Professional Development

An Introduction to Dermoscopy

Dermoscopy is a non-invasive, widely used diagnostic tool that aids the diagnosis of skin lesions and is proven to increase the accuracy of melanoma diagnosis.

We are delighted that this course is accredited by the British Association of Dermatologists, recognising the quality & impact of the teaching. Click here for more information.

Who it’s for

This 12-week online course is designed specifically for doctors who are involved in the care of dermatology patients with skin lesions, and who are interested in the management of benign and malignant skin lesions, or who wish to learn about dermoscopy to improve their skill in the diagnosis of melanoma. The course is also for specialist nurses actively working in Skin Cancer Clinics, subject to appropriate qualification. Please email for more information.

What you’ll learn

This programme aims to develop competency in using a dermatoscope to:

• differentiate melanocytic from non-melanocytic skin lesions
• differentiate malignant from non-malignant skin lesions
• assist in the early diagnosis of melanoma
• assist in management decisions relating to pigmented skin lesions
• assist in the diagnosis of some non-melanocytic skin lesions.

Topics covered

Six topics have been written by leading dermatologists in the field of dermoscopy. Participants are expected to complete a topic every two weeks.

Features of the course include:

• detailed topic materials with specific aims and objectives
• “Virtual Dermatoscope” featuring a large bank of dermoscopic images
• clinical cases and interactive quizzes (with immediate performance feedback) for each module
• live interactive expert lectures using Adobe Connect© software
• group discussion forums led by expert tutors
• collaborative learning is strongly encouraged
• participants will be able to discuss difficult or interesting cases that they encounter in their own practice (camera recommended)
• tutors will also share cases from their clinics
• forums aim to enable students to learn from each other and receive feedback from tutors.

Each topic is accompanied by a set of multiple choice questions. Participants are required to complete the questions before progressing to the next topic. Participants who meet these requirements will be eligible for the final examination.

At the end of the course an online examination will provide the basis for the summative assessment. Participants who are successful in completing the final examination will be awarded a certificate of completion.

Week	Topic		Virtual dermatoscope available	Online lecture
0	Pre-course preparation
1	Topic 1		Week 1
2-3	Topic 2	Subject to completion of MCQ 1	New images available from week 2	Week 3: UK lecture
4-5	Topic 3	Subject to completion of MCQ 2
6-7	Topic 4	Subject to completion of MCQ 3	New images available from week 6
8-9	Topic 5	Subject to completion of MCQ 4		Week 9: UK lecture
10-11	Topic 6	Subject to completion of MCQ 5
12	Examination week	Subject to completion of MCQ 6
13X	Resit week (if required)

Note: Access to course website available for one week following the end of the programme.

Eligibility criteria

Applicants must fulfil all of the following criteria to be considered eligible for this course:

• hold a medical degree
• see patients with skin lesions regularly
• have an excellent command of English
• own or have access to a computer with high speed internet.

You do not need to have completed a previous dermatology or dermoscopy course but some knowledge of dermatology is required in order to participate effectively.

Equipment

Access to a dermatoscope is highly recommended in order to participate in this course. Access to a camera to share your dermatoscopic images with the online community is also recommended but not essential.

Benefits

• This is an entirely online course, run over 12 weeks, with online assessments
• Learn flexibly, in your own time
• Gain insights into the latest techniques from international experts in the field of dermoscopy, who write the topics for this course
• Experience live interactive expert lectures
• Work and learn collaboratively with your peers from across the world in group discussion forums led by expert tutors.

Cancellations, substitutions and transfers

This course is an 'exceptional' course in terms of our cancellation, substitution and transfer policy. The following is a summary of the exceptional terms that apply to this course. Please see our Terms and conditions for full details. Exceptional circumstances will be considered by the Head of CPD Unit.

Cancellations

Number of working days' notice	% of course fees payable
Over 20	£50 administrative fee
20-1	In the event that we cannot fill your booking: 70%, plus any costs incurred for any pre-course materials already sent to the delegate or Client, unless the materials are returned to us within 10 Working Days and in brand new condition.
0	100%

Substitutions

Number of working days' notice	Fee payable
Over 15	N/A
15-0	This will be classed as a cancellation and the cancellation fee will apply.

Transfers

Number of working days' notice	Fee payable
Over 20	£50 plus any differences in fees between the two courses
20-0	This will be classed as a cancellation and the cancellation fee will apply.