Online education improves dermatology knowledge

A standardized, online dermatology curriculum significantly improved dermatology knowledge among fourth year medical students enrolled in an introductory dermatology clerkship, according to a recent study.

To address limitations and variability in dermatology training and education, researchers with the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, assessed the impact of integrating an online dermatology curriculum developed by the American Academy of Dermatology into a two-week introductory dermatology clerkship for fourth-year medical students. The students were assigned 18 modules at a rate of one to three per day.

The researchers found that dermatology knowledge improved significantly (P<0.001) among all 51 participants after completing the curriculum. The majority of students reported that the online modules were easy to navigate (95 percent) and worth their time (93 percent). All students wanted to continue the modules during their clerkship.

“This study demonstrates the successful integration of this educational resource into a two-week, university-based dermatology clerkship,” the study authors concluded. “Widespread use of this curriculum may be a significant advancement in standardized dermatology learning for medical students.”

The findings were a published in the August issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

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