It has been less than a year since Bold City Dermatology in St. Augustine opened its doors, and Dr. Sarah Ferrer-Bruker is reminded every day of the relief and confidence she is providing her patients.
She took the leap of faith to start her own practice in April 2021 after much consideration and having the full support from her family.
“It was a very big change to go and open my own practice with a partner, plus in the middle of COVID,” Ferrer-Bruker said. “I had been practicing for over five years and had become proficient in what works, and I knew what I wanted to do and saw the things that I wanted to improve. I think in any professional’s life, there is a point where you have to decide; ‘Do I double-down and do the best where I’m at now, or do I try something completely new and build something for myself?’ It was really scary, actually.”
According to Ferrer-Bruker, her goal is to have a place that patients understand is modern and up to date with the current advancements in the field, while offering a warm and friendly atmosphere.
“Everything we do is completely patient-centered,” Ferrer-Bruker said. “I think that the patients can tell when a practice is owned by a physician versus being owned by a big corporation. I think that’s what sets us apart.”
She is double board certified in both internal medicine and dermatology, which is not something that comes lightly and without years of work and preparation.
The process includes going through four years of college, four years of medical school, and a four-year residency period.
“Somebody who is a board-certified physician in a specific specialty means that they have sacrificed a lot in order to be able to take care of you,” Ferrer-Bruker said.
Her business partner, Dr. Bishr Al-Dabagh, is also a board-certified dermatologist and fellowship-trained dermatologic surgeon specializing Mohs micrographic surgery, which is a procedure designed to remove cancerous skin tissue.
“He provides just another level of trusted expertise,” Ferrer-Bruker said.
Throughout her years in the field, she has seen the importance of surrounding oneself with the right hardworking and dedicated people, as well as having the support from the home front.
“I do not know how I lucked out,” Ferrer Bruker said with a big smile. “We have an entire team of people that make it possible.”
Bold City Dermatology is located at 316 Paseo Reyes Drive in St. Augustine and currently has three exam rooms. The staff consists of three medical assistants, two front desk staff, an office manager and an off-site director of operations.
In less than a year, the practice already has more than 2,500 patients and continues an upward trajectory.
However, with growth also comes the need for office space to manage that increasing number.
“We are busting at the seams, and I would really like to have a bigger space,” Ferrer-Bruker said. “My goal is to continue growing my patient base and eventually get into a larger office.”
Ferrer-Bruker also likes to give back to the career path she has chosen by training dermatology residents from Orange Park Medical Center six months a year.
Some of the services provided include total body skin checks, treatment of skin cancer cells, whether it requires a non-invasive approach or surgery, and cosmetics.
She takes pride that her practice welcomes patients of any age or skin type, which Ferrer-Bruker stated is not always the case with some outfits.
“I call it clan medicine, because I’ll take care of you, your kids and their grandparents,” Ferrer-Bruker said.
