Diverse Gynecologic Dermatology Conditions: A Pilot Study

Objectives: Racial and ethnic minority groups have disproportionately worse health outcomes when compared to their white counterparts. Underrepresentation of diverse images has been well documented in the literature, but studies evaluating the impact of educating trainees with gynecologic dermatology conditions are lacking. The primary aim of this study was to determine if a reproductive dermatologic-based curriculum improves medical student recognition of dermatologic disorders in various skin tones.

Methods: Third year medical students were provided with pre and post surveys to assess their knowledge and perception of diverse dermatologic conditions. Ten images displaying common obstetrics and gynecology skin disorders in Fitzpatrick I through VI skin types were presented in multiple choice format. Surveys were emailed to students during their third year OB/GYN clerkship before and after a presentation with representative images of common genitourinary and breast skin disorders. Post presentation surveys were collected at the two week time point. Results were analyzed via SPSS 29. A 5-point Likert scale was used to assess continuous variables including student confidence and are reported as mean ±SD. Diagnostic based scores are reported as percent correct.

Results: A total of 20 (29.4%) pre and post-surveys were analyzed. When asked how well students felt skin conditions in diverse racial/ethnic populations were represented in the curriculum using the Likert scale, students reported an average score of 2.70 ± 0.979 (pre) and 2.95 ± 0.759 (post). Using the same scale, students reported their ability to recognize skin conditions in diverse populations, on average, as 2.26 ± 0.872 (pre) and 3.00 ± 0.795 (post). Students’ average quiz score increased from 71.5% (pre) to 87.0% (post). While the total correct diagnoses on darker skin types increased from 85% to 89% correct, the total correct diagnoses on lighter skin tones stayed roughly the same (~72%). On average, students rated the helpfulness of the lecture as a 3.60 ± 1.046 on a Likert scale of 1-5.

Conclusions: Our results suggest students do not feel diverse racial/ethnic imaging is well incorporated into current curriculum. Students confidence improved with course presentations with diverse images. Diagnosis of darker skin tones increased after the presentation, however there was no change in diagnoses with lighter skin tones. These results collectively may indicate a need for better incorporation of dermatologic education into the reproductive curriculum. This highlights a gap in current reproductive curriculum.