Evaluation of Dermatologic Diagnostic Ability on Skin of Colour in Preclinical Medical Students

The overall low scores for the diagnosis of common skin conditions on both the White image and SOC image survey by first- and second-year students are not surprising given the results of a prior study and support the need for re-exposure to dermatology presentations in all skin types during the preclinical curriculum. The low scores support the need for changes in the pre-clinical dermatology curriculum to improve diagnostic ability. Second-year students performed better at diagnosing dermatologic conditions overall and on White skin compared to SOC at the end of their didactic years, possibly due to an underrepresentation of SOC images in institutional and outside educational resources. Attitudes towards school-specific dermatologic SOC education demonstrated a clear desire amongst students for more exposure to dermatologic conditions in various skin colours throughout the curriculum.