The theoretical teaching load greatly underrepresents the most commonly consulted skin diseases in Primary Care, is the conclusion that emerges from a study that has just been published in Dermo-Syphiliographic Acts. In this research, it is stated that the Medicine graduates they should be trained in the recognition and basic management of the most frequently consulted diseases.
The researchers recall that between 2.5 and 20 percent of the inquiries received have to do with a skin diseasetherefore, they stress that it is opportune to reassess which contents should acquire or recover a greater representation in the teaching load of the Dermatology subject. Currently, in most of the faculties in Spain it is a semester course, with an average of 4.5 credits. The program is made up of 24 theoretical topics and nine topics in seminars and workshops. There is, therefore, a clear divergence between the teaching load relative of the theoretical topics and the care burden for skin diseases in Primary Care and General Dermatology.
“The workload that dermatological disease implies in Primary Care is high,” they point out, and a significant proportion of these patients are referred from this level of care to the Dermatology departments. For this reason, “it is essential that the undergraduate teaching of the futures family doctors be as solid as possible in the most common diseases that affect the skin, mucous membranes, and appendages,” they state.
Increase the teaching load of Dermatology
The report called “Analysis of the characteristics of undergraduate teaching Dermatology in Spanish universities. Are the theoretical contents close to the casuistry of physicians in Primary Care and general dermatologists?”, has been prepared by comparing the teaching load of a public university and a private one with the care load of family doctors Y dermatologists from previous studies. In this way, according to what was analyzed, it determines that the study load greatly underrepresents the skin diseases most commonly consulted Family doctors and specialists in this area.
This study, which is prepared jointly by the Medical Specialties Section of the ITS/Dermatology service of the Autonomous Organization of Madrid Healththe Research Unit, Fundación Piel Sana AEDV, the Dermatology Service of the Vigo University Hospital Complexthe Faculty of Medicine of Granada and the Department of Dermatology of the Catholic University of Valencia Saint Vincent Martyr; urges to correct this trend of underrepresentation.
For this, the researchers consider it optimal to increase, ideally through methodologies to support the theoretical teaching (such as seminars, workshops, case studies, tutorials or guided autonomous work), the study load referring to some of the most common skin diseases. They point out pictures of dermatitis, infectious dermatoses, acne, psoriasis, urticaria and, finally, benign neoplasms and their diagnosis differences from malignant ones, as conditions on which the doctor requires more training during the Medicine degree.
They deem it appropriate, based on the results obtained, to reconsider the teaching load by subject or the application of alternative content corrections to theoretical classes. These changes would result in a best teaching, more adjusted to the reality that they will find after graduating. In addition, they would help offer a proper orientation Y patient care those who have the opportunity to assist during their work activity.
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