Dermatology Education in U.S. Ophthalmology Residency: A Survey of the Program Directors

Dermatology Education in U.S. Ophthalmology Residency: A Survey of the Program Directors | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Dermatology Education in U.S. Ophthalmology Residency: A Survey of the Program Directors Winnie Fan, Rojina Nekoonam, Saras Ramanathan, Amanda Twigg This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4004799/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 30 Jan, 2025 Read the published version in BMC Medical Education → Version 1 posted 10 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Many ocular conditions have associated dermatological findings. However, the inclusion of dermatology education in U.S. Ophthalmology residency programs remains limited. This study aims to characterize dermatology education in U.S. ophthalmology residency programs through the opinions of program directors (PDs). Method The authors designed and electronically distributed a national survey in August 2022 to PDs of 124 ophthalmology residency programs. The survey instruments examined the availability and characteristics of dermatology rotation, the PDs’ perceptions of such rotation, and their perspectives on trainees’ dermatology knowledge. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize survey responses. Sample t-tests were used to compare responses between PDs from programs with and without dermatology rotation. Results 49 PDs (39.5%) responded to the survey. Most programs (n = 27 [61.4%]) did not offer dermatology rotations and, of these programs, most (n = 15 [83.3%]) did not consider increasing dermatology exposure important. 57.1% (n = 8) of PDs at residency programs with dermatology rotation considered such education beneficial for their trainees. PDs at programs with dermatology rotation rated their residents to be more comfortable with shave biopsy than those from programs without (P < 0.05). Conclusion Dermatology rotations were uncommon among U.S. ophthalmology residencies. Perceptions towards dermatology education varied among PDs, with those from programs with dermatology rotation expressing more favorable opinions. ophthalmology residency education interdisciplinary training dermatology knowledge Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Background Ophthalmology residency programs are required by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to include an integrated or joint preliminary program. This provides an opportunity for trainees to expand their interdisciplinary learning in other relevant specialties during their intern year. Many eye diseases are associated with cutaneous findings, especially those of the peri-orbital skin, suggesting a need for dermatology education during ophthalmology residencies 1 . To our knowledge, the availability of dermatology education and the opinion of residency program directors on such a rotation has not been previously examined. This survey study aimed to characterize dermatology education in U.S. ophthalmology residency programs through the opinions of residency program directors (PDs). Method This cross-sectional survey study was approved by the University of California, San Francisco Institutional Review Board. A confidential 28-question Qualtrics survey was developed based on Kern’s Six Step Curriculum and the content listed on the ACGME ophthalmology program requirements 2 , 3 . The survey was electronically delivered to PDs of the 124 ACGME-approved U.S. ophthalmology residency programs in August 2022. All respondents provided informed consent. Completion of the survey was not required. Missing data were excluded from the analysis. Categorical responses were summarized as counts and percentages. Free responses were categorized manually. The mean and standard deviation of the Likert scales were calculated. The mean scores between PDs from programs with dermatology rotation and programs without were compared using an independent sample t -test (p < 0.05). Additional information is available in the Supplement. Results Of 124 PDs contacted, 49 current PDs responded to the survey. Most programs (n=27 [61.4%]) did not have dermatology rotations ( Figure 1) , though most offered elective time (n=19 [73.1%]) ranging from 2-22 weeks. Per the PDs, the dermatology curricular components that were most relevant to ophthalmology training included: malignant skin neoplasms (n=21), atopic dermatitis (n=18), infections and infestations (n=18), benign skin neoplasms (n=18), and allergic/irritant contact dermatitis (n=17). The PDs’ perceptions of the graduating trainees’ dermatology knowledge were summarized in Figure 2. PDs from programs with dermatology rotation perceived statistically significant higher levels of resident comfort with shave biopsy than those from programs without. Programs with dermatology rotation: The duration of dermatology rotation ranged from 2-6 weeks. The most common training methods were in-person clinical experiences (n=10 [45.5%]), asynchronous didactic (n=5 [22.7%]), and synchronous didactic (n=2 [9.1%]), with in-person clinical experiences considered the most effective (n=8 [32.0%]). Most PDs (n=8 [57.1%]) reported that the residents “definitely yes" or “probably” benefited from their rotation (Figure 2) . Most PDs reported no barriers to continuing the rotation (n=5). Reported barriers included time constraints (n=3), lack of resident interest (n=1), and lack of leadership support (n=1). Programs without dermatology rotation: Most PDs (n=16 [66.7%]) stated that they would "definitely not” or “probably not" offer a dermatology rotation (Figure 2) . Obstacles to offering dermatology rotation included time constraints (n=31), lack of appropriate clinic exposure (n=5), and lack of resident interest (n=4). In-person clinical experience was considered by most (n=13 [52%]) the best learning method. Discussion To the best of our knowledge, this was the first survey of dermatology education in ophthalmology residency programs. Our study revealed that most ophthalmology residency programs do not offer a dermatology rotation. Importantly, a greater percentage of PDs at programs with dermatology rotations considered such rotation beneficial for residents than those without. We, therefore, encourage conversations between PDs from residency programs with and without dermatology rotation to increase awareness of the benefits of interdisciplinary education and inform ways to circumvent obstacles to its development. To encourage ophthalmology trainees’ exposure to other disciplines, the ACGME created guidelines for integrated internship years, through which residency programs could provide trainees the opportunity to tailor their curriculum for the intern year. A 2020 survey of ophthalmology residents and fellows revealed that 74% of the respondents considered dermatology to be relevant due to its clinical overlap with ophthalmology, though most respondents did not have exposure to dermatology (58.6%) before residency 4 . The top specialties they were exposed to included internal medicine, intensive care unit, radiology, and emergency medicine 4 . Our study showed that in residency programs without dermatology rotation, most PDs did not consider increasing dermatology exposure or starting a rotation a priority. Thus, we recommend that residency PDs offer dermatology during intern year education to better meet the educational needs of the trainees. Among dermatology concepts and procedures, trainees were considered on aggregate by PDs as the least comfortable with periorbital inflammatory skin diseases and periorbital skin procedures, including cryotherapy, cosmetic filler injection, and cosmetic neurotoxins. The PDs from programs with dermatology rotation perceived their residents to be more comfortable with shave biopsy than those from programs without, though other variables did not have statistically significant differences. Future studies on residents’ opinions on these dermatologic concepts and procedures may provide further insights. In-person clinical experiences during elective time that focus on these topics could potentially help trainees expand their diagnoses and management of periorbital skin. Our sample size was small and involved only the PDs’ perspective. Despite this limitation, this study provided important insight into the current availability and characteristics of dermatology education in ophthalmology residency as well as the PDs' opinion on such an interdisciplinary curriculum. Strategies and resources are needed to improve interdisciplinary education during ophthalmology residency and address perceived barriers to dermatology education. Conclusions Dermatology exposure was not common among U.S. ophthalmology residencies. PDs’ perception towards dermatology education varied, with a greater portion of PDs from programs with dermatology rotation holding favorable opinions. Abbreviations ACGME Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education PD Program Director UCSF University of California, San Francisco Declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate : This survey study has been approved by the UCSF Institutional Review Board and all respondents provided informed consent. Consent for publication : Not applicable. Availability of data and materials : The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. Competing interests : The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Funding : This study received funding through the University of California, San Francisco Inquiry Office. Authors' contributions : AT and SR led the conceptualization of the study. RN and AT distributed and designed the survey. RN collected the data. WF and RN analyzed and interpreted the survey data. WF was a major contributor in writing the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. AT made the decision to publish. Acknowledgements : Not applicable. References Horner ME, Abramson AK, Warren RB, Swanson S, Menter MA. The spectrum of oculocutaneous disease: Part I. Infectious, inflammatory, and genetic causes of oculocutaneous disease. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2014;70(5):795e1–25. 10.1016/j.jaad.2013.12.013 . ACGME. ACGME Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Ophthalmology. Published online June 12, 2022. https://www.acgme.org/globalassets/pfassets/programrequirements/240_ophthalmology_2023.pdf . Thomas PA, Kern DE, Hughes MT, Tackett SA, Chen BY, editors. Curriculum Development for Medical Education : A Six-Step Approach. Fourth edition. Johns Hopkins University Press; 2022. Nanda T, Gong D, Chen RWS, Cioffi GA, De Moraes G, Glass LRD. The New Ophthalmology Internship: A Trainee Curricular Survey. J Acad Ophthalmol. 2020;12(02):e134–42. 10.1055/s-0040-1716363 . Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files Supplement.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 30 Jan, 2025 Read the published version in BMC Medical Education → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 29 Oct, 2024 Reviews received at journal 06 Jun, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 06 Jun, 2024 Reviews received at journal 05 Jun, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 05 Jun, 2024 Reviewers invited by journal 05 Jun, 2024 Editor assigned by journal 28 May, 2024 Editor invited by journal 02 Mar, 2024 Submission checks completed at journal 02 Mar, 2024 First submitted to journal 01 Mar, 2024 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4004799","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":276575371,"identity":"c412d1bf-6d36-48e7-b316-8eeaa8e2ff8b","order_by":0,"name":"Winnie Fan","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Winnie","middleName":"","lastName":"Fan","suffix":""},{"id":276575372,"identity":"105db23f-0c40-4349-9805-406facff5f4b","order_by":1,"name":"Rojina Nekoonam","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Rojina","middleName":"","lastName":"Nekoonam","suffix":""},{"id":276575373,"identity":"befa6bcd-48cd-45c1-9fa7-5194aab8be25","order_by":2,"name":"Saras Ramanathan","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of California, San Francisco","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Saras","middleName":"","lastName":"Ramanathan","suffix":""},{"id":276575374,"identity":"9b5a79f2-5e8e-4aad-9365-5b976df6ec7e","order_by":3,"name":"Amanda Twigg","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA+ElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYLACHhDBDMQfgJi9gYFBghgtEiAtjDNAnANEawFZxEOMFv5ph589eFPDUGdwnP3ya9s2O3seBuaDt3nwaJG4nWZuOOcYg4TBYZ4y69y25MQeBrZka3xaGG4nmEnzsDFImB3mSTPObTuQYM/AAxTBo0P+dvo3aZ5/UC2WbQeADuP/hleLwe0cM2neNpAW9sOPGdsOMPYw8LDh1WJ4O6dMcm6fhOT+wzxsjD3ngH5hZjO2nINHi9zt9G0Sb77Z8Ev2H3/84UcZMMTYmx/eeIPP+xAAiggeM0h0MBNWDgPsjz8Qr3gUjIJRMApGEgAA4EJEITH+wVQAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"University of California, San Francisco","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Amanda","middleName":"","lastName":"Twigg","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-03-01 22:59:10","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4004799/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4004799/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-06583-9","type":"published","date":"2025-01-30T15:57:24+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":52072804,"identity":"e8286034-67cc-4344-8efb-2b1a353b7b74","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-03-06 08:42:27","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":43757,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eResidency program characteristics\u003cstrong\u003e(\u003c/strong\u003ePDs = program directors)\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4004799/v1/dfdf0d8337a99f293e487e1b.png"},{"id":52072805,"identity":"14b1e835-a25d-4cb9-b460-a854ac94a580","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-03-06 08:42:27","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":122239,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eProgram directors’ (PDs) perspectives on resident dermatology knowledge and dermatology rotation.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4004799/v1/03f27d46f8f2aa81892b2f47.png"},{"id":75351268,"identity":"5ef078ed-bf5b-414c-96da-99dd7f76f018","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-02-03 16:08:45","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":525120,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4004799/v1/b460fbbe-5328-49d4-99a8-dfd70d358a32.pdf"},{"id":52072807,"identity":"c5a5574c-dc16-4b16-9eab-3cb4a0173fb2","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-03-06 08:42:28","extension":"docx","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":40371,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Supplement.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4004799/v1/62617412a93efae873e80bf6.docx"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Dermatology Education in U.S. Ophthalmology Residency: A Survey of the Program Directors","fulltext":[{"header":"Background","content":"\u003cp\u003eOphthalmology residency programs are required by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to include an integrated or joint preliminary program. This provides an opportunity for trainees to expand their interdisciplinary learning in other relevant specialties during their intern year. Many eye diseases are associated with cutaneous findings, especially those of the peri-orbital skin, suggesting a need for dermatology education during ophthalmology residencies\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. To our knowledge, the availability of dermatology education and the opinion of residency program directors on such a rotation has not been previously examined. This survey study aimed to characterize dermatology education in U.S. ophthalmology residency programs through the opinions of residency program directors (PDs).\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Method","content":"\u003cp\u003e This cross-sectional survey study was approved by the University of California, San Francisco Institutional Review Board. A confidential 28-question Qualtrics survey was developed based on Kern\u0026rsquo;s Six Step Curriculum and the content listed on the ACGME ophthalmology program requirements \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. The survey was electronically delivered to PDs of the 124 ACGME-approved U.S. ophthalmology residency programs in August 2022. All respondents provided informed consent. Completion of the survey was not required. Missing data were excluded from the analysis. Categorical responses were summarized as counts and percentages. Free responses were categorized manually. The mean and standard deviation of the Likert scales were calculated. The mean scores between PDs from programs with dermatology rotation and programs without were compared using an independent sample \u003cem\u003et\u003c/em\u003e-test (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05). Additional information is available in the \u003cb\u003eSupplement.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003eOf 124 PDs contacted, 49 current PDs responded to the survey. Most programs (n=27 [61.4%]) did not have dermatology rotations (\u003cstrong\u003eFigure 1)\u003c/strong\u003e, though\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003emost offered elective time (n=19 [73.1%]) ranging from 2-22 weeks. Per the PDs, the dermatology curricular components that were most relevant to ophthalmology training included: malignant skin neoplasms (n=21), atopic dermatitis (n=18), infections and infestations (n=18), benign skin neoplasms (n=18), and allergic/irritant contact dermatitis (n=17). The PDs\u0026rsquo; perceptions of the graduating trainees\u0026rsquo; dermatology knowledge were summarized in \u003cstrong\u003eFigure 2.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003ePDs from programs with dermatology rotation perceived statistically significant higher levels of resident comfort with shave biopsy than those from programs without.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePrograms with dermatology rotation:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe duration of dermatology rotation ranged from 2-6 weeks. The most common training methods were in-person clinical experiences (n=10 [45.5%]), asynchronous didactic (n=5 [22.7%]), and synchronous didactic (n=2 [9.1%]), with in-person clinical experiences considered the most effective (n=8 [32.0%]). Most PDs (n=8 [57.1%]) reported that the residents \u0026ldquo;definitely yes\u0026quot; or \u0026ldquo;probably\u0026rdquo; benefited from their rotation \u003cstrong\u003e(Figure 2)\u003c/strong\u003e. Most PDs reported no barriers to continuing the rotation (n=5). Reported barriers included time constraints (n=3), lack of resident interest (n=1), and lack of leadership support (n=1).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePrograms without dermatology rotation:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost PDs (n=16 [66.7%]) stated that they would \u0026quot;definitely not\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;probably not\u0026quot; offer a dermatology rotation \u003cstrong\u003e(Figure 2)\u003c/strong\u003e. Obstacles to offering dermatology rotation included time constraints (n=31), lack of appropriate clinic exposure (n=5), and lack of resident interest (n=4). In-person clinical experience was considered by most (n=13 [52%]) the best learning method.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eTo the best of our knowledge, this was the first survey of dermatology education in ophthalmology residency programs. Our study revealed that most ophthalmology residency programs do not offer a dermatology rotation. Importantly, a greater percentage of PDs at programs with dermatology rotations considered such rotation beneficial for residents than those without. We, therefore, encourage conversations between PDs from residency programs with and without dermatology rotation to increase awareness of the benefits of interdisciplinary education and inform ways to circumvent obstacles to its development.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e To encourage ophthalmology trainees\u0026rsquo; exposure to other disciplines, the ACGME created guidelines for integrated internship years, through which residency programs could provide trainees the opportunity to tailor their curriculum for the intern year. A 2020 survey of ophthalmology residents and fellows revealed that 74% of the respondents considered dermatology to be relevant due to its clinical overlap with ophthalmology, though most respondents did not have exposure to dermatology (58.6%) before residency\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. The top specialties they were exposed to included internal medicine, intensive care unit, radiology, and emergency medicine\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Our study showed that in residency programs without dermatology rotation, most PDs did not consider increasing dermatology exposure or starting a rotation a priority. Thus, we recommend that residency PDs offer dermatology during intern year education to better meet the educational needs of the trainees.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAmong dermatology concepts and procedures, trainees were considered on aggregate by PDs as the least comfortable with periorbital inflammatory skin diseases and periorbital skin procedures, including cryotherapy, cosmetic filler injection, and cosmetic neurotoxins. The PDs from programs with dermatology rotation perceived their residents to be more comfortable with shave biopsy than those from programs without, though other variables did not have statistically significant differences. Future studies on residents\u0026rsquo; opinions on these dermatologic concepts and procedures may provide further insights. In-person clinical experiences during elective time that focus on these topics could potentially help trainees expand their diagnoses and management of periorbital skin.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOur sample size was small and involved only the PDs\u0026rsquo; perspective. Despite this limitation, this study provided important insight into the current availability and characteristics of dermatology education in ophthalmology residency as well as the PDs' opinion on such an interdisciplinary curriculum. Strategies and resources are needed to improve interdisciplinary education during ophthalmology residency and address perceived barriers to dermatology education.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusions","content":"\u003cp\u003eDermatology exposure was not common among U.S. ophthalmology residencies. PDs\u0026rsquo; perception towards dermatology education varied, with a greater portion of PDs from programs with dermatology rotation holding favorable opinions.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Abbreviations","content":"\u003cp\u003eACGME Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePD Program Director\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUCSF University of California, San Francisco\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics approval and consent to participate\u003c/strong\u003e: This survey study has been approved by the UCSF Institutional Review Board and all respondents provided informed consent.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent for publication\u003c/strong\u003e: Not applicable.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAvailability of data and materials\u003c/strong\u003e: The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting interests\u003c/strong\u003e: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e: This study received funding through the University of California, San Francisco Inquiry Office.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthors\u0026apos; contributions\u003c/strong\u003e: AT and SR led the conceptualization of the study. RN and AT distributed and designed the survey. RN collected the data. WF and RN analyzed and interpreted the survey data. WF was a major contributor in writing the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. AT made the decision to publish.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgements\u003c/strong\u003e: Not applicable.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHorner ME, Abramson AK, Warren RB, Swanson S, Menter MA. The spectrum of oculocutaneous disease: Part I. Infectious, inflammatory, and genetic causes of oculocutaneous disease. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2014;70(5):795e1\u0026ndash;25. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003e10.1016/j.jaad.2013.12.013\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1016/j.jaad.2013.12.013\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eACGME. ACGME Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Ophthalmology. Published online June 12, 2022. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://www.acgme.org/globalassets/pfassets/programrequirements/240_ophthalmology_2023.pdf\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://www.acgme.org/globalassets/pfassets/programrequirements/240_ophthalmology_2023.pdf\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThomas PA, Kern DE, Hughes MT, Tackett SA, Chen BY, editors. \u003cem\u003eCurriculum Development for Medical Education\u003c/em\u003e: A Six-Step Approach. Fourth edition. Johns Hopkins University Press; 2022.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNanda T, Gong D, Chen RWS, Cioffi GA, De Moraes G, Glass LRD. The New Ophthalmology Internship: A Trainee Curricular Survey. J Acad Ophthalmol. 2020;12(02):e134\u0026ndash;42. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003e10.1055/s-0040-1716363\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1055/s-0040-1716363\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-medical-education","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"meed","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Medical Education](http://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/meed/default.aspx","title":"BMC Medical Education","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"ophthalmology residency education, interdisciplinary training, dermatology knowledge","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4004799/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4004799/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eMany ocular conditions have associated dermatological findings. However, the inclusion of dermatology education in U.S. Ophthalmology residency programs remains limited. This study aims to characterize dermatology education in U.S. ophthalmology residency programs through the opinions of program directors (PDs).\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethod\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe authors designed and electronically distributed a national survey in August 2022 to PDs of 124 ophthalmology residency programs. The survey instruments examined the availability and characteristics of dermatology rotation, the PDs\u0026rsquo; perceptions of such rotation, and their perspectives on trainees\u0026rsquo; dermatology knowledge. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize survey responses. Sample t-tests were used to compare responses between PDs from programs with and without dermatology rotation.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e49 PDs (39.5%) responded to the survey. Most programs (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;27 [61.4%]) did not offer dermatology rotations and, of these programs, most (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;15 [83.3%]) did not consider increasing dermatology exposure important. 57.1% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;8) of PDs at residency programs with dermatology rotation considered such education beneficial for their trainees. PDs at programs with dermatology rotation rated their residents to be more comfortable with shave biopsy than those from programs without (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusion\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eDermatology rotations were uncommon among U.S. ophthalmology residencies. Perceptions towards dermatology education varied among PDs, with those from programs with dermatology rotation expressing more favorable opinions.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Dermatology Education in U.S. Ophthalmology Residency: A Survey of the Program Directors","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-03-06 08:42:23","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4004799/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2024-10-29T18:50:06+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2024-06-06T19:26:38+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"98374326875197274828216033839988638857","date":"2024-06-06T12:44:12+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2024-06-05T18:45:43+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"26183794038883027350663994028201849002","date":"2024-06-05T18:26:26+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2024-06-05T18:24:30+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2024-05-28T11:36:32+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2024-03-02T17:51:33+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2024-03-02T17:40:11+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"BMC Medical Education","date":"2024-03-01T22:48:59+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-medical-education","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"meed","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Medical Education](http://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/meed/default.aspx","title":"BMC Medical Education","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"b225493f-bb50-409d-adf4-2338cc81b03d","owner":[],"postedDate":"March 6th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-02-03T16:01:37+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-4004799","link":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-06583-9","journal":{"identity":"bmc-medical-education","isVorOnly":false,"title":"BMC Medical Education"},"publishedOn":"2025-01-30 15:57:24","publishedOnDateReadable":"January 30th, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2024-03-06 08:42:23","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1186/s12909-024-06583-9","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-06583-9","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4004799","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4004799","identity":"rs-4004799","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}