Passion Project - Victoria Garcia- Albea
My Passion
Victoria Garcia-Albea, PNP, DCNP
When I was a kid, I asked my dad how he had become a professional photographer. He told me that he had always loved taking pictures. He couldn't believe it when he found out he could do it for a living! Nobody had ever told him you could spend all day doing what you love and make a living.
My grandfather, who was also my biggest career influence, also discovered that secret. He was a dermatologist and absolutely loved everything about his job. He loved treating patients, educating trainees, going to conferences, and reading journals. Everybody who knew him could see how much joy he got from his career.
When I was in nursing school, I discovered my passion for dermatology. After graduating with my Master's, I completed a formal dermatology nurse practitioner fellowship, which enabled me to work with my grandfather at Lahey Dermatology for five years! During those five years, I experienced my grandfather's passion for providing outstanding dermatologic care, first as a fellow and then as a coworker. It was inspiring to see a man of 85 years (and counting – he retired at 95!) getting up early on a cold Saturday in December to attend the New England Dermatologic Society meeting in Boston with me. I say with me, but he would have gone with me or without me. It humbled me that a dermatologist with over 45 years of experience could still be excited to see what else there was to learn.
As one of the lucky few APPs to have had formal dermatology training, my passion is to share my hard-earned knowledge with the world. I am excited to be part of Elevate-Derm because it allows me to reach many more APPs than I would ever get by precepting individuals.
I am now the director of the Lahey Dermatology Nurse Practitioner Training Program, which trains 2 NPs every two years. I love that I get one-on-one individual teaching through that program, but I also love lecturing, writing for publication, and helping to plan large conferences such as ElevateDerm. These educational modalities are more "macro" and allow for a wider distribution of dermatology knowledge.
If you have the knowledge through a formal training program, self-guided learning, or years on the job, I encourage you to engage with trainees. You can precept students from your local institutions of higher learning, give lectures at your local community centers, or write for publication.
My grandfather always said that training future dermatology providers kept him young. I have found that to be true. It keeps me humble, curious, and passionate about the work we do.
At the end of the day, being a dermatology APP is a job. It has its glamourous moments (when you make a cool diagnosis!). But it can sometimes be a grind. You've got to love what you do and do what you love. I hope you will find satisfaction and fulfillment by sharing your knowledge, just like I have.
Victoria Garcia-Albea, BSN, MSN, RN, PNP, DCNP, is a medical dermatology nurse practitioner at Lahey Clinic in Burlington, MA. She is the director of the Lahey Clinic Dermatology NP Training Program. She spends most of her free time with her husband and two school-aged boys and volunteers at her public library. She joined the Advisory Board for Elevate-Derm in 2023.