Dermatologic Training and Practice in Canada: An In-Depth Review

Abstract

As part of an in-depth review of the specialty for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC), the Dermatology Working Group (DWG) was tasked with leading a comprehensive and objective analysis of the current state of Dermatology practice and training patterns in Canada. Preliminary research for the report was conducted in 3 areas: a jurisdictional analysis, a literature review, and a landscape overview. The results of this research were published in the spring 2019 edition of the Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery. Various factors impacting the discipline were explored, including trends in the workforce, population needs, accessibility, and wait times, as well as issues in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education. The DWG, supported by the RCPSC’s Office of Specialty Education, used information gained from the reviews, a national survey, and stakeholder perspectives to develop recommendations that address the current challenges and build upon opportunities for advancement in the specialty.

Medical Student and Resident Dermatology Education in Canada During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons recently mandated the evolution of resident learning and assessment toward a competency by design (CBD) model. 9,10 This is currently being led by the Specialty Committee in Dermatology for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, with a plan for implementation in 2022.…”

“…In Canada, pre-clinical teaching currently represents approximately 75% of a medical student's total exposure to dermatology, and its format and content varies across Canadian institutions. 10 While dermatology teaching is gradually increasing within medical school curricula, standardization of pre-clinical dermatology teaching has been suggested to facilitate comprehensive and consistent exposure. 11 In response to COVID-19, pre-clinical activities have been transitioned to virtual settings and clerkship rotations across Canada were postponed for almost half a year, with an indefinite suspension of inter-university clinical electives.…”

“…In Canada, pre-clinical teaching currently represents approximately 75% of a medical student’s total exposure to dermatology, and its format and content varies across Canadian institutions. 10 While dermatology teaching is gradually increasing within medical school curricula, standardization of pre-clinical dermatology teaching has been suggested to facilitate comprehensive and consistent exposure. 11…”

Artificial Intelligence Training in Canadian Dermatology to Increase Dermatologists Engagement and Enhance Medical Practice

“…4 A review on Canadian dermatology residency training highlighted the need for regulations and policy governing AI. 5 As a multidisciplinary field, AI regroups academic disciplines in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), including advanced statistics, programming and bioinformatics. Prior knowledge in these fields is required to understand the underlying mechanisms behind AI algorithms and its reliability.…”

Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to Improve the Diversity of Dermatological Skin Color Pathology: Protocol for an Algorithm Development and Validation Study

“…For particularly challenging conditions, 37.6% (95% CI 36.6%-38.4%) of the network’s diagnoses were correct, which was higher than the corresponding percentages for beginner and intermediate dermatologists but less than that of expert dermatologists (accuracy 40.0%, 95% CI 37.0%-43.0%). Given the low number of expert dermatologists in many health care jurisdictions [ 13 ], this technology would be very useful in assisting nonexpert dermatologists (eg, general practitioners) in triaging skin lesions that need a referral to an expert dermatologist for advanced assessment.…”