Mark E. Burnett, MD is fellowship-trained in Mohs micrographic surgery and facial-plastic reconstruction. He is also one of only a handful of dermatologists in the country to be board-certified in both Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Dermatology.
He did his undergraduate work in molecular biology at the University of California, San Diego, where he graduated with honors from Revelle College and was an undergraduate ‘Research Scholar’ in the UCSD Cancer Center.
Dr. Burnett was awarded a scholarship to attend the Mount Sinai Medical School in New York City, where he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society, the Gold Humanism Honor Society and graduated with a Distinction in Research.
He completed his residency in Dermatology in the joint program of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and the Weill-Cornell Medical Center, where he served as the Chief Resident. As a resident, Dr. Burnett was awarded the 'Distinguished Housestaff Award,' given each year to the top resident in the Medical Center.
Dr. Burnett trained in Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Facial-Plastic Reconstruction in Pittsburgh, under the direction of John A. Zitelli, MD, who himself was trained by Dr. Frederic E. Mohs, the founder of Mohs surgery, and David G. Brodland, MD. Both Dr. Zitelli and Dr. Brodland are former presidents of the American College of Mohs Surgery and have a combined 60+ years of experience in Mohs surgery, skin cancer pathology and reconstructive surgery. Their innovative surgical techniques have shaped the current landscape of skin cancer treatment across the world. This direct descent from Dr. Mohs enables Dr. Burnett to provide his patients with the highest-quality Mohs surgery possible.
During his fellowship, Dr. Burnett was trained to perform microscopically-guided removal of skin cancers of all types, with special training in advanced immunohistochemistry techniques to treat rare and high-risk tumors. He is the only fellowship-trained Mohs surgeon on the Central Coast who has been formally trained to use intra-operative immunohistochemistry to treat rare and high-risk tumors such as Melanoma, Merkel Cell Carcinoma, Extramammary Paget's Disease, Sebaceous Carcinoma, Atypical Fibroxanthoma and others.
Dr. Burnett also has special expertise in the reconstruction of cosmetically sensitive areas like the nose, lips, eyelids, and ears.
Dr. Burnett has published numerous scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals and has authored book chapters, such as: “Repairs of the Nose", "Safety in Office-Based Dermatologic Surgery”, and “Nevogenesis: Mechanisms and Clinical Implications of Nevi Development”. He continues to publish scientific articles with regularity and presents at national, regional, and local academic meetings.
Recently, Dr. Burnett published a landmark study evaluating the long-term outcomes of Mohs micrographic surgery for the treatment of invasive melanoma on the trunk and extremities. The study is the largest of its kind and demonstrated the lowest local recurrence rate ever documented and disease-specific survival for melanoma patients that was equivalent or superior to historical controls. See below to read the study.
