Perception of Dermatology by Medical Students in the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Lomé (Togo)

Teclessou, Julienne Noudé; Saka, Bülent; Akakpo, S.; Mouhari-Touré, A.; Panawè, K.; Kombaté, K.; Pitché, P.

doi:10.7241/ourd.20192.6

Cited by 2 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 8 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The most attractive factors of the field of dermatology were the appeal of being a dermatologist, media portrayal of different specialities, and the likelihood of dermatologists' influence on patients' lives 8 . A survey of medical students at the University of Lomé, Togo similarly demonstrated few students with interest in dermatology 7 …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Within the US, a study evaluating the efficacy of computer‐based video instruction using modules from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) demonstrated greater knowledge retention and preparation for hands‐on shave and punch biopsy training, with a third of participating students indicating this experience increased their interest in dermatology 11 . Similarly, completion of dermatology internship improved student interest in the field 7 …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Students with more exposure to the field of dermatology in the past more accurately described the breath of dermatologic practice 5 . The most effective medical student interventions that increased interest in the field include active, face‐to‐face, or hands‐on learning such as escape rooms, events with current practicing dermatologists, and active computer‐based video instruction 5,7,11 . More passive computer modules were found to be ineffective in disseminating dermatologic knowledge and increasing interest 6 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Each study's title, abstract, and full text was reviewed among three reviewers independently to establish if inclusion criteria was met. Studies were included if they met the following criteria: (1) the study was extracted from the Embase, Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, or ScienceDirect databases; (2) the study participants were medical students and/or students interested in the field of dermatology; (3) the study measured at least one of the following variables: attitudes/level of interest in dermatology or other specialities, understanding of dermatologic topics, procedures, and/or scope of practice; (4) the study was in English; (5) the study was published in peer-reviewed journal; (6) the publication date was between 2016 and 2021; (7) all study designs were considered.…”

Section: What Does This Study Add?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…8 A survey of medical students at the University of Lomé, Togo similarly demonstrated few students with interest in dermatology. 7 The majority of Germans have consulted a dermatologist in the past, and yet dermatology consistently F I G U R E 1 Flow chart detailing inclusion and exclusion criteria ranked low in terms of prestige and importance of the speciality. 6 British medical students described a lack of familiarity with the field and described dermatology as hard to access.…”

Section: Perceptions Of Dermatologists and Field Of Dermatologymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Scoping review of medical students' perceptions of the field of dermatology

Abdelwahab

Shahin

Kim

et al. 2022

Skin Health and Disease

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Although perceived barriers to applying to dermatology have been researched among medical students, there remains a dearth of literature dedicated to understanding perceptions that medical students have of the field of dermatology and dermatologists. Methods A review of the literature in Embase, Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect were carried out to identify articles and abstracts between 2016 and 2021 relating to medical student perceptions of the field of dermatology. Peer‐reviewed English studies measuring attitudes/level of interest in dermatology or other specialities, understanding of dermatologic topics, procedures, and/or scope of practice were included. Duplicate studies and conference abstracts were excluded. All publications were screened using the PRISMA‐Sc guidelines. Findings were summarised and tabulated accordingly. Results A total of nine articles met inclusion criteria and eight are included in this review since one was not accessible online. Notable findings include non‐US medical students perceiving dermatology as monotonous, stigmatized, unfamiliar, and difficult to access with a misunderstanding of the diversity and severity of the conditions dermatologists treat. No data on US medical student perceptions was found. Perceptions were found to be influential in career planning: medical students may reject specialities after exposure to negative comments on the field. Factors attracting students to dermatology include the appeal of being a dermatologist, media portrayal, and dermatologists' influence on patients' lives. Completion of dermatology‐related activities improved medical student interest, comfort, and understanding of the field. Early dermatology exposure in US undergraduate premedical students led to heightened interest in the field, more confidence in ability to find dermatology mentors, and increased perception that dermatology serves the needs of underserved communities. Conclusions This review demonstrates the need to further investigate medical student perceptions of dermatology, particularly in the United States. Perceptions of medical specialities can impact medical student career choices. Understanding which misconceptions may be preventing students from exploring dermatology can inform efforts towards improving diversity, equity, and inclusion: translating to an equitable match and improving patient outcomes. Limitations include exclusion of articles published before 2016, geographic variability in studies, and limited data on evolving student perceptions over time.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%