The way we practice dermatology has changed so much in recent years. There are many new FDA-approved medications that have largely changed the landscape of dermatology. It is our obligation as board-certified dermatologists to stay up to date with medical literature and advances, but doing so can be challenging while practicing in a busy clinic.
Back in our residency days, we had journal clubs, grand rounds and conferences with other dermatologists and co-residents embedded in our curriculum. If you’re like me and practice in a non-academic clinical setting, you may find that you have to go out of your way to schedule learning in your daily calendar. Life goes on after residency training is over and it only gets busier. At work, the number of patients we see on a daily basis – plus the administrative burden and other responsibilities – can extend our work days to 9, 10 or even 11 hours. There really is not much time to sit down and read journal articles with such a schedule, yet full journal articles come out monthly and research doesn’t stop. Staying up to date with medical literature and advances can easily fall lower on our daily priority list if we aren’t careful.
I’m just a few years out of residency, and my former co-residents and I have been experiencing this challenge first hand. How can we stay up to date in our ever-changing field? I’ve spent the last year making continuing education my goal, and I’ve discovered some creative ways to include more learning into my everyday life.
Here are my top eight tips for staying educated as a busy dermatologist:
NO. 1 Make Education an Actionable Goal
Staying up to date with medical advances requires intentionality and commitment, so make a realistic, actionable goal. One of the goals I made for myself is to read a journal or CME article once a week. You can make a daily or monthly commitment if that would suit you better, but remember to make it realistic. You can’t keep up to date just by attending one conference a year, so make education a habit.
NO. 2 Look for Questions of the Week
Look for organizations that offer a question of the week, since that’s an easy and routine commitment. The American Academy of Dermatology posts its question of the week to the AAD member Instagram account. (An easy follow and you won’t forget!) The questions cover a lot of territory from interesting case presentations to information about new medications to billing issues. Not only will you grow your knowledge base, but you can earn CME as well.
NO. 3 Listen to Journal Review Podcasts
Another option — especially if you drive long distances – is to listen to journal review podcasts. They can be very helpful if you can’t find the time to sit down and read CME. These podcasts offer insights from different journal articles.
NO. 4 Find Quick Learning Modules
I try to maximize my time, so when I am folding laundry or completing a similar household task, I’ll watch a learning module. Visual DX and VuMedi are two that offer video presentations by dermatologists on various topics. These are also good to keep handy on your phone or computer if you have some extra time while you are out and about.
NO. 5 Join Your Local Derm Society
If your local dermatological society has dinners or meetings, become a member and attend. These opportunities can give you CME credits. In addition, you can learn different practice habits of dermatologists in your areas, such as how to get insurance coverage of various medications.
NO. 6 Seek Out Grand Rounds
If there’s a university with grand rounds opportunities near you, see if you can join in. Even virtually! They usually present challenging cases, and you can earn CME from participating.
NO. 7 Use Patient Care as a Learning Launch Pad
You also can use your daily clinical experiences as a learning launch pad. This is an especially important tool for early career dermatologists. Write down topics from your day that you’d like to research on a sticky note at work and then either look up the information in the evening or discuss the cases with your colleagues. Literature searches and review articles on cases that you’re experiencing in clinic are great ways to solidify knowledge because they give your brain a context for memory.
NO. 8 Consider the Journals
I’ve shared some alternative ways to keep updated, but don’t forget to read the journals when you can (e.g. JAAD, JAMA Dermatology, Dermatologic Surgery, Cutis, and so on). Reading them routinely is essential to truly know what’s new in dermatology, and they may stimulate more ideas of topics to study.
If you’re struggling to keep up, know that you’re not alone! It really is overwhelming being at the top of the decision-making ladder in an ever-changing field. You are who the patient looks to for guidance in treating their condition at the forefront of medicine, and it’s a lot of responsibility. Make the consistent effort for them. Your experience in learning from your patients will always push you to the frontier of dermatology.
