43533 Virtual dermoscopy course series in the improvement of resident education

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

9-19-2023

Publication Title

J Am Acad Dermatol

Abstract

Background: Dermoscopy is an essential part of a dermatology resident’s training. Thus, formal training in dermoscopy through lectures should be a part of the residency curriculum to foster confidence and skill using the dermatoscope. A quality improvement study was conducted to assess the utility of a virtual dermoscopy course series in improving resident education, skills, and ability to correctly identify skin lesions. Twenty-one 1-hour virtual dermoscopy lectures were held each academic year, from July 2020 to June 2023. Pre-course and post-course surveys were sent out to all resident participants, assessing their comfort and confidence in identifying dermoscopic features and patterns. In the July 2022 to June 2023 academic year, pre-course and post-course quizzes were introduced, in addition to the surveys, to also measure objective data. The results from the surveys show that the post-course participants were more comfortable with differentiating colors, recognizing pigment patterns including: starburst, multifocal, central, eccentric, and uniform pigment, inspecting special site nevi, recognizing melanoma-associated features such as pseudopods, blue-gray dots, regression, and identifying features of basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma (p<0.05). The pre- and post-course quiz data will be analyzed after the post-course quiz is given at the end of this academic year. Future analyses will include objective data with a larger sample size. In conclusion, although data from only 2 years were collected and analyzed, the virtual dermoscopy course series improved residents’ subjective ability and confidence to identify various features and patterns seen in melanoma, basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas.

Volume

89

Issue

3

First Page

AB248

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