title: Melanoma opportunistic surveillance by physician assistant and medical students: analysis of a novel educational trainer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective was to identify first-year physician assistant (PA) students' and third-year medical students' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors about melanoma and to assess an educational intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty first-year PA students and 29 third-year medical students (M3) at Northwestern University completed a questionnaire on participants' views of barriers and facilitators to performing melanoma screening. The students were given a pretest with a melanoma education model trainer to identify suspicious lesions, and following an educational intervention, students were given a posttest model trainer assessment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Apart from time constraints (87% PA; 79% M3) and comorbidities (53% PA; 57% M3), lack of training was a frequently reported barrier to performing opportunistic surveillance (27% PA; 31% M3). Commonly reported facilitators included identification of patients at high risk for developing melanoma (60% PA; 69% M3) and skin-examination training to recognize melanoma (67% PA; 55% M3). With the melanoma trainer pretest, 35% of PA students and 27% of M3 students identified all of the melanomas (P = .61). Following educational intervention, 67% of PA students and 10% of M3 students identified all of the melanomas (P<.01). PA student identification of melanoma significantly increased from pretest to posttest (P = .035), while M3 decreased, but not appreciably (P = .063).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Education in melanoma detection may enhance the students' cognitive and technical skills necessary to perform accurate opportunistic surveillance. Although PA and medical students reported the same significant barriers and facilitators to performing skin exams, there was a difference in implementation of skills and in the management decisions.
authors: Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.
authors: Ann Cameron
authors: AC
authors: Haley
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: MacLean
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Bierman
authors: Mary C
authors: MC
authors: Martini
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Vozenilek
authors: Mary J
authors: MJ
authors: Kwasny
authors: William C
authors: WC
authors: McGaghie
authors: June K
authors: JK
authors: Robinson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002982:Clinical Clerkship / Q000379:methods; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D017144:Focus Groups; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007087:Illinois; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010823:Physician Assistants / Q000193:education*; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D015397:Program Evaluation; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D013337:Students, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult