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Cover Feature
Dr. David Kouba
The Toledo Clinic Facial Plastics & Dermatology Dr. David Kouba
By: Elyse Hawkins
After observing his mother’s career as a nurse, David Kouba’s dream since childhood was to become a doctor. “I think that is probably the biggest influence and inspiration,” he says. “Ever since I was a boy, because of my mother’s experiences, I wanted to be a physician.”
Many years later, David is dedicated to serving his patients as he leads a team of medical personnel at Toledo Clinic: Facial Plastics and Dermatology.
The journey to his current job at the Toledo Clinic was a long one for David. It all started in New Jersey, where he grew up. David then attended Haverford College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in molecular biology.
After finishing his undergraduate degree, David stayed in Philadelphia and got his master’s degree and Ph.D. in biochemistry as well as his Doctor in Medicine degree from Jefferson Medical College.
David completed his residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital. After exploring other specialties, he decided he wanted to pursue a career as a dermatologist. “From
that first week, I knew what I wanted, and that was
to do dermatology,” he says.
Following his residency, David worked for the University of Maryland as an Assistant Professor of Dermatology. He mainly studied the origins of cancer, specifically looking at the relationship between the immune system and its effects on skin cancer, something that has remained an interest for David.
David decided to move to Los Angeles, California to pursue specialties within the dermatology field of cosmetic surgery and Mohs surgery, a specific surgical technique used on skin cancer. He completed his surgical fellowship at the University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Center.
For family reasons, David left California and moved to Toledo, Ohio, where he took a job at Henry Ford Health System as a Mohs surgeon and Chief of Cosmetic Dermasurgery in the dermatology department.
Soon after, David joined the Toledo Clinic as a Mohs surgeon. The Toledo Clinic has four different locations, two in Ohio and two in Michigan. David travels to each location weekly, meeting with patients and conducting surgeries.
A big focus for the Toledo Clinic and David is forming relationships with patients, recognizing that medicine can be a scary thing, and making sure that everyone is always comfortable.
our own family members,” he explains.
Outside of cosmetic surgery and other general dermatology conditions, David works a lot with skin cancer and he understands how stressful a diagnosis like that can be for a patient. “Nobody wants to hear the ‘c’ word.”
For David, the most rewarding part of his job is being able to relieve that stress in his patients and walk them through the treatment process with as little fear as possible.
“It’s most satisfying to see a patient at their follow-up and they’re so relieved,” David says, “They look really like it’s just a weight lifted off of them.”
“If anything, even more so because, as you get older, your body’s immune system, which has a critical
role in preventing skin cancer, wanes,” David says.
David’s team provides a lot of support to him in making patients feel at ease and giving them the tools and knowledge to remain healthy. “The whole experience, from when they come in the door, to when they leave, is all critical. It’s all intertwined,” he says.
In his little free time, David enjoys spending time with his family, often going on ski trips or playing games. COVID affected their ability to travel as much as they would like, but they look forward to getting back to that soon.
David is someone who works largely with patients with various types of skin cancers; educating patients on prevention is very important, especially among seniors. “Not only do we remove cancers, but we
want to prevent skin cancers from ever happening,”
David says.
He explains most skin cancer becomes more likely with age, a result of years of DNA damage from over-exposure to the sun. David encourages everyone, but especially seniors, to be aware of what is happening on their skin and to seek help and treatFor those living active lifestyles outdoors, both young and old, David says protection from the sun is critical to preventing skin cancer. Seniors should be even more conscious of taking appropriate measures, like wearing hats and avoiding sunburns, to protect their skin.
----------------------------------------------------The Toledo Clinic has four different locations, but its main office is in Lambertville, Michigan. To schedule an appointment with any of its locations, call 419-479-5795.
