Medical Certificate of Dermoscopy for Dermatology

COURSE OVERVIEW

The Medical Certificate of Dermoscopy for Dermatology course equips medical practitioners with advanced knowledge in dermoscopy for the diagnosis and management of various skin conditions commonly encountered in primary care.

Dermatology accounts for 16 per cent of general practice presentations, and skin conditions are a major source of morbidity. This online Medical Certificate explores the use of dermoscopy for obtaining clinical diagnoses for conditions of the skin, nails, hair and scalp; differentiating between common dermatoses; assessing the effectiveness of applied treatments; diagnosing common inflammatory disorders; and interpreting dermoscopic findings in patients with skin of colour.

Delivered by the world's leading experts in dermoscopy and dermatology, this advanced course requires practitioners to have previous exposure to dermoscopy prior to enrolment.

You might also be interested in the Dermoscopy Professional Diploma program.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS AND COURSE REQUISITES

The Medical Certificate of Dermoscopy for Dermatology is an advanced course tailored for medical practitioners who wish to increase their knowledge and clinical application of dermoscopy in dermatology.

The course is suitable for physicians and degree-qualified medical practitioners. It assumes previous knowledge and experience of dermoscopy. The HealthCert Professional Certificate of Dermoscopy (or similar qualification) provides this knowledge.

Participants do not have to pass an IELTS test but, as the courses are delivered in English, proficiency in listening, reading and writing English is assumed. Participants will require access to a computer/laptop, an internet connection and a basic level of technology proficiency to access and navigate the online learning portal.

COURSE CONTENTS

Basic principles of applying dermatoscopy in inflammatory skin diseases
Common inflammatory dermatoses of the face and trunk
Basic principles of trichoscopy
Dermatoscopy in skin of colour

Course participants will:

Have the opportunity to replay video lectures from medical experts.
Participate in discussion of patient cases, evaluate and make decisions.
Receive access to research/readings in the field.
Participate in a webinar prior to the examinations and ask questions of an expert in dermoscopy for dermatology.
Receive ongoing support post-course through webinars and case review.
Receive unlimited and ongoing access to free alumni learning resources, video lectures, and discussion forums, as well as invite-only events and special offers after completion of the course.

MODULES & TOPICS

This module focuses on the use of dermoscopy using these five parameters to guide diagnosis: vessels, scaling, follicular findings, other structures and specific clues. The module looks at the dermoscopy of papulosquamous skin diseases like psoriasis and dermatitis as well as common facial inflammatory skin diseases, including rosacea and discoid lupus erythematosus. It includes dermoscopic findings, pathologic correlation and treatment options. The important morphologic parameters on dermoscopy are evaluated. The module concludes with an explanation of how to diagnose hair and scalp diseases using trichoscopy and supported by illustrations and clinical examples of several hair and scalp skin conditions.

This module looks at the main difference between dermoscopy of inflammatory dermatoses and dermoscopy of skin cancer. The benefits of inflammoscopy are explained and the five parameters to be evaluated (vessels, scaling, follicular findings, other structures and specific clues) are listed. Differentiation between common papulosquamous dermatoses is explained and examples of the different conditions are given. The two-step approach for inflammatory dermatoses is given - the collection of clinical data and setting of dermoscopic diagnosis and the incorporation of dermoscopic data. The module concludes with a number of patient cases taking into account the efficacy of the applied treatment by using dermoscopic and photographic examples of several skin conditions.

This module describes trichoscopy and evaluates the important morphologic parameters of trichoscopy. A comparison is made between dry trichoscopy and trichoscopy with immersion fluid. The appearance of different types of hair shafts and hair follicles are described. This includes criteria to assist with investigations and demonstrates the morphological changes to hair follicles and hair shafts that assist diagnosis of hair problems. Clinical images support module learning. The final section of the module looks at pathological findings including examples of hairpin elongated vessels, arborising vessels, glomerular vessels and thick arborising vessels.

This module commences with outlining the major forms of melanin and relevance when using dermoscopy. Melanoma facts and a checklist for people with skin of colour are listed. The dermoscopic features of basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are given and illustrated using dermoscopic images throughout to show the different classifications. Attention is also paid to inflammatory dermatoses and pigmentary disorders in people of colour and how to diagnose these conditions. This is supported by numerous clinical examples of different skin conditions. The module concludes with a focus on detecting melasma and ochronosis.

COURSE OUTLINE

Module 1: Basic principles of applying dermatoscopy in inflammatory skin diseases

Module 2: Common inflammatory dermatoses of the face and trunk

Module 3: Basic principles of trichoscopy

Module 4: Dermatoscopy in skin of colour

Prof Bianca Maria Piraccini

Associate Professor, Scientific Disciplinary Sector MED / 35, Skin and Venereal Diseases, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine – Division of Dermatology University of Bologna

Professor Bianca Maria Piraccini has a PhD in Dermatological Science from the University of Bologna. She is Head of the Outpatient consultation of Allergology and Skin Annexes Disease and of the Laboratory of Mycology and Dermatological Parasitology at the Dermatological Clinic of S. Orsola-Malpighi, University Hospital Bologna. The Skin Annexes Diseases Consultation deals with basic, clinical and instrumental research on nails, hair and scalp and their pathologies. It is the Italian reference centre for these diseases and was the first to apply video-dermatoscopy to the study of adnexal diseases, sanctioning indications and use of the technique.

Prof Piraccini’s main research fields include biology and hair and nail pathology, medical mycology, and dermatological parasitology. She is an active teacher in these fields and has been the Director of the Specialisation school in Dermatology at the University of Bologna since 2019.

Prof Piraccini is the author of 282 journal articles (of which 248 appear on PubMed), 45 chapters of
volumes and 11 monographs on dermatological diseases. She has participated in numerous national and international congresses and courses where she is often a speaker.

A/Prof Trilokraj Tejasvi

Assistant Professor, Director, Cutaneous Lymphoma Program, Department of Dermatology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan

Director, Teledermatology services, Faculty Associate, Department of Dermatology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan

Chief of Dermatology Service, Ann Arbor Veteran Health

Trilokraj Tejasvi is an Assistant Professor, Director, Cutaneous Lymphoma Program, Director, Teledermatology services, Faculty Associate, GLOBAL REACH at Department of Dermatology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. He is also Chief of Dermatology Service for the Ann Arbor Veteran Health services.

A/Prof Tejasvi’s main research interest is teledermatology, technology, and imaging of skin, including dermoscopy, confocal microscopy. He has published 52 peer-reviewed journals and publications, including those in Nature Genetics, the Journal of Dermatology, the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, and the American Journal of Human Genetics. He is the current chair of the Teledermatology SIG, American Telemedicine Association, and vice-chair of the Teledermatology Taskforce, American Academy of Dermatology.

A/Prof Aimilios Lallas

MD PhD MSc

Dermatologist-Venereologist, First Department Of Dermatology, Aristotle University, Greece

President, International Dermoscopy Society

Aimilios Lallas is an Associate Professor of Dermatology at the First Department of Dermatology of Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, Greece. He is specialised in skin cancer diagnosis with non-invasive techniques, as well as in the management of skin cancer patients.

His main field of research interest is dermoscopy of skin tumours, the application of the method in general dermatology and the improvement of the management of oncologic patients. He is an author of more than 330 scientific papers published on Pubmed Central, most of them on dermoscopy and skin cancer. He is an editor of eight books and author of several book chapters on dermoscopy. He is a co-investigator in several Phase III Clinical trials on skin cancer treatment. He has been awarded several scholarships and scientific awards.

Over the last years, A/Prof Lallas has established scientific collaboration with numerous colleagues from several countries and has supervised the training of numerous fellows from different countries. He is an invited speaker in several domestic and international congresses and meetings, mainly on dermoscopy and on skin cancer diagnosis and management. He is particularly involved in teaching activities on dermoscopy, having organised and participated in numerous domestic and international courses.

A/Prof Lallas is currently the President of the International Dermoscopy Society.

Dr Zoe Apalla

MD PhD

Dr Zoe Apalla was board certified in dermatology in 2008 at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. She was trained in dermatopathology at the St John’s Institute of Dermatology in London in 2010 and obtained her PhD degree at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in 2013.

Zoe has worked as a consultant in the First Dermatology Department of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki since 2010. She oversees the Supportive Oncology Outpatient Clinic and the Skin Cancer Outpatient Clinic, and the department’s dermatopathology laboratory. She also holds General Dermatology and Inflammatory Dermatoses Outpatient Clinics.

Zoe’s main research fields include skin oncology, melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer, topical treatments, photodynamic therapy and dermatoscopy. She has published more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles in international journals and has lectured at many international and national congresses and meetings.

COURSE FEES AND PAYMENT OPTIONS

UPFRONT PAYMENT

Single course

$1,795

Two-Course Bundle*

$3,410

Three-Course Bundle*

$4,840

*Special rates for upfront registrations for multiple courses within the same pathway.

DEFERRED PAYMENT

Single course

$640 x 3

Two-Course Bundle

$605 x 6

Three-Course Bundle

$645 x 8

Defer your payments over several months.

GP REGISTRARS: Doctors in training who are on a pathway to General Practice Registration through a recognised training provider receive a HealthCert Scholarship and save $500 on face-to-face certificate courses (two-day practical workshops) and $300 on online and hybrid certificate courses (one-day practical workshop with supporting online theory). This offer cannot be used in conjunction with the Early Bird special.

COURSE DELIVERY

The Medical Certificate of Dermoscopy for Dermatology is delivered fully online. The course consists of four modules and includes online presentations from experts in the field followed by patient case discussions and decision-making.

There are two online examinations for assessment:

Knowledge questions based on a scenario of a medical practitioner undertaking special interest training.
Choose the correct answer multiple choice questions based on presentations.
Authentic scenario-based questions based on cases of patient care at a clinic.
Example: A patient arrives at your clinic with this problem… What should you do? Multiple choice images based on patient cases.

The knowledge-based examination is worth 50 per cent and the application-based examination is worth 50 per cent. The overall pass mark is 80 per cent. It is therefore not possible to pass this course on knowledge alone. Knowledge must be successfully applied to patient cases in order to pass the course.

CERTIFICATION AND ACCREDITATION

Upon successful completion of the exam, course participants will receive a Medical Certificate of Dermoscopy for Dermatology and below points. To learn more about the delivery of certificates in Australia and overseas, please visit our FAQs.

RACGP CPD Accredited Activity 40 CPD points.
ACRRM PDP hours: 24 Educational activity, 9 Performance review & 6 MOPs Surgery hours

This medical certificate:

Provides CPD points from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).
Provides PDP units from the Australian Council of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM).
Is recognised by the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (RNZCGP).
Is recognised by the Hong Kong College of Family Physicians (HKCFP). The HKCFP recognises all courses endorsed by the RACGP. Points are calculated differently.
Is a self-submitted activity in Dubai. The number of CPD points must be stated on the certificate. Please contact PLD@dhcr.gov.ae for more information.
Is a self-submitted activity in the UK. CPD events overseas, applicable to a doctor’s scope of practice, may be submitted for revalidation. Please confirm with your Responsible Officer.
Is a self-submitted activity in Canada through the College of Family Physicians of Canada. Category 1 points are reported as certified and Category 2 points are reported as non-certified. Contact mainprocredits@cfpc.ca for more information.
Meets World Federation of Medical Education standards.

EDUCATION PATHWAYS

This online program consists of the Foundation Certificate, Professional Certificate, Advanced Certificate, and Professional Diploma of Women's Health.

Postgraduate scholarships for Women's Health

HealthCert graduates who successfully complete the HealthCert Professional Diploma of Women's Health receive a scholarship of up to £500 (approximately $1,000) towards the Master of Science in Women's Health (to be offered in 2021). The postgraduate course is offered entirely online through DiplomaMSc in the UK and awarded by the University of South Wales. Learn more or enrol here.

Participation in research

HealthCert alumni have opportunities to participate in research projects conducted by leading experts in the field. Research projects and surveys are shared via the HealthCert blog which is available to HealthCert alumni.