Dermatologist in disguise
In Practice
By Emily Margosian, content specialist, February 1, 2018
Most people just want to see their dermatologist as soon as scheduling allows. But for patients of M. Alan Menter, MD, chairman of the division of dermatology at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas, snagging a coveted Oct. 31 appointment is worth the extra effort of booking up to six months in advance. “14 or so years ago, we were all sitting together as a staff trying to decide what we were going to be for Halloween that year, and someone suggested that the feminine side of me should come to the fore, and that’s really how it all began,” he explains.
Since then, the not-so-spooky Halloween tradition is still going strong amongst the dermatology department. “It’s 100 percent a dermatology effort. We have this unusual set-up at our institution where we kind of have a private practice for the basis of teaching a residency program,” Dr. Menter explains. “We have a staff of about 30 people and everybody dresses up — some slightly more crazy than others, although my role is primarily as the female dresser-upper — and the residents and fellows all love it. I did discuss it with the powers that be at the hospital to make sure we weren’t stepping on anybody’s toes, and now all our colleagues come in to see us on that day — some of whom dress up as well.”
Over the years, Dr. Menter’s costumes have included celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, Cher, and Lady Gaga, as well as fairytale figures and comic book classics — although he’s not always immediately familiar with some of the alter-egos suggested by his staff. “This year I was a flapper, and having not grown up in the United States, I had never heard the term flapper’ until the staff showed me online.” A former player on the South African national rugby team, Dr. Menter says his athletic past has serendipitously come in handy for constructing some of his costumes’ DIY assets. “I was an international rugby player, so I have lots of old rugby socks which have become my bosoms when I dress up,” he says.
Assembling each costume takes time, adding onto an already long day with a full patient load. “Around six in the morning, they spend about an hour making me up. It takes us three or four months to decide which outfit we need, which hairstyle we’re going to do,” says Dr. Menter. “ It’s a very tiring day because we work a full day and everyone obviously wants photographs taken, but patients love it and will sometimes write into our website in advance just to find out who I’m going to be that year.”
Not all of Dr. Menter’s patients are in on the festivities, however. Despite reserving the majority of the day’s appointments for returning patients anxious to see his yearly transformation, new patients do occasionally get a shock. “I’ll never forget about seven or eight years ago when a couple from a small town in west Texas came in and brought their little kids in with them,” recalls Dr. Menter. “West Texas is fairly conservative, and they were going to make a full day of it in Dallas. They had done what is often traditional in Texas — to dress up and see the doctor — they’re in jackets and ties, and the two little kids are well dressed.” Needless to say, their dermatologist’s unconventional appearance was a surprise. “When I introduced myself as Dr. Menter, the kids almost went hysterical. The parents were trying to keep them quiet, and they were very amazed that I was doing this, but at the end of the 20 minutes or so, they were loving every minute of it.”
Occasional surprises aside, Dr. Menter says that over the years the holiday has become a way for patients and staff from across the health care system to connect. “People will come and pop in — the whole faculty at the university, pharmaceutical representatives— just to be part of the whole thing. It’s become a very happy, fun day and the patients enjoy it a great deal.”
Some of Dr. Menter's Halloween costumes through the years.
