Board-Certified Dermatologist & Fellowship-Trained Mohs Surgeon
Dr. Michelle A. Bongiorno is a board-certified dermatologist and fellowship-trained Mohs micrographic surgeon with a distinguished career blending advanced cutaneous oncology, large-scale healthcare operations, academic medicine, and extensive military service. Originally from Maryland, she graduated with honors from the University of Maryland before earning her medical degree from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS).
Dr. Bongiorno’s deep commitment to service began prior to her medical training as an enlisted sailor in the U.S. Navy, deploying in support of both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom onboard the USS Tortuga (LSD-46). Later commissioning as a medical officer, her operational tours included serving as a Marine Corps Medical Officer in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. Twice meritoriously promoted to both Lieutenant Commander (O4) and Commander (O5) in the Navy Medical Corps, her military decorations include two Joint Commendation Medals, two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, two Joint Achievement Medals, and two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.
Clinically, Dr. Bongiorno completed her dermatology residency at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where she was selected to serve as Chief Resident and received the Leonard Sperling Award for Clinical Excellence. Deeply committed to medical education and mentorship, she went on to serve as a Staff Physician for four years, directly training and educating the next generation of dermatology residents. She further holds an academic appointment as an Associate Professor in Dermatology at USUHS, continuing her dedication to shaping future military medical officers. She subsequently completed a prestigious Mohs Micrographic Surgery fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic.
A highly respected voice in healthcare operations and policy, Dr. Bongiorno has served as Deputy Director for Medicine at Walter Reed and the National Capital Region’s Product Line Chair, where she directed productivity and access to care across six regional clinics. Nationally, she contributed to the field as a member of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Clinical Guidelines Committee.
An accomplished researcher, Dr. Bongiorno has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications in major medical journals. Her published research provides a wide-ranging overview of critical dermatological and oncological issues, including analyzing skin cancer risks and prevention strategies specific to the US military population, evaluating the broader systemic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on skin conditions, and identifying rare clinical variants such as novel genetic mutations in xeroderma pigmentosum complex and refractory inflammatory dermatoses. She is a member of the AAD, the American College of Mohs Surgery (ACMS), and the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Medical Honor Society.
To schedule an appointment with Michelle A. Bongiorno, MD, FAAD at our McLean, VA, and Potomac office, text (703) 215-2139.
