Personal Profile
Harvey Hospitals. He leads the skin cancer MDT in East Kent and is, in fact, the only dermatologist practising privately in the region who is a member. Being a member of the skin MDT gives ready access to the other specialisms involved in the treatment of skin cancer and ensures that the doctor is practising to national standards.
Andrew studied medicine at the University of Bristol which was followed by two years in London and five years of Dermatology training in Nottingham. There he discovered a passion for dermatological surgery and subsequently was selected for a fellowship in dermatological surgery at the Welsh Institute of Dermatology in Cardiff where he increased his repertoire of complex closures following the excision of skin cancers and learned how to perform Mohs micrographic surgery.
Dr Birnie is constantly looking for new skills and techniques and has travelled widely to gain experience, including to California and Italy as well as nationally. He is also passionate about teaching; he lectures and demonstrates on surgical workshops nationally and internationally and conducts online dermatology tutorials to a worldwide audience through the University of Cardiff where he is an honorary tutor.
He returned to Kent in May 2011 following a year in Durban, South Africa, where he is an honorary senior lecturer at the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine. In Durban he set up a skin cancer centre, offering free treatment for those who could not afford care, from which he trained the local dermatologists in both basic and advanced skin cancer surgery and also set up the first recognised Mohs micrographic surgery service in the country. Dr Birnie is comfortable looking after all ages and all dermatological conditions and is happy removing all cutaneous lesions from benign moles to facial skin cancers.
Andrew has also created Altruist Dermatologist Sunscreen, a high quality dermatologist specification sunscreen sold at the lowest possible price, with the aim of reducing the incidence of skin cancer.
