Skin of color representation in medical education: An analysis of National Board of Medical Examiners' self-assessments and popular question banks

Underrepresentation of skin of color in medical education: An updated analysis of popular question banks

“…These include bacillary angiomatosis, bullous impetigo, keloids, pellagra, and pityriasis versicolor alba in UWorld Step 1 and bacillary angiomatosis, congenital dermal melanocytosis, keloids, pityriasis versicolor alba, and pseudofolliculitis barbae in UWorld Step 2 CK (Table I). Concordant with Meckley et al, 1 our updated analysis demonstrates the underrepresentation of dermatologic conditions in popular resources used by medical students. Furthermore, we agree that requiring the NBME to provide SoC representation that mirrors the population of the United States as a core concept can aid in increasing representation of SoC images in content created for the NBME.…”

“…To the Editor: We laud Meckley et al 1 for expanding upon our findings from our study ''Skin of color representation in medical education: An analysis of popular preparatory materials used for United States Medical Licensing Examinations'' (USMLE). 2 Their analysis of skin of color (SoC) images in AMBOSS Step 1, Kaplan Step 1, USMLERx Step 1 Qmax, and self-assessment examinations provided by the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) is undoubtedly an enormous addition to our original findings and to the contributions by Mitello et al 3 Analysis of the limitations to these resources is paramount to improving medical education.…”

“…Furthermore, we agree that requiring the NBME to provide SoC representation that mirrors the population of the United States as a core concept can aid in increasing representation of SoC images in content created for the NBME. 1 Our hope is that a SoC core concept may motivate question bank creators and medical educators to emulate this initiative and establish SoC representation as a core concept in medical education.…”

Artificial intelligence in dermatology: advancements and challenges in skin of color

“…8 There has also been a limited emphasis on dermatologic conditions specific to these populations in medical education, which creates a lack of awareness and evidence-based data to support the future approach toward dermatologic education. [9][10][11][12][13] Addressing the challenges of AI when applied to SOC is crucial for achieving equitable and inclusive outcomes in dermatologic care. Failure to account for diverse skin tones can lead to biased algorithms and inaccurate results, disproportionately impacting individuals with darker skin.…”

“…There has been a historical lack of research focused on populations with SOC, resulting in limited data and studies addressing their unique clinical presentations 8 . There has also been a limited emphasis on dermatologic conditions specific to these populations in medical education, which creates a lack of awareness and evidence‐based data to support the future approach toward dermatologic education 9–13 . Addressing the challenges of AI when applied to SOC is crucial for achieving equitable and inclusive outcomes in dermatologic care.…”