New Skin of Color Curriculum helps improve treatment for patients with darker skin tones

The Academy recently launched the Skin of Color Curriculum, which offers AAD members the opportunity to earn CME credit for no additional fee while learning the latest about treating patients with darker skin tones. This initiative aligns with our three-year diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategy. The curriculum is directly linked to goal two of the DEI strategy, which includes ensuring education and research encompass health disparities and skin of color.

What is the Skin of Color curriculum?

The Skin of Color Curriculum is a complete, definitive inpatient and outpatient curriculum for the diagnosis and effective treatment of Skin of Color disease and conditions for practicing dermatologists and dermatology residents.

What will I learn after completing the curriculum?

At the conclusion of this activity, learners should be able to:

• Diagnose dermatologic conditions of the skin, hair, and nails in patients, both adult and pediatric, with skin of color.

• Identify and prevent dermatologic surgical and cosmetic complications in patients with skin of color.

• Discuss systemic challenges facing people of color in pursuing careers in medicine and identify mechanisms to mentor students in the pipeline.

• Recognize existing health care disparities in medicine as well as how to identify implicit bias and microaggressions.

Why is the Skin of Color Curriculum a timely resource?

According to the Skin of Color Society (SOCS), in roughly 30 years, half of the U.S. population will have skin of color, underscoring the need for dermatologists to have adequate training in treating common diseases that present differently on dark skin. Yet, dermatology training has traditionally focused on diagnosing and managing common skin conditions in lightly pigmented skin.

Physicians who do not work with patients with skin of color in their residency or haven’t been trained with images that show diseases on darker pigmented skin are more likely to misdiagnose cutaneous disorders in people of color.

Complete with 30 modules, the Skin of Color Curriculum features five guides that include pediatric, inpatient, outpatient, surgical, and cultural competence.