Quality, Experience, and Compassion
Dr. Anir Dhir was born in Detroit to immigrant parents from Germany and India. After graduating with a B.S. in Biomedical & Electrical Engineering with honors from the University of Texas at Austin, he attended Baylor College of Medicine, where he was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha - the medical honor society. He completed his Dermatology residency at Emory University in Atlanta and then pursued a fellowship in Mohs surgery and facial reconstruction in Birmingham, Alabama with world-renowned Gary Monheit, MD – a Tucson native, University of Arizona graduate, and Past President of the American College of Mohs Surgery, American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, and American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery.
From 1999 to 2015, Dr. Dhir was a partner with Dermatology Associates of Kentucky in Lexington. He was the busiest Mohs surgeon in Kentucky, where he performed 30,000 Mohs surgeries with a cure rate of over 99.5% and an infection rate of 0.2%. He served as the Medical Director of the only Medicare- and AAAHC-accredited ambulatory surgery center (ASC) ever built in Kentucky dedicated to dermatologic surgery. In 2003, Dr. Dhir was first elected to Best Doctors in America by his colleagues - an honor awarded to the Top 4% of U.S. Physicians. Since 2004, he has also been recognized as a Castle Connolly Top Doctor - a recognition given to only 7% of all U.S. board-certified physicians. Dr. Dhir has authored several publications and served as faculty at numerous national scientific meetings. He has been interviewed as a dermatologic expert on ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS and in publications such as Newsweek. Dr. Dhir was first board-certified by the American Board of Dermatology in 1998 and has been a Fellow in the American College of Mohs Surgery since 1999. He also carries subspecialty board certification in Micrographic Dermatologic Surgery.
After raising their children, Dr. Dhir’s love of the Southwest and recognition of Tucson’s skin cancer epidemic and lack of timely access led him and Nathalie to relocate to Tucson in 2017. Dr. Dhir practiced with HealthySkin Dermatology for 3 years before opening Arizona Mohs Surgery & Dermatology in 2020. In Tucson, he and his team have performed 14,000 Mohs surgeries. His goal is to use his significant Mohs surgical and ASC management experience to deliver compassionate, ASC-level surgical care in a less expensive, more comfortable office setting.
Shelby Coplen, PA-C, joined our experienced team in 2024. She is a Physician Assistant who has practiced medical & surgical dermatology in Tucson since 2018. Shelby is originally from Indiana, where she attended Indiana University and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Biology with honors in 2014. She was also inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa academic honors society through a selective, merit-based invitation process. Shelby continued her education at the prestigious Butler University, where she received her Masters of Physician Assistant Studies degree in 2017.
Shelby started her career working in gastroenterology, where she gained experience working with many conditions that have associated dermatologic complications including inflammatory bowel disease and liver cirrhosis. She then started working in dermatology and is passionate about early detection, prevention, and accurate treatment of skin cancer. She is a member of the Society of Dermatology Physician Associates and has completed the rigorous SDPA Diplomat Fellowship program - a training program for PAs in dermatology. She has extensive experience in skin cancer screenings, non-surgical treatment of skin cancer, and treatment of chronic dermatological conditions such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, rosacea, and acne. Shelby currently resides in Tucson with her husband, who recently completed his PhD degree at UA. In her free time, Shelby enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with her husband and young daughter.
B.S. in Biomedical / Electrical Engineering with Honors
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 1990
Baylor College of Medicine with Honors, Houston, Texas, 1994
Internship, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 1995
Dermatology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, 1998
Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology
Gary Monheit, MD, Birmingham, Alabama, 1999
Mohs Micrographic Surgery for Skin Cancer (44,000 cases performed)
Best Doctors in America, 2003-12, 2015-2022
Castle Connolly Top Doctor, 2004-2025
Hewlett Packard Top Medical Graduate Award (Top 5 Students), 1994
Alpha Omega Alpha (medical honor society), 1993
Engineering Scholar Award (Top 5%), 1990
Arizona, Kentucky (inactive), and Florida (inactive)
Family, Physical Fitness, Automotive Racing, Cooking
Radical Cup Prototype Racing Series, Rookie of the Year, 2017
Thank you for making my unpleasant situation less stressful and not so unpleasant. God Bless You!
A young lady at the entrance greeted me in such a friendly manner that the expression on her face, her posture, and her words caught my attention. The instructions are also striking: "you may bathe", "please try to stop smoking", "we would prefer", "please perform a few days", "please be patient as you heal." And finally, "We wish you a speedy recovery." These instructions come from doctors and nurses who are authorities in dermatology. Yet, they are delightfully modest.
Thank you for the wonderful care you provided for me in the past weeks. I so appreciate you and value your friendship of the many past years. You are truly a great professional who's caring and skills is beyond compare.
I want to let you know what a wonderful staff I think you have! From the girls at the desk to your nurses. They made my first visit a pleasure. Thanks again.
I am very grateful for the care and skill that has eliminated my cancer. Just as you said, it's been 6 months and there is very, very little marking and no numbness. I am very pleased with the results. Thank you.
I felt compelled to write you based on my superior care. There is not a 'health grade' that is high enough to describe your caring of me. I have had some excellent care in Tucson but your efforts are over the top of the others.
I just wanted to let you know how much your kindness touched my heart. Thank you!
Your husband is a super surgeon! Also a super person! The entire office is very super! My experience there has been wonderful. I appreciate all the knowledge and friendly atmosphere.
Thank you so much for sharing your talents with me the last couple of years. You have been so kind and you can't imagine what a difference you have made in my life. You are a wonderful doctor!
