Course Curriculum

Part A. Medical Dermatology

Module 1 - Eczema

- Management of Atopic dermatitis in Adult vs Child vs Infant

- Management of other subtypes of dermatitis (Asteototic dermatitis, Venous eczema, Dishydrotic eczema, Contact dermatitis, discoid eczema, Sub and erythrodermic dermatitis)

- Management of infective complications (bacterial/fungal/viral)

- Understand relative potencies of available range of topical steroids/non-steroid anti-inflammatories and moisturisers, and understand the indications of each product to tailor management to the needs of individual patients.

- know exactly how to prescribe optimised topical regimes, and facilitate patient compliance and treatment satisfaction through tailored patient education. "it's not just about what you prescribe, but how you prescribe it."

Module 2 - Psoriasis

- Management of Psoriasis and subtypes (guttate, plaque, inverse, pustular, eyrthrodermic)

- prescribing tips to boost effects of available psoriasis topical anti-inflammatories

- non-pharmacological therapy tips to enhance treatment response

- Adopting a holistic view in psoriasis management, especially important in general practice.

Module 3. - Difficult to diagnose or 'see' dermatoses

- my approach to 'pruritus query cause', where minimal primary dermatoses are present at the time of initial consultation.

- urticaria, acute vs chronic, various subtypes, how to exclude important differential diagnoses, and optimised management regime.

- scabies, diagnostic pitfalls, understanding how to prescribe scabicides correctly and accurately to ensure patient compliance and successful eradication. This is vitally important as I see this prescribed inaccurately time after time, which results in treatment failure, and erodes patients' confidence in therapies

Part B Surgical Dermatology

Module 4. Diagnosis and management of common skin cancers

- my cost-effective set up for dermoscopy and photos

- clinical and dermoscopic 'telltale' signs of skin cancers

- preventative management approach to precancerous lesions, including field treatments.

- approach to biopsies to obtain the necessary pathology information, and facilitate smooth referral to the specialists (if required).

- surgical vs non-surgical treatment planning for superficial skin cancers

- excision approach to invasive skin cancers, tips on assessment of clinical margins, and guidelines on provision of excision margins for various skin cancers.

Module 5. Skin Biopsies

- punch vs shave vs curettage cautery vs incisional biopsy

- when to use which biopsy methods explained, and tips on performing each procedure.

- Learn how to minimise surgical overheads and optimise time efficiency where possible

- Learn to provide appropriate aftercare instructions following various biopsies

- Video recordings demonstrating relevant techniques will be included

Module 6. Excisions and Reconstruction Techniques

- Layered primary closure, tips on getting great apposition to optimise scar outcome

- types of sutures I use, and how these may vary depending on surgical characteristics

- Tips on advanced reconstruction, when to use flaps and grafts, with approaches suitable to a general practice operating room. This module should provide enough knowledge and tips to boost your confidence in closing just about any surgical defect encountered in primary practice.

- Learn to provide appropriate aftercare instructions following various reconstructions

- Video recordings to demonstrate relevant surgical techniques

Part C Additional Topics on Medical Dermatology

Module 7. Management of Acne

- understand the pathogenesis of different types of acne formation, and factors that aggrate acne

- learn how to grade acne severity to facilitate treatment planning and follow up

- learn about non-pharmacological acne treatment options, and boost your knowledge on various cosmeceuticals that may help acne managment, in order to have a meaningful treatment discussion with patients who may be averse to pharmacological intervention

- know when and how to prescribe various topical and oral acne treatments to optimise treamtent outcome

- gain detailed knowledge and skills in consenting and prescribing isotretinoin for your patients to optimise clinical safety and long term treatment results

Module 8. Management of Hair loss

- understand cicatricial versus non-cicatricial alopecia

- learn how to manage common non-cicatricial alopecia appropriately in the primary setting. Conditions covered will include androgenetic alopecia, telogen effluvium, and alopecia areata

- learn to recognise cicatricial alopecia from the early stages, to facilitate early specialist referrals and minimse irreversible hair loss