Dr. Tiffany Sun started her career as a research scientist before going to medical school and becoming a dermatologist. “In my research studies, I spent a lot of time looking at immune responses. It was fascinating to see similar immune responses play out in the skin, and that’s what really drove me to become a dermatologist.”

Dr. Sun is fellowship-trained and board-certified in Mohs micrographic surgery, which is a type of surgery used for skin cancer removal. “Mohs surgery is mostly used on areas like the face where it is not feasible to remove a wide margin,” she explains. “It allows the surgeon to excise less skin and tissue but still remove all the cancer. Areas of the skin are removed in stages and carefully checked under a microscope for cancer cells until we know that the cancer is cleared.” Mohs surgeons are also highly trained in facial reconstruction. “Everything is done the same day, including the cancer removal, laboratory analysis of margins, and reconstruction.”

In her work Dr. Sun likes to get to know her patients and what is important to them. “I think it’s really important for me to be able to understand where patients are coming from. Let’s say, someone is more reluctant to get surgery, I need to understand why that is. I often work on very cosmetically sensitive areas, so there’s a lot of discussion involved to make sure patients know what to expect before we even start the procedure.”

When she is not busy with patients Dr. Sun enjoys spending time with family while hiking and visiting national parks. She also enjoys road biking. “After doing my medical training all over the US, I really enjoy the four seasons we have here in Massachusetts, especially the summer and the fall.”