Dermatology

The Department of Dermatology at the Tenth Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University (Dongguan People's Hospital) was established in 1992. It is one of Dongguan's largest and best-equipped dermatology services, with one of the city's strongest professional teams. It is a leading academic institution in dermatology and venereology in Dongguan and the institution chairing the Dermatology and Venereology Branch of the Dongguan Medical Association. Its designations include a national demonstration base for medical cosmetic dermatology; one of the first national specialty bases for standardized residency training; a postgraduate training site of Southern Medical University; a postdoctoral workstation; a Guangdong training base for cosmetic dermatology physicians; a Good Clinical Practice (GCP) trial base for medicines and medical devices; and a national psoriasis diagnosis and treatment centre. It was also among the first collaborating institutions in the project for clinical research and standardized care for type 2 inflammation-related skin diseases in China and development of the national collaborative network for type 2 inflammation-related skin diseases. It led the establishment of the Dongguan Specialty Alliance for Skin and Immune Diseases.

The department combines clinical diagnosis and treatment in dermatology, venereology, dermatologic surgery, cosmetic skin laser treatment and dermatopathology with coordinated development and innovation in clinical care, teaching and research. It is well known within Guangdong and has advanced overall capabilities. It is also one of Dongguan's principal bases for clinical care, education, research and professional training in dermatology and venereology.

2. Specialist techniques and services Dermatology operates at 3 sites: Honglou Campus, Puji Campus and the First Outpatient Department. It has 21 designated inpatient beds and independent dermatology and venereology clinical testing and cutaneous mycology laboratories. It has long treated patients with complex and severe skin diseases from Dongguan and surrounding areas. In recent years, it has pioneered the successful use of biological agents and new small-molecule medicines for persistent and difficult-to-treat conditions, including moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis, refractory blistering skin diseases, moderate-to-severe psoriasis and inherited skin diseases.

Subspecialty clinics include rare skin diseases, acne, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, vitiligo, viral warts, hair loss, scars and urticaria. The department handles approximately 150,000 outpatient visits annually and more than 850 inpatient discharges. It ranks among the top 10 in the relevant DRG comparison across hospitals in Guangdong.

3. The clinical and academic team Department director Li Changxing is a Chief Physician, doctoral supervisor and collaborating postdoctoral supervisor. Recognized as an Outstanding Young Medical Talent of Guangdong, he has also received honours including Yangcheng Good Doctor and Renowned Physician of Dongguan. Under his leadership, the department has a high-level clinical, teaching and research team led by doctoral and master's supervisors.

The department has 25 medical technical professionals: 16 physicians, including 1 professional with doctoral-level education and 10 with master's-level education; among the physicians are 3 Chief Physicians and 6 Associate Chief Physicians. It also has 11 nurses and 3 technicians. Several staff hold positions as chair, vice-chair, standing committee member, committee member or working-group leader in dermatology branches of national, provincial and municipal medical and physician associations.

4. Translation of research into practice The department's clinical and academic work is at the forefront in Dongguan and has reached an advanced provincial level. In recent years, it has led 2 National Natural Science Foundation of China projects and more than 4 provincial or ministerial projects, including Guangdong Natural Science Foundation projects. It has received 1 first prize in the Innovation Dongguan Science and Technology Progress Awards. It has also successfully hosted several national and provincial academic conferences, promoting professional development and exchange in Dongguan and neighbouring areas.