title: Impact of a dermatology wiki website on dermatology education.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Dermatology Education Wiki (dermwiki) website serves as a resource platform for medical students and residents. The readily accessible interface provides dermatology articles, survival guides, didactic lectures, and links to faculty talks as well as research opportunities.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess medical student and resident satisfaction with the dermwiki website.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourth-year medical students taking a dermatology elective were provided with a temporary password to access relevant dermwiki information. A satisfaction survey was created to assess whether medical students found the website helpful. Second- and third-year dermatology residents were also surveyed to compare satisfaction scores prior to and after the introduction of the dermwiki website. End-of-rotation medical student exam scores were tabulated and compared to the average scores from years prior to the development of the dermwiki website.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Medical students rated the dermatology elective with the dermwiki website higher than rotations without a wiki (8.12 vs 7.31). Students planning to go into dermatology were more satisfied with the dermwiki website, reported accessing the website more frequently (11 times vs 9.5 times), and reported more time spent studying (12.2 hours vs 6.7 hours) than students not going into dermatology. End-of-rotation medical student exam scores did not differ from those prior to the development of the demwiki website. Ten second- and third-year dermatology residents unanimously stated that they were more satisfied with the program after the institution of the dermwiki website.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, addition of the dermwiki website to the dermatology elective curriculum has improved medical student and resident satisfaction scores. The improvement is greater among students planning to enter the field of dermatology. This study serves as a model for the incorporation of internet-based interactive tools to transform and supplement the learning environment.
authors.forename: Chante
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Karimkhani
authors.forename: Lindsay N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Boyers
authors.forename: Lixia Z
authors.initials: LZ
authors.lastname: Ellis
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brice
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Cory A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Dunnick
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus;Dermatology Service, Eastern Colorado Health Care System, US Department of Veteran Affairs.
authors.forename: Robert P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Dellavalle
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003479:Curriculum; D003880:Dermatology / Q000193:education*; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D055815:Young Adult