Chaos & Clues – A Dermoscopy worshop for MD students

MD students discover how to recognise features of suspicious lesions with a hands on session with Dr Anneliese Willems.

The University of Melbourne Dermatology Interest Society (DermIS) recently held a dermoscopy night for medical students interested in dermatology. Over 20 students attended the after-hours session where Dr Anneliese Willems shared her “Chaos and Clues” framework for performing dermoscopy and recognising the features of suspicious lesions. Students then used the Department’s dermatoscopes to inspect each other’s forearms, heads, necks and legs and identify the (thankfully!) benign features of skin lesions found on their fellow classmates.

Student feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Dermatology is not normally covered until third year and many students were grateful to receive an early insight into this important and interesting area of study. MD1 student Mayank Sharma won the end of night dermatology quiz and was excited to receive a micro suturing kit as a prize. All attendees went home with a free Japanese sheet mask, bellies full of pizza and heads full of new dermatological knowledge. DermIS would like to thank Chloe Dawes and the Department of General Practice and Primary Care for providing the venue and we would especially like to thank Dr Anneliese Willems for sharing her dermatology knowledge and for her enthusiasm for medical education.

Edited reflection provided by: Gardner Robinson, MD3, DermIS Treasurer and Academics Officer