Dermatology toolkit

There are several accredited courses for dermoscopy training, as well as an array of online learning opportunities, dermoscopy blogs, apps, and books. Once started the fastest way to improve is by looking at ALL skin lesions using a dermatoscope daily in your practice and refer to pictures online or in books.

Dermoscopy should be an aid to diagnosis in combination with a good history and clinical examination.

Courses

• The Primary Care Dermatology Society (PCDS) runs absolute beginners and more advanced dermoscopy courses
• Cardiff University runs a three-month Introduction to Dermoscopy distance learning course

Websites

• The PCDS website has:

  i. A-Z clinical chapters, where both clinical and dermoscopic images can be viewed

  ii. A Diagnostic Algorithm to support clinical decision making

  iii. Interpretation of dermoscopic features

• Dermnetnz website has photos, descriptions of dermoscopic features and a free online course
• The International Dermoscopy Society (IDS) has several sources of education for dermoscopy including a forum, Facebook page, and podcasts as well as links to the online dermoscopy equivalent of Wikipedia – Dermascopedia!

Blogs

• Dr. Tim Cunliffe is a GP with an Extended Role (GPwER) in Dermatology and Skin Surgery and the lead author for the PCDS website. His Dermoscopy blog includes clinical cases with dermoscopic images that can be worked through using a dermoscopic algorithm.
• Dr. Stephen Hayes is a GPwER in Southampton and has produced a Dermoscopy blog which includes many clinical examples of different dermoscopic features.
• Dermoscopy Made Simple is a teaching blog from the Australian Institute of Dermatology, which includes YouTube presentations. 
• Dr. Eric Ehrsam is a French Dermatology Specialist who has a Dermoscopy Blog, with examples of different dermoscopic features.

Apps

These provide the ability to practice dermoscopy skills at any time and are freely available:

• YOU Dermoscopy Training provides lots of dermoscopic images and is divided into different training levels (available on iOS and Android)
• Dermoscopy two step algorithm includes a series of cases with questions to support with making a diagnosis (available on iOS and  Android)

Online Atlas Dermoscopy Images

• The International Atlas of Dermoscopy and Dermatoscopy is produced by the skin cancer college of Australia and New Zealand and includes an online quiz 
• Dermascopedia! 

Books

The International Dermoscopy Society (IDS) has produced a list of books to support Dermoscopy learning. Useful books for beginners include:

• Dermoscopy The Essentials [Johr RH, Soyer HP, Argenziano G, Hofman-Wellenhof R, Scalvenzi M. Dermoscopy: the essentials: Mosby; 2004.]
• Diagnostic Dermoscopy: the illustrated guide [Bowling J. Diagnostic dermoscopy: the illustrated guide: John Wiley & Sons; 2011.]
• Dermatoscopy: An algorithmic method based on pattern analysis [Kittler H. Dermatoscopy: An algorithmic method based on pattern analysis: facultas. wuv/maudrich; 2011.]