The Dermoscopy Centre

General information

Well known North Canterbury General Practitioner Dr Julia Racle has opened the regions first dedicated facility for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of skin cancers.

Dr. Racle is a graduate of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne medical school. She undertook vocational training in General Practice in the UK, before moving to New Zealand in 1995.

She has been continuously engaged in General Practice since then, working in Dargaville, Twizel, Oamaru, Christchurch and, for the last ten years, in North Canterbury. Julia has been a Fellow of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioner’s since 1999.

In order to improve knowledge of skin cancers, develop minor surgical skills, and reduce the number of referrals, Canterbury GP’s were invited to work a few sessions at the Burwood Hospitals Outpatient Procedures Unit (BOPU). Julia was one of the first, and simply never stopped; she has now regularly worked at BOPU for over six years.

She has also undertaken a range of courses pertaining to skin cancer medicine, especially in the field of Dermoscopy, and in 2011, completed the Skin Cancer College of Australasia (SCCA) Postgraduate Diploma in Dermoscopy that was awarded with Distinction. Julia has also completed her study for the Postgraduate Diploma in Skin Cancer Medicine and Surgery. She has recently accepted a teaching role with the SCCA, and now tutors clinicians across Australasia in Dermoscopy and Skin Cancer Medicine.

Her long standing motivation for opening The Dermoscopy Centre arises from the significant increase in the number of skin cancers amongst New Zealanders, combined with the knowledge that many moles or lesions considered suspicious are either being ignored, or unnecessarily removed.

Her hope is that by engaging with the community and promoting a greater awareness of the causes and early signs, the increasing incidence of skin cancers can one day be reversed.

The opening of The Dermoscopy Centre marks a step change for North Canterbury residents by providing local, cost effective access to advanced diagnostic techniques and skills.