By Andy Furman
NKyTribune reporter
He was recognized for Excellence in Dermatology by NKY Magazine. But it wasn’t planned that way for Dr. Clay Shearer.
“I just loved taking care of animals,” he told the Northern Kentucky Tribune the other day behind his office desk at 10060 Demia Way – off Mt. Zion Road in Florence. “I started as a pre-vet student and transitioned to people.”
Lucky for Northern Kentucky.
Perhaps it came from his dad – Dr. David A. Shearer – a Dermatologist, who shares the office they constructed — The Dermatology Center – in 2001.
“In Dermatology you are basically all exposed,” said Clay. “You can see what you’re working on – and I liked that.”
In fact, the younger Dr. Shearer even thought ortho – the specialized medical field with a primary focus on the musculoskeletal system, — was his calling at one time. “But,” he says, “Dermatology is the best mix of helping people and seeing the results.”
And the Shearers have seen-it-all.
The practice specializes in all aspects of dermatology, including adult and pediatric patients. Areas of particular interest, according to Clay, include treatment of skin cancers, psoriasis, complex skin rashes, as well as common skin ailments such as acne and warts.
Also offered – a full range of cosmetic dermatologic services such as Botox, fillers, and laser treatments.
The facility includes surgical rooms on site as well as phototherapy units.
And the daily lineup in their waiting room, may have as many people as Dr. Clay has college degrees.
He graduated from Transylvania University with a bachelor’s degree in Biology, and then completed his medical degree at Rhea University of Louisville and his residency in dermatology at the University of Texas/MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.
That is plenty of classroom time – but Clay remembers his very first patient.
“We did a head-to-toe skin cancer routine check on a woman,” he said. “Now she was told prior that she would be my very first patient – and all she did was giggle.”
That first patient was Dr. Clay Shearer’s very first save.
“We found skin cancer on her right cheek. Removed it and all went well,” he said.
New then – commonplace now; yet he says shingles and complex rashes prove to be the biggest challenge in dermatology.
“Skin cancer detection is pretty much straight forward.”
But the best part of his job – and why he says he loves coming to work each day – is the “caring for a patient with skin cancer or an inflammatory disorder. Even a teen with acne, which would certainly affect his or her life.”
He says what a tremendous feeling it is to see a youngster with acne two-to-three months later when it is cured.
“They’ll come and even hug me,” he says. “It is quite gratifying. There aren’t too many jobs that you can actually help and cure someone and be on that journey with them.”
He remembers seeing tumors so large, “we had to move them from one’s eye,” he said.
As for that waiting room, well it goes full circle.
“Usually in the morning,” he said, “we’ll see people between the ages of 30 and 100, for skin cancer detection.”
A hundred?
“Yes,” he said, “on the same day awhile back we had a man and a woman – one was 104 the other 102 from Grant County. They were in for their skin cancer checkup.”
Later in the day, when school lets out – the crowd gets a bit younger — again for skin checking, moles, and acne.
“I’m here at 7 a.m. Monday through Friday,” he said. “And we take patients from, 8 a.m. till 5 p.m.”
And after hours when need, he mentions.
He says he and his dad have “been blessed” — but so has Northern Kentucky.