Journal
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY
Volume 89, Issue 5, Pages 885-892Publisher
MOSBY-ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2022.03.053
Keywords
continuing medical education; cultural competency; diversity in dermatology; diversity in leadership; medical education; skin of color; skin of color dermatology; United States Medical Licensing Examination
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
There is a lack of representation of skin of color dermatology in the US medical education system, leading to adverse experiences and health inequities for individuals of color. Efforts have been made to address this issue, but there is still significant work to be done.
Various studies have revealed a disproportionately low representation of skin of color (SOC) dermatology in the medical education system of the United States. This disparity contributes to adverse experiences, missed and/or delayed diagnoses, and overall health inequities for individuals of color. The lack of sufficient SOC education begins at the medical school level and continues throughout residency, fellowship, and beyond formal training. This lack of education can be seen in the dearth of images of common and uncommon skin conditions in darker skin in widely used textbooks and educational resources as well as in the lack of formal training in SOC in many residency programs. Thus far, there have been valuable strides to make dermatologic education more inclusive of all skin colors, but there remains significant work to be done. With the population of the United States expected to continue to diversify and with the expectation that SOC will be a trait of over half of the population of the United States by 2050, it is important to strive for health equity by ensuring that comprehensive and inclusive medical training incorporates SOC. This paper will explore the issue of gaps in medical education in SOC dermatology at all levels and offer a strategic call to action to aid in rectifying this situation. ( J Am Acad Dermatol 2023;89:885-92.)
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available