Study Dermatology Flashcards

What is Dermatology?

Dermatology is the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of skin disorders. “Derma” is such a commonly used term in the beauty industry that a dermatologist is often mistaken as nothing more than a skincare professional, yet they are doctors with twelve years of schooling, fully capable of and licensed to perform surgery!

“Derma” is, of course, Latin for skin - which just happens to be the largest organ in the human body. It’s the one organ holding you all together and subject to the elements, whether it’s freezing temperatures in winter or an ill-advised eight hours sunbathing on the beach in summer.

Common skin conditions that dermatologists diagnose include acne, psoriasis, dermatitis, skin cancer, warts, fungal infections, eczema, and cold sores. Whilst these may seem like minor ailments, in severe forms, these conditions can make life unbearable for sufferers and certainly skin cancer can be fatal.

Careers in Dermatology

Dermatologists like other specialist doctors have an affinity for study, after all, it takes twelve years of serious study to qualify. First, there’s a three or four-year pre-med or science course or a course that has biology, chemistry, physics, and calculus modules. There’s the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) to pass and a GPA average of 3.7 or higher to maintain. During four years of med school, aspiring dermatologists will take rotations in areas such as primary care, critical care, psychiatry, pediatrics, surgery, and anesthesia in addition to dermatology. Dermatologists must then complete a one-year program in transitional medicine followed by a three-year residency.

The American Medical Association estimates that dermatology programs receive at least 250 applications per their one to three slots so don’t be too disappointed if you don’t make it!

Dermatology nurses support patients with skin diseases and treat wounds and injuries. They also perform post-plastic surgery and skin cancer treatments. If you’d like to become a dermatology nurse you’ll need to complete a four-year nursing degree and successfully complete the NCLEX exam to become an RGN. You then need to work for a minimum of two years in dermatology before taking the Dermatology Nursing Certification Examination.

Dermatology is a high earning branch of medicine. Dermatologists can expect a median salary in excess of $310,000 per year whilst nurses also earn a competitive salary in excess of $70,000. The opportunities to gain qualifications in cosmetic surgery mean that it can be an even more lucrative area of medicine for doctors.

If you think you have what it takes to enter dermatological medicine then take a little time to visit The American Academy of Dermatology or the American Dermatological Association. You can also take a moment to watch this quick video from Dr. Sandra. Lee aka Dr. Pimple Popper about how to become a dermatologist.

Learning Dermatology

Studying to become a dermatologist or a dermatology nurse is demanding. There’s an extensive amount of medical and scientific knowledge to understand and remember.  

When you are busy working shifts and rotations you need an effective learning tool to boost your study time. Brainscape is the perfect supplementary tool for medical students. You’ll be able to build on key foundational medical knowledge and focus on delivering excellence in clinical practice.

Dermatology in Brainscape

There are thousands of flashcards dedicated to dermatology in Brainscape, all prepared by top students and professors. You'll cover lots of disciplines studying dermatology so you might also find the following pages in Brainscape useful: physiology, pharmacology, anatomy, pathology, genetics, cell biology, immunology, endocrinology, podiatry, and hematology.

If you need great scores for nursing college or grad school then take a look at the AP Biology and AP Chemistry study guides in Brainscape. Maybe you need to get great MCAT scores for med school if so then you should check out the best MCAT study guide available.  

If, however, you’d like to become a Brainscape contributor and make your own flashcards then it’s free and easy. You’ll also improve your memory trace whilst authoring the cards!

Learn faster with Brainscape

Smart medical students with punishing study schedules are finding that Brainscape’s revolutionary learning system is making the difference between success and failure.

Brainscape’s system allows students to learn twice as fast and remember longer which is why so many medical students are realizing it’s THE game-changing tool in their studies.

The Confidence-Based repetition (CBR) system achieves such outstanding results because it’s a highly-tuned learning engine made up of three proven learning systems: spaced repetition, active recall, and metacognition. The three learning techniques come together to provide a seamless user learning experience coupled with proven unrivaled results.

The first learning method, spaced repetition is used in the flashcard format of the CBR system. This is a scientifically proven way of learning effectively by taking in small pieces of information at timely intervals.

The CBR system also incorporates active recall which is the process of recalling information. It’s different to simply recognizing information in a set pattern and this method of learning improves the memory trace and neural pathways. The result is that the next time you wish to retrieve the same piece of information the strengthened neural pathway is triggered and retrieval is easier.

What separates Brainscape from the pack, is its use of metacognition to power the algorithm and the sequence of the flashcards. With other computer-aided learning tools, the flashcards are shown randomly so consequently you waste time going over material you know. Conversely, with the CBR system after each note card, you’ll quickly leave a record from 1-5 as to how well you knew the answer. The algorithm uses that information to select the frequency of each card. You’ll spend time on weaker areas until you record higher scores when the flashcard will only be shown to recap.

This optimal way of learning is why thousands of medical students across America choose Brainscape.

How to get started

Getting started with Brainscape is easy. Simply browse the decks below and you’ll see decks from Epidemiology, Endocrine Diseases, Genes, Cell Structure, Patestas, Vasculitis, Flea Allergy, and Leprosy, so just dig in!

If free and easy to use the Brainscape software with your individual coursework. Simply click “make flashcards” at the top of the page and get started now.

Brainscape is excited to be making the difference for thousands of medical students across America and beyond. The Brainscape team wishes you the very best in your Dermatology studies and career.