![]() ![]() The vast majority of images used in the preclerkship dermatology curriculum was of Caucasian patients. Similar to other medical school curricula in North America, there historically has not been any specific focus and a limited scope of exposure to dermatological conditions in darker skinned individuals within this course. ![]() This preclerkship curriculum included didactic lectures, one small-group case-based discussion session with practicing dermatologists, three problem-based learning sessions with clinical or non-clinical facilitators, and one team-based learning session led by the MSK course faculty coordinator and the dermatology week faculty coordinator. Dermatology is delivered as a 1-week block of content within the Musculoskeletal (MSK) System course in the second year (preclerkship) of a 4-year Medical Doctor degree program at our institution. To improve the representation within our local undergraduate dermatology medical school curriculum, strategic changes were implemented within the preclerkship dermatology course. We built on students existing knowledge of common skin conditions in fair-skinned persons by introducing learning objectives centered around these same conditions in darker skinned persons. Constructivism is based on the premise that students learn best when exposed to new information that builds on previous learning. This paper describes our constructivist learning approach to improve student knowledge of skin diseases in persons of color. Dermatology education and research in Canada must expand to include greater representation of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) patient populations to address these health inequities. The degree of representation and diversity within medical education curriculum and resources has been identified as an issue, with the lack of darker skin in medical textbooks and journals ultimately harming patient outcomes. A study in the USA found that Black and Hispanic patients had significantly more advanced stage of melanoma at presentation, and thus poorer outcomes, compared to White patients, with the greatest disparity between non-Hispanic Black persons and non-Hispanic White individuals. Lack of education and knowledge regarding dermatologic conditions in skin of color has also been associated with worse health outcomes. Black patients routinely report dissatisfaction with their dermatologists’ lack of knowledge regarding their unique skin presentations, and specialized knowledge and focus on care of Black skin and hair has been noted to improve care satisfaction. Dermatology is one particular area of North American medicine where these health disparities are evident. Specifically, anti-Black racism has been noted as contributing to significant disparities in socioeconomic status and health status for the Black community in Canada. ![]() The turbulent events of 2020, from the global COVID-19 pandemic to worldwide protests for the Black Lives Matter movement, have highlighted the longstanding institutional racism within the Canadian healthcare system. ![]()
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