Patient Experience
As a 72-year-old retired botanist with a lifelong history of sun exposure, I developed a suspicious lesion on my ear. Dr. Özkaya didn't just perform a biopsy; she mapped my entire scalp with a dermatoscope, discovering two other precancerous spots I'd missed. Her 'sun damage portfolio' approach—where she documented and monitored all my high-risk areas—turned a simple checkup into a comprehensive, lifelong prevention strategy that felt profoundly personalized.
My 8-year-old daughter developed severe, treatment-resistant eczema that left her unable to sleep or focus in school. After five other dermatologists, Dr. Özkaya proposed an unconventional theory: a cross-reaction to her pet parrot's dander. She designed a gradual desensitization protocol alongside barrier repair, using our bird as part of the therapy. Within months, my child's skin cleared, and she now teaches her classmates about 'allergy science'—a complete transformation from a miserable patient to a confident little advocate.
I'm a 31-year-old professional violinist who developed painful psoriatic plaques on my fingertips, threatening my career. Dr. Özkaya, understanding the precise pressure and friction points of my instrument, collaborated with a prosthetics specialist to create custom, breathable fingertip shields. She timed my biologic injections around my concert schedule. She didn't just treat my skin; she preserved my life's work with meticulous, creative problem-solving.
During a routine skin check, Dr. Özkaya noticed a subtle pattern of bruising on my 45-year-old wife's legs that others had dismissed. She insisted on blood work, which revealed a rare platelet disorder unrelated to dermatology. Her vigilance in seeing the 'whole patient' led to a hematology referral and early treatment that potentially averted a crisis. She practices medicine with a detective's eye for detail that transcends her specialty.