Dr. John Cowan stood in the midst of the construction of his new practice, Bowling Green Dermatology and Skin Care Specialists, at 1106 Fairway St.

“Most people get out of residency and do a short stint at another practice,” he said. “I decided to take on opening my own practice. It’s exciting and scary at the same time.”

Fresh from finishing his residency in June at Emory University’s Department of Dermatology in Atlanta, Cowan plans to open his doors on Oct. 1 and is in the process of taking new patients. He was head resident at Emory.

“We learned everything – how to take care of general dermatology procedures. We were trained in dermatologic surgery,” he said. “We got a lot of cosmetic training and laser therapy training.”

Cowan, who grew up near Somerset, said it took him a while to choose dermatology as his potential career.

“In high school my only goal was to get a college scholarship for basketball,” he said, laughing.

He did play basketball for one year at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tenn., before transferring to the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, where he graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of science degree in biology and a minor in chemistry in 2000.

“I wanted to find something I could do for a long time,” he said. “I looked at medicine. The physicians I saw were able to balance professional life and family life.”

Dermatology caught Cowan’s eye because of its variety.

“It’s a really cool field. You see all age ranges – elderly, pediatric and every age in between. It’s very procedure laden, and I love to do procedures and surgeries,” he said. “You take people who have skin cancer and take it out, put them back together and make them look good. You help people with their appearance, and they can see the results. Patients are more likely to be compliant.”

Cowan graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine with high distinction in 2004 before doing a yearlong internship with New York University School of Medicine Internal Medicine Department. He went to Emory in 2005.

“My wife and I always knew we would come back to Kentucky,” he said of coming to Bowling Green. “I believe Bowling Green will offer us a lot, and we have a lot to offer Bowling Green.”

Cowan said he has a staff of five and plans to hire a medical aesthetician for various cosmetic procedures – including Botox, chemical peels and laser treatment.

“I will be next door to the room. Any questions that arise, I’m right there,” he said. “The practice is always going to be grounded in treatment of medical problems and skin cancer and offer cosmetic procedures.”

Bowling Green Dermatology and Skin Care Specialists will be “state-of-the-art,” Cowan said.

“We’ll have a paperless office, surgical lighting in each room and powered exam tables,” he said. “I want to bring the level of quality I got in training to Bowling Green.”

— For more information, call 783-8003 or visit www.bowlinggreendermatology.com.