Dermatology training for non-dermatologists: Expanding skin education through shorter elective times

Skin conditions affect 1.9 billion people worldwide and are a common reason for patients to seek health care1. Approximately one-third of patients who present to their primary care office have at least one skin concern2. With the high prevalence of skin disease, health professionals should receive clinic-based education in recognizing and treating skin disorders. Learners with increased dermatologic education and training in medical school may be better prepared to manage skin diseases in their future careers. University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (UPSoM) currently offers a 4-week clinical dermatology elective to third or fourth year medical students. However, in an increasingly crowded clinical curricula, the dermatology elective is not taken by many students. We assessed the percentage of UPSoM students who completed the dermatology elective and analyzed the residency selection of these students. During academic years (AY) 2012 to 2022, 1579 students were enrolled at UPSOM. Between AY2012-2022, 205(13.0%) students participated in the elective course. Of these 205 students, 31(15.1%) pursued dermatology residency, 105(51.2%) pursued primary care and 22(10.7%) students pursued surgical subspecialties. Of the total 1579 students, only 174(11%) non-dermatology students participated in the dermatology elective. Offering a shortened, 2-week clinical elective would allow for more students to participate. Currently, only 17.0%(n=112) medical schools that also have a dermatology residency program offer a shortened elective. We propose that more medical schools should offer a shorter, 2- week dermatology elective which could expand dermatology training to a greater proportion of students and ultimately improve the care of patients with skin conditions.