Meet Anir Dhir, MD, & Shelby Coplen, PA-C

Quality, Experience, and Compassion

Anir Dhir, M.D. Tucson's Top Rated Mohs Surgeon

Anir Dhir, MD, FACMS

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 15,000 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.


Dr. Dhir

Undergraduate

B.S. in Biomedical / Electrical Engineering with Honors
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 1990

Medical School

Baylor College of Medicine with Honors, Houston, Texas, 1994

Residency

Internship, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 1995

Dermatology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, 1998

Fellowship

Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology
Gary Monheit, MD, Birmingham, Alabama, 1999

Specialty

Mohs Micrographic Surgery for Skin Cancer (45,000 cases performed)

Awards and Honors

Best Doctors in America, 2003-12, 2015-2025

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

Medical Licenses

Arizona, Kentucky (inactive), and Florida (inactive)

Personal Interests

Family, Physical Fitness, Automotive Racing, Cooking

Radical Cup Prototype Racing Series, Rookie of the Year, 2017

Research and Publications


Contact Us

See What Our Clients Are Saying

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I just wanted to drop you all a note to say thanks for the treatment I received in your office this week. I was very pleasantly surprised to have everything run as smooth as it did. Also, the follow-up call that evening was appreciated. You all are to be commended on your professionalism and concern.

—BW
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I would like to thank Dr. Dhir who is as good as it gets in giving patient care. In this day and time when health care is criticized for various reasons, it is very refreshing to have an organization such as yours doing it the right way. Since my experience with your people, I feel very good about health care and will let others know that you are not only dedicated to your craft but are also dedicated to your patients. Thank you again for making this a very pleasant experience.

—WY
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Thank you so very much for taking incredible care of my dad. I really appreciate it. I can't thank you enough for all you have done.

—SS
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I want to thank you for the professional way you handled my surgery. In the last ten years, I have had ten surgeries but I have never been treated with more professional, kind, and courteous service as I received from you and your staff. You took your time to explain all procedures and what I could expect from you. Thanks a million and I wish you continued success in your practice. I'm sure you will be able to make a lot of people happy. Keep up the good work. Your happy patient.

—MC
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Thank you for your kindness. I wish I could put into words what your thoughtfulness means to us. I am so amazed at the things you have done for my husband and myself that you didn't have to do. It is very greatly appreciated.

—JE
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Dr. Dhir and Jackie, I am blessed to have you be my Mohs team!  Thank you!

—DF
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Thank you so much! Sorry I cried. I get hormonal sometimes! You all were great and I appreciate everything you did for me!

—MW
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To you, my dear Dr. Dhir - your presence exudes experience and competence.  You have an incredible gift of being personable (no more than that - charming), real, yet focused with an incredible work ethic.

—JM
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I would like to thank you for the kindness you showed my wife in taking care of the scarring on her face.

—FS
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This older man greatly appreciates your excellent care and kind attention. Thank you so much.

—J