Dr. Julia Schwartz is the owner of Dorado Dermatology in Dorado, Puerto Rico, a practice located in a beach resort community about 45 minutes outside of San Juan. After graduating from the University of Washington School of Medicine, Dr. Schwartz was one of two residents in the inaugural dermatology residency class at George Washington University, which began in 2015. She served as chief resident during her final year of training.
Following residency, Dr. Schwartz relocated to Puerto Rico with her husband, where she founded her private practice and welcomed two beautiful daughters.
What’s your current role and how did your dermatology training at GW prepare you for it?
I am the dermatologist and owner of Dorado Dermatology, a direct-pay dermatology practice in Dorado, Puerto Rico, a coastal community about 45 minutes outside of San Juan. My practice spans medical, cosmetic, and surgical dermatology, and I care for patients of all ages, often treating multiple members of the same family—from young children to grandparents. Practicing in a close-knit beach community has allowed me to build long-term relationships with patients while running a small micropractice that prioritizes personalized care and a balanced family life.
My training at GW prepared me extremely well for both the clinical and practical aspects of dermatology. Because I was part of the inaugural residency class, we had the unique experience of helping shape the culture and systems of the program, which fostered independence, adaptability, and leadership. The breadth of clinical, surgical, and pediatric experience gave me the confidence to manage a wide variety of dermatologic conditions in private practice.
Equally important, GW cultivated a strong sense of collegiality and mentorship. Those relationships, along with the clinical foundation I built during residency, have continued to support me as I established my practice and built my career in Puerto Rico.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give current residents or recent grads starting their careers in dermatology?
One piece of advice I would give residents and recent graduates is that there is no single “correct” path in dermatology. When you’re in training, it can feel like there are very defined lanes—academics, private practice, fellowship—but once you’re out in the real world, you realize that many of the most fulfilling careers don’t fit neatly into those categories.
Be open to opportunities that might not look traditional at first. If you had told me during residency that I would move to Puerto Rico and start a small direct-pay dermatology micropractice in a beach town, I probably would have laughed. But dermatology is an incredibly flexible specialty, and there are many ways to build a practice that aligns with your professional interests and personal life.
So my advice is to stay curious, be willing to take a few calculated risks, and remember that sometimes the slightly unconventional path ends up being the most rewarding one.
Can you share a favorite memory or moment from your residency at GW?
It’s honestly hard to pick just one favorite memory because residency, as a whole, was such a fun and formative time and living in Washington, DC, made the experience even more memorable. We had the chance to get to know residents from the other programs in the city—Georgetown, Howard, and Walter Reed—which created a really unique and collegial dermatology community.
Some of my favorite memories were the times spent with my co-residents and mentors outside the clinic: Harry Potter World after the Orlando Derm Conference, discovering the DC food scene (from fancy steak and lobster meals hosted by pharm reps to the chicken salad in the faculty lounge at the hospital to Panera lunches when we were at the VA), and having a blast getting to travel to Portland, Hawaii, Monterey, Denver, and Tampa with my colleagues.
And of course, there were the long didactic days in the GW dermatology conference room, which were filled with learning, laughter, and therapy sessions. Looking back, what stands out most isn’t just the training, but the friendships and mentorships that came out of those years. Many of the people I trained with are still close friends today.
What’s an exciting development or trend in dermatology that you’re currently following or involved in?
One trend I’ve been particularly interested in is the growing movement toward direct-pay and micropractice models in dermatology. These approaches allow dermatologists to design practices that prioritize patient access and physician autonomy while minimizing the administrative burden that often comes with traditional insurance-based systems. In my own practice, I’ve found that this model allows for longer visits, stronger relationships with patients, and greater flexibility in how care is delivered. I think we’ll continue to see dermatologists exploring more creative practice structures that align with both high-quality patient care and a sustainable, fulfilling career. How do you stay connected with the dermatology community and/or fellow alumni? Ever since graduating from residency, I have had a group text chat with my old coresidents Drs. Thomas Lee, Liz Robinson, and Jen Aronica. Even though we are in different states, nearly weekly we connect for help with difficult cases and to commiserate about issues in our clinics.. We have also met up across the country at various conferences including an especially fun trip to Aspen for the Cosmetic Bootcamp Conference. Living in Puerto Rico, I also inevitably get to see people who happen to be visiting the island. Most recently, I met for dinner in Old San Juan with Dr. Yasmine Kirkorian who was here for a conference and we had a great time catching up on our lives and reminiscing about our DC days together.
