Is Social Media Necessary for Dermatology Clinicians? With Joseph Gatti, DMSc, MPAS, MBA, PA-C

At the 2025 Society of Dermatology Physician Associates (SDPA) Fall Conference in San Antonio, Texas, Joseph Gatti, DMSc, MPAS, MBA, PA-C, the founder of The Clinic for Dermatology & Wellness, LLC, spoke in an interview with HCPLive.1

Gatti highlighted takeaways from his session, ‘The Productive PA: Smart Scheduling & Contract Essentials for Early Career Success,’ and in this segment of his interview, he discussed whether or not clinicians should have a social media presence.2 Gatti touched on his own views on social media’s use in dermatology, noting his own experiences with using it.

“I get a lot of questions like ‘You do a lot of things, Joe, but I don't see you on social media a whole lot,’” Gatti said. “I'm going to be honest with you, I hate social media with a passion. I don't have a private Instagram or Facebook anymore. While we do have a decent social media presence, particularly for our med spa, I don't enjoy doing all that stuff for the camera. Some people really do, and that's okay. But what people, a lot of providers, have a hard time with is the selling aspect. A lot of providers really struggle with that.”

Gatti’s advice to clinicians who are having difficulties in this area was to remove themselves from the idea of ‘selling’ on social media and remember that the purpose should be educating patients.

“Social media is a really, really good way to grow. That is 100% true, and it is a necessity these days,” Gatti explained. “But if you're someone who's got a full practice, your wait list is 2 to 4 months, you're scheduled and booked out for Botox, filler, and lasers at a med spa, and you're booked out 2 months, I don't necessarily see if social media is going to be a huge [need] for you, because you're already successful. Generally, our goal for a successful practice is usually 4 to 8 weeks out-booking.”

Gatti also commented on what he often observes among younger dermatologists in the dermatology industry, which is the need to be ‘social media famous.’

“You know, I see these young, beautiful men or women at AAD…and I also see a lot of them that are hocking for a company, this hair loss serum, this face cream, this La Roche Posay, this Johnson Johnson, the Cetaphil, and there's nothing wrong with that,” Gatti said. “A lot of us would always love to be able to augment our revenue. But what I would always tell you is to remember to take everything with a grain of salt…I'll get patients all the time who say, ‘I saw this dermatologist who was saying this,’ and I'm kind of thinking to myself, like, we've literally tried this product like three times, and all of our patients hated it.”

Gatti urged consumers and patients to be aware of ads and paid sponsorships even among clinicians. He also urged dermatology clinicians to recommend to their patients only what they have tried and only products showing positive results.

“Regardless of how you feel about whether or not you're going to participate in social media, you do need to remember how to educate your patient on things,” Gatti said. “...Remember, for a lot of people, especially younger people, if they're under the age of 40, there's a good chance they're getting a lot of their skin care techniques, even diagnoses, on social media. So it is something you need to be familiar with.”

Gatti also noted his own practice of being aware of online trends for the purposes of answering questions, to be familiar and conversant. This does not necessarily mean a clinician should feel the need to participate in social media, Gatti added.

The quotes used in this interview summary were edited for clarity.

Gatti had no relevant financial disclosures.

References

1. Gatti J. The Productive PA: Smart Scheduling & Contract Essentials for Early Career Success. Presented at the Society of Dermatology Physician Associates (SDPA) Fall Conference, November 5-9, San Antonio, TX.

2. Gatti J. Essentials for Early Career Success Among Dermatology PAs, With Joseph Gatti, DMSc, MPAS, MBA, PA-C. HCPLive. November 12, 2025. Accessed November 13, 2025. https://www.hcplive.com/view/essentials-early-career-success-dermatology-pas-joseph-gatti-dmsc-mpas-mba-pa-c.