Michael Haiman, MD

Bio

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. I graduated with Distinction in Molecular Biology from the University of California, Berkeley in 1986. It was during my time attending Berkeley that I fell in love with Northern California and vowed to come back here to live some day. I explored some of the country by taking my medical training in different cities. I attended the University of California, San Diego for Medical School, and the University of Washington for Internship and finally studied Dermatology at the largest and one of the most prestigious Dermatology Programs in the country, New York University Medical Center (NYU).

After completing my Dermatology Residency at NYU, I worked in the private practices of a few of my University instructors to increase my cosmetic skills while making a living. These practices were in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Long Island. After two years in the private practice setting, I was ready to come back to Northern California.

I chose Kaiser Permanente because I knew that this is where the best medical care in the country was being delivered. While I was in private practice, I was told by private insurance companies that I could not treat certain conditions, or use certain medications. I was attracted to Kaiser Permanente because the doctors can treat their patients here without having to worry about those limitations.

My Medical Specialty

More details about my specialty:

I love being a dermatologist. My initial interest in dermatology grew because the study of dermatology emphasizes not only what you see on the skin, but also what is happening on the cellular level in the skin. I studied molecular biology at UC Berkeley for a similar reason. I love to understand the underlying mechanisms that produce the natural phenomenon we observe in biology.

The practice of dermatology involves a lot more than cells, of course. I really enjoy taking care of all age groups, from newborns to senior citizens. I also like the fact that dermatologists treat diseases with both surgery and medicines.

The best part of being a dermatologist is being with my patients. Over the last decade of my practice, I've met some wonderful people and each day I get to see familiar patients as well as meet new ones.

My specialty interests and affiliations within my field:

Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology

Current projects or research:

I have been Chief of Dermatology at the Santa Rosa Medical Center since 1998, and I was Chair of the Chiefs of Dermatology for Northern California Kaiser from 2001-2004. I love being in these leadership roles. They've allowed me to think about the care I deliver differently. As a Chief, I can focus on the entire population for whom I'm responsible and work on projects that will allow Kaiser Permanente to deliver great quality care to all of our members.

Great health resources that I refer to:

I have great links on my home page, and I encourage you to explore them. They are listed under the area "Web Resources."

Two of the sites with the most information are:
The American Academy of Dermatology (www.aad.org)
The New Zealand Dermatology Society (www.dermnetnz.org)

An interesting story from my training:

I trained at New York University Medical Center, one of the largest and most prestigious Dermatology training programs in the country. As part of our training program, we took care of patients at the public hospital "Bellevue." I remember being the Dermatologist on call when I received a call from the Bellevue Emergency Room. There was a patient who just arrived in our country that day. The patient had such horrible skin disease that the Airport Health Officials decided he was "too sick" to just send home immediately. Instead, he was sent to us at Bellevue! Training at a program like this really gave me an amazing clinical foundation that has served me well for my entire career.

Photos from My Training Years or of Practicing Medicine in My Field:

UC Berkeley Logo

Interests

Hobby Photos & Links:

Yellowstone

Family & Friends

People in my life:

I've been married to a wonderful woman since my medical school days.

My children and people I care about:

I have three beautiful children.

I have a West Highland Terrier named "Lola," and a guinea pig named "Nelly."

Travel

An adventure I've had:

One of the most interesting travel adventures I ever had was living in Nome, Alaska for a summer. I worked at an Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation Center, as well as observed care delivery at the local hospital. Most of the population were Native Alaskans (Eskimos). I had the opportunity to travel to their villages to deliver care, as well as become friends with some of these Natives and learn about their lives and culture.

Favorite place in the world:

Point Reyes National Seashore, because it is so beautiful.

Travel Photos:

Transportation, Alaska style...

scenery in Nome