Virtual dermatologist
in Pennsylvania
Dr. Dennis Porto is a double board-certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon licensed to practise in Pennsylvania. 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.
Pennsylvania combines two large metros with some of the most dermatology-scarce rural counties in the Northeast. 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 Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's dermatology access divides almost perfectly along its geography. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have academic centres and established private practices; the wide band of rural counties between them has very few dermatologists relative to population. For residents of the northern tier, the Alleghenies, and much of central Pennsylvania, the nearest dermatologist can be an hour or more away, and the nearest one accepting new patients further still.
That distance changes behaviour in a specific way. When an appointment costs half a day of travel, people defer the visit that would have been routine — the changing mole, the rash that has not settled, the acne regimen that needs adjusting at week eight. Conditions that would have been simple become complicated, and follow-up, which is where most dermatologic treatment actually succeeds or fails, tends not to happen at all.
The state's climate follows the standard four-season Northeast pattern: dry indoor heat through winter driving eczema, psoriasis, and hand dermatitis, and humid summers driving fungal infections and folliculitis. Occupational exposure matters here too, with agriculture, manufacturing, and construction all producing contact dermatitis and hand eczema at rates well above the general population.
Serving patients across Pennsylvania
Care is available to anyone located in Pennsylvania at the time of their consultation, including:
- Philadelphia
- Pittsburgh
- Allentown
- Harrisburg
- Erie
- Scranton
- Lancaster
- Reading
- State College
- the Poconos
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 Pennsylvania. 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 Pennsylvania.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dr. Porto licensed in Pennsylvania?
Yes. Dr. Porto holds an active medical license in Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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.
What if I live far from Philadelphia or Pittsburgh?
Distance from a metro does not change the care. Rural Pennsylvania has comparatively few dermatologists, and one of the clearest advantages of virtual treatment is that follow-up visits — the ones that determine whether a regimen actually works — no longer require the drive.
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.