attended an international school, he is proficient in English because of his varied group of friends and his interest in learning through movies and music. This helped him pass his admission test for BU.

“I’m very glad and grateful that I made the decision to study at BU. There were 13 medical schools in Thailand at the time, only half of which could provide dermatology training. Whereas in Boston and New England there were several world-class dermatology training programs such as Harvard, BU, Tufts University, University of Massachusetts and Yale. Boston is the motherland of dermatology and I got a chance to learn from world renowned dermatologists,” he says. His mentors at BU, Dr. Thomas Ruenger M.D., Ph.D., Dr. Amal Kurban, Dr. Jag Bhawan, Dr. Barbara Gilchrest, Dr. Lynne Golberg and Dr. Tania Phillips were some of the foremost experts in dermatology at Boston University Department of Dermatology.

“The good thing about being in Boston is the variety of people you get to treat, and fortunately, it’s the same here in Phuket. For instance, for 3 months in 2015, I saw patients from over 60 different countries,” says Dr. Pat.

Dr. Pat feels that most Thai people believe dermatology only covers the aesthetic aspect of treatment, whereas it is much more than that. He says that while it is important for people to look good and be confident in their appearance, dermatology goes beyond that and can help improve people’s quality of life.

“I had an Egyptian patient who had a rare disease known as pemphigus vulgaris that caused burn-like wounds on his body and mouth. Other doctors couldn’t even give him a diagnosis, but fortunately I had encountered a similar case in BU and was able to treat him successfully,” he says.

His intention is to make Dr. Pat Clinic in Phuket a warm welcome clinic for international clients with dermatologic and aesthetic concerns at reasonable prices and good quality. He also believes it is important to make sure the treatment you are getting is safe and effective.

“There are cheap treatments available in the market, but they may not always be safe. Here, we try to make the cost as reasonable as possible and strike the right balance between quality and image,” he says.

He also likes to educate his patients, not just prescribe medicine, so they can change their behavior and lifestyle to treat the cause of the problem. Most importantly, he says you must never ignore any symptoms of skin disease.

“It is always better to get yourself checked in the early stages of any disease. If it is detected early enough, we can treat it,” he says.