Virtual dermatologist
in Maryland
Dr. Dennis Porto is a double board-certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon licensed to practise in Maryland. Describe your concern, send photographs, and get a diagnosis and treatment plan from a specialist — without the drive, the waiting room, or the months-long wait for a first appointment.
Maryland's rate of ultraviolet-attributable melanoma is among the highest on the East Coast. He graduated at the top of his class from the University of Iowa College of Medicine, earned a Master of Public Health at Harvard, and is board-certified in both dermatology and Mohs micrographic surgery.
Skin care in Maryland
The American Cancer Society's state-level analysis in the International Journal of Cancer put Maryland's ultraviolet-attributable melanoma rate at 32.6 per 100,000 among non-Hispanic white residents — higher than most states and higher than several considerably sunnier ones. A long boating and beach season on the Chesapeake and the Atlantic coast, combined with the general tendency to treat a mid-Atlantic summer as less hazardous than a southern one, accounts for a good deal of it.
Maryland also has a genuinely four-season climate, which means the winter pattern applies too: dry indoor heat driving eczema, hand dermatitis, and psoriasis flares from late autumn onward, then humid summers driving fungal infections, folliculitis, and sweat-related conditions.
Access divides sharply along geographic lines. The Baltimore–Washington corridor is comparatively well served; the Eastern Shore, Western Maryland, and Southern Maryland are not, and residents there routinely travel substantial distances for routine dermatologic care.
Serving patients across Maryland
Care is available to anyone located in Maryland at the time of their consultation, including:
- Baltimore
- Annapolis
- Silver Spring
- Bethesda
- Rockville
- Frederick
- Columbia
- Gaithersburg
- the Eastern Shore
- Southern Maryland
What can be addressed
Dr. Porto is a general dermatologist as well as a Mohs surgeon, so the full range of medical dermatology is covered — acne, rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, hair loss, melasma, pigmentation, rashes, and concerning spots among them. The full list of conditions sets out what is treated and how each is approached.
When a prescription is appropriate it is sent electronically to your pharmacy of choice in Maryland. Follow-up happens by message, which matters more than most people expect: dermatologic treatment succeeds or fails on adjustment over weeks, and that adjustment is far likelier to happen when it does not require another appointment.
Start with a message, not a waiting room
Send photos and a short history. Get a diagnosis and a treatment plan from a double board-certified dermatologist licensed in Maryland.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dr. Porto licensed in Maryland?
Yes. Dr. Porto holds an active medical license in Maryland and in nine other states. He is double board-certified in dermatology and in Mohs micrographic surgery, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Do I need to live in Maryland to be seen?
What matters is where you are physically located during the consultation, not where you permanently reside. Physicians are licensed state by state, so being in Maryland at the time of your consult is what allows Dr. Porto to treat you there.
How long does it take to be seen?
Far less time than the national norm for dermatology. Survey data has put the average wait for a dermatology appointment in the United States at around five weeks, with wide variation between states. Sending a message does not require waiting for a scheduled appointment slot at all.
What happens if my condition needs a procedure?
You will be told directly, and pointed toward what the next step should be. Dr. Porto is a Mohs surgeon as well as a general dermatologist, so the assessment of whether something needs surgical or procedural treatment comes from someone who performs it.
Can prescriptions be sent to my pharmacy in Maryland?
Yes. When a prescription is appropriate, it is sent electronically to the pharmacy you choose anywhere in Maryland, and can be filled the same way as one from an in-person visit.
This page is general health information, not medical advice, and reading it does not create a physician–patient relationship. Treatment decisions depend on your individual history and examination. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.