Longtime San Mateo dermatologist retiring

Webb is known for his long career and his work in the community. Volunteer work has been a core part of his commitment to the profession, with Webb wanting to serve people who needed help but couldn’t afford it in San Mateo. For more than a decade, he helped patients by volunteering his dermatology services at the Samaritan House Free Medical Clinic in San Mateo every two weeks. The work helped people reduce emergency room visits and save money for those who did not have the means to see doctors. Webb also did volunteer tattoo removal for gang members who were formerly incarcerated as part of their parole terms.

Webb started in San Mateo in the 1970s, mainly dealing with skin care and building a client base. Most people decades ago were doctors by themselves, with a few small groups, and everyone knew each other. Nowadays, consolidation has occurred, with big corporate structures coming in and setting up medical groups like Kaiser and Sutter Health. After having a solo practice for most of his career, he sold it eight years ago and joined a large collective called California Skin Institute, a private practice dermatology and plastic surgery medical group with more than 450 people. His last day is Nov. 11, and he has been working on retirement plans for the last few months.

Webb was a graduate student studying biochemistry at Princeton University before realizing his gift and happiness were elsewhere. While exploring new careers, he went to Princeton Hospital and met a senior doctor who allowed him to shadow patient visits and talk about the field. Webb decided to attend dermatology medical school at the University of California in San Francisco. He settled in practice in San Mateo after meeting an elderly couple on vacation in the California foothills. They had a friend in San Mateo who wanted a successor for a longtime private practice.

Webb said his career has spanned massive changes in technology and medicine to help treatment. Years ago, he was limited to a few ways to treat skin problems, but new changes have given dermatology a wide array of treatments. Webb, who specializes in medical, cosmetic and surgical dermatology, said the field had also seen large advancements with fillers, liposuction and Botox now common options. He called his work a delight to do every day, noting doing procedures to be his favorite part. Most of his career in the last decade has focused on skin cancer treatments. He trained his daughter Hilary Johnston, a physician assistant who also practices at California Skin Institute in San Mateo.

“Now I am hanging that all up and leaving it to the new people coming on,” Webb said. “The future is bright for dermatology, and I’m glad to leave it all in good hands.”

He appreciates getting positive feedback and providing help immediately when treating people who have skin conditions, where biochemistry can have years before positive progress. He enjoys getting to know patients and little slices of their lives while treating them and getting to know his longtime staff, some of whom have worked for him for 30 years.

“In dermatology, it was every day and every week,” Webb said. “That’s the fun thing about medicine. You can make a difference, pronto.”

Webb grew up just outside Philadelphia, and his wife who he met on a blind date is from Connecticut. He lives in Hillsborough a couple of miles from his office. His three children all live in the Bay Area, an unusual theme in today’s time when many young people move elsewhere. His other daughter is an OB-GYN, and his son is a middle school teacher in Foster City. He noted many doctors have trouble starting in Bay Area because their income doesn’t go very far, noting many choose to have a higher standard of living elsewhere. He thought it would be difficult to figure out when to retire but found it an easy decision.

“It’s funny how it just comes together and just seems like the right time,” Webb said. “I’m looking forward to it after 43 years of doing it, and it’s time to move on.”

curtis@smdailyjournal.com

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