Journal article
Skin Cancer Examination Teaching in US Medical Education
Archives of dermatology (1960), Vol.142(4), pp.439-444
01 Apr 2006
PMID: 16618862
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
To determine physician preparation for performing the skin cancer examination (SCE). We evaluated medical students' observation, training, and practice of the SCE; hours spent in a dermatology clinic; and self-reported skill level for the SCE by a self-administered survey. Graduating students at 7 US medical schools during the 2002-2003 academic year. Percentages of students reporting SCE skill observation, training, and practice. Of 934 students, 659 (70.6%) completed surveys. Twenty-three percent of students had never observed an SCE, 26.7% had never been trained to perform an SCE, and 43.4% had never examined a patient for skin cancer. Only 28.2% rated themselves as somewhat or very skilled in the SCE. This rate dropped to 19.7% among 553 students who had not completed a dermatology elective. Compared with students without training, students who had been trained at least once in the SCE were 7 times more likely to rate themselves as being somewhat or very skilled in the SCE. Sixty-nine percent of students agreed that insufficient emphasis in their medical training was placed on learning about the SCE. This survey documents the need for more consistent training of medical students in SCE. Even brief curricular additions would augment students' perceived skill levels and improve practice patterns and competencies of future physicians. More frequent and improved SCEs might result in earlier detection of melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers by nondermatologists, with significant public health benefits.
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Details
- Title
- Skin Cancer Examination Teaching in US Medical Education
- Creators
- Megan Moore - Harvard UniversityAlan GellerZi ZhangBenjamin Hayes
- Publication Details
- Archives of dermatology (1960), Vol.142(4), pp.439-444
- Publisher
- American Medical Association
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Dermatology [Historical]
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000236854700004
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-33646114523
- Other Identifier
- 991022065040704721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Dermatology