Academic Medicine Open Forum

Hello colleagues, 

As a dermatologist who specializes in melanoma and has been a medical student educator for over 15 years, I have attempted to bridge a well-known knowledge gap in our medical education system. The consensus across the nation is that medical schools generally spend no more than three or four hours of total education time specifically directed to dermatological education, despite its overwhelming importance in the primary care space and its inextricable connections to all other medical disciplines. Given that melanoma is the 5th most common cancer in the US, it seemed only reasonable to develop a clinical teaching program that could be utilized by any medical school wishing to supplement their curriculum with at least one hour per year of dermatological and melanoma specific education to their programs. So, with a grant from Outrun the Sun, Inc. (a not-for-profit organization dedicated to melanoma research and education), I developed an educational curriculum now used as part of our training at Indiana university School of Medicine. This consists of:

·      MS I – Problem based learning module on melanoma identification.

·      MS II – Team based learning module on melanocytic diseases. This includes a video on how to perform a skin exam and identify abnormal findings. (We use this in conjunction with our traditional didactic skin curriculum on skin rashes, tumors, and infections.)

·      MS III – Online learning module for surgical management of melanoma.

·      MS IV – Online learning module for medical management of melanoma.

I herein present a link to you to freely access our training modules for your medical school to use, also. May it be a welcomed addition for your medial trainees and a boon to the patients we serve.