Dr. Tope graduated summa cum laude from Duke University with a BS degree in Biology in 1984 and Duke University School of Medicine in 1988. During medical school he spent a year performing immunology research at the University of Cambridge (UK) earning a Master of Philosophy degree in Biochemistry.

After medical school, Dr. Tope completed a general internal medicine internship at the University of Washington in Seattle, then returned to Duke University for his dermatology residency training (1992). Dr. Tope’s training continued with fellowships in Advanced Dermatologic Surgery at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland and in Clinical and Research Laser studies at Harvard Medical School’s Wellman Center for Photomedicine.

Dr. Tope then spent 10 years in academic dermatology directing patient care, performing research, and teaching laser and dermatologic surgery techniques at the University of Minnesota (1996-2003) and the University of California – San Francisco (2003-2006). He has taught medical students, residents, and fellows in all aspects of dermatologic surgery. Many of these physicians are now dermatologists and dermatologic surgeons practicing in the Twin Cities. Dr. Tope returned to the Twin Cities to devote the remainder of his career to providing patient care in dermatologic, laser, and cosmetic surgery in a private practice setting. Dr. Tope initiated Academic Dermatology, his own independent practice, in April, 2009, and recently merged with Pinnacle Dermatology in January, 2020.

Board-certified by the American Board of Dermatology, Dr. Tope is a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology and of the American College of Mohs Surgery.

Experience:
BS in Biology, Trinity College, Duke University, Durham, NC (1984)
MPhil in Biochemistry/Immunology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK (1987)
MD, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC (1988)
Internship in Internal Medicine, University of Washington Affiliated Hospitals, Seattle, WA (1989)
Dermatology Residency, Duke University, Durham, NC (1992)
Advanced Dermatologic Surgery Fellowship, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, OR (1993)
Laser & Photomedicine Fellowship, Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Harvard University Medical School, Boston, MA (1994)

Specialties:
Medical Dermatology
Mohs & Reconstructive Surgery
Cutaneous Oncology (Skin Cancer Management)
Management of Complex Patients at High Risk for Skin Cancer Development
Laser Dermatology
Superficial Radiation Therapy