Rates of skin cancer screening and prevention counseling by US medical residents.
OBJECTIVE
To determine factors related to residents' self-reported skill level for the skin cancer examination (SCE).


METHODS
Survey of residents in November 2003.


METHODS
Four US residency programs.


METHODS
Medical residents in family medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and internal medicine and specialists.


METHODS
Proportion of residents reporting their current skill level for the performance of the SCE.


RESULTS
Of 454 surveys distributed, 342 residents completed the survey (75.3% response rate). Clinical training for the SCE during residency was infrequent. During residency, 75.8% were never trained in the SCE, 55.3% never observed an SCE, and 57.4% never practiced the examination. Only 15.9% of residents reported being skilled in the SCE. However, the conduct of 4 SCEs (or slightly more than 1 per each year of residency) was associated with manifold increases in self-reported skill levels.


CONCLUSIONS
Information now collected from 7 medical schools and 4 residency programs underscores the need for more supervised opportunities to enable physicians in training to perform an SCE during routine patient examinations.
Department of Dermatology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
Emily
E
Wise
Deeptej
D
Singh
Megan
M
Moore
Benjamin
B
Hayes
Katie Brooks
KB
Biello
Mary Curry
MC
Dickerson
Rachel
R
Ness
Alan
A
Geller
D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003479:Curriculum / Q000592:standards; D003880:Dermatology / Q000193:education*; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States