About Melissa A. Rubenstein, MD
Dr. Melissa I. Costner is a board-certified dermatologist and dermatopathologist who is internationally recognized as an expert in the field of rheumatic skin disease. She has written many articles and book chapters and has given numerous presentations on this topic at conferences around the world. She has also conducted clinical research in lupus and dermatomyositis and is published in the major dermatology journals and textbooks. Dr. Costner graduated magna cum laude from the University of St. Thomas in 1987. She received her doctorate in medicine from the University of Texas Medical School at Houston in 1993 where she was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. She completed her internship in Internal Medicine at the same institution and completed a residency in Dermatology at UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. During her residency, she served as chief resident. She also completed a fellowship in Dermatopathology at UT Southwestern. She was selected by D Magazine as one of the “Best Doctors in Dallas” for the last 13 years. My care philosophy is a team approach to skin health. By that, I mean that I value working together with my patients in order to come up with a plan that best suits their needs, lifestyle, and overall health. My specialty is skin signs of internal illness, and because of this, I value that the skin can be a window to what is going on internally. I find that patients have great instincts about their health and a careful dialogue about their observations regarding their skin disease leads to more accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. Skin disease can be painful, both physically and emotionally, and it is my goal to work together with my patients in order to alleviate this pain. I truly value the relationships that I am fortunate enough to make with my patients as we proceed on our journey together toward both good skin health and overall wellness. I really enjoyed working with Dr. Hurley when she was a resident at UT Southwestern. When I left the faculty there, I called her to ask if I could join her practice. She welcomed me with open arms, making me feel part of the NDDA family immediately. Since that time she has brought on 5 other amazing women to the NDDA practice. I love the women I work with and I couldn’t imagine practicing dermatology without them.
