Professional Certificate In Clinical Dermatology

Course Overview

When: 19:30 Irish Time on Thursdays

Course Duration:
September-May

Course Delivery
Online via Zoom

Dermatological (skin and hair) issues can comprise up to 25% of a General Practitioner’s workload, and so the majority of skin conditions should be treated in this community general practice setting.

The Professional Certificate in Clinical Dermatology (NFQ Level 9, 10 credits) is a fully-online course (September to May) consisting of approx. 28-hours of teaching covering a comprehensive knowledge -base of Clinical Dermatology. Four lecture blocks incorporate an Introduction to skin biology and Dermatological Terminology, Cutaneous Malignancy, Infectious Dermatoses, Inflammatory Dermatoses, Cutaneous manifestations of Systemic Disease, Alopecias, and Pediatric Dermatology.

Participants will develop a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of dermatological diseases and enhance their knowledge of the scientific basis of clinical dermatology. They will also develop an understanding of the impact of dermatological conditions, referral pathways, imaging and management.

Lectures will be delivered by over 20 of Ireland top Specialist Registered Consultant Dermatologists, in addition to an introductory skin biology lecture by Institute director Prof. DJ Tobin. The course provides an expert-led learning experience throughout. Webinars are interactive, with a Question & Answer session after each live webinar, to allow students to further delve into the clinical aspects of disease.

Minimum IT Requirements for enrolled students:

Enrolled students will have to meet the minimum IT requirements for Zoom as well as ensuring they have prepared their laptop/PC before taking an online assessment. Students will also need an integrated webcam and microphone on the device they will be using to take the exam. Please see below for minimum requirements:

Zoom System Requirements

Preparing your PC or Laptop for Online Assessment

Course Features:

Fully-online interactive webinar course delivered over 4 lecture blocks to equip graduates with the knowledge and expertise required to recognise and treat skin disorders commonly encountered in general practice.
Focuses on patient-related problems, while also developing knowledge of the theoretical background of real cases from clinical practice.
Lectures are streamed online live (to facilitate Q&A), but also via limited playback and again during examination revision periods.
Robust online Case-based format assessment that is e-proctored.
Optional on-site patient-based clinical session (not credit-bearing and capped at approx. 30 students). See course flyer for further details.

Who Should Take This Course?

This course is a professional certificate aimed at Medical Graduates, with particular relevance for General Practitioners, but also appropriate for:

Internal Medicine Physicians
Paediatricians
Plastic Surgeons
Junior doctors who may wish to pursue a career in Dermatology (Note: this is not part of a formal pathway to dermatology training).
Trainees of the above.

Course Structure

This Professional Certificate-level course covers all aspects of clinical dermatology, with a comprehensive lecture schedule delivered by expert Consultant Dermatologists. Lectures will be delivered through an interactive webinar series and organised into relevant blocks. The course will consist of 28 hours of webinar-based interactive teaching and 250 hours of autonomous student learning. Lecture topics covered include:

Trimester 1: Precise order subject to change

Introduction to Skin Biology (and dermatological terminology)
Terminology and how to approach the patient
Melanoma
Melaocytic Lesions
Non-melanoma Skin Cancers
Infestations: Viral and Fungal Infections
Infestations: Bacterial and Parasitic
Acne
Rosacea

Trimester 2: Precise order subject to change

Atopic Dermatitis
Contact and Stasis Dermatology
Urticaria
Psoriasis
Connective tissue disease
Alopecia: Scarring
Non-scarring

A short revision period follows at end of each Trimester, which culminates with an Assessment

Students who are selected (first come, first served basis) for the one-day Clinical Masterclass(which is non credit-bearing), scheduled at the end of course, will have the opportunity to observe real-life patients with common dermatology conditions at the end of course.

How/Where Will I Learn?

All aspects of the course delivery that are credit-bearing are online. As this is an interactive course with a Q & A session at the end of each live-streamed lecture, we strongly suggest that students attend the live sessions. However, webinars will also be available for playback unless otherwise specified.

The online course will be delivered by over 20 of Ireland’s most respected Specialist Register Consultant Dermatologists.
Course content will be delivered sequentially over 2 trimesters
All relevant course materials, including lecture slides in PDF format, and webinars will be made available on UCD’s Virtual Learning Environment (Brightspace).
Assessment will take place online (please see below for further information).
The only on-site activity is the optional clinical masterclass (in Dublin).

All relevant course materials, including lecture slides (view only, PDF), and webinars ( non-downloadable) will be made available on UCD’s Virtual Learning Environment (Brightspace), during teaching term they are delivered in and during revision periods.

Assessment and Qualification

There will be two online case-based scenario MCQ exams, one held at the end of each trimester. The exams will be e-proctored to ensure academic robustness. Students will need a device with integrated webcam and microphone, which meets the e-proctoring software minimum system requirements for invigilation purposes.

Both MCQ exams are Must-Pass components (i.e., failure in one cannot be compensated with excellent performance in the other).
Students will receive an overall Pass/Fail mark at the end of the course.

This course is set at Level 9 National Framework Qualification and is a 10-credit award.

Am I Eligible for This Course?

Students must have been awarded a Medical Degree from a recognised Irish/EU or international Medical School.

Application & Fees

Applicants can look up detailed programme information, including fees, on the UCD Course Search website. Fees and curriculum are subject to change.

Places are subject to availability and a strict closing date. If you are applying to UCD for the first time you must register an account. Returning applicants may sign in to an existing account. Once logged in, to find our course go to ‘Course Finder’ and search for major code X877 and then apply.

A detailed, step-by step guide to the online application process is available here.

Having paid the application fee and received an e-mail receipt, you must continue to complete the application process by pressing “submit”. An e-mail confirming a successful application will be sent to you within 24 hours.
You can track the status of your documentation online. Log in to your account. Click on your submitted application, which will bring up an application summary. The application requirements are listed at the end of the summary.

Applicants may apply online here.

To see EU Fee eligbiility criteria, please see this helpful guide to EU Fees & see here for EU-Fee Assessment overview.

Note: Presuming they meet the EU Fee eligibility criteria, notwithstanding Brexit, UK students will still be eligible for the EU fee rate.

Online Resources

https://dermnetnz.org/ - World renowned online resource all about the skin

More Information:

Graduate Admissions Course Search-Clinical Dermatology [UCD Graduate Studies]

X877 Course Flyer September 2022 (with fees)

For further course information at dermatologyeducation.charles@ucd.ie

Academic Course Director:

Professor Desmond J Tobin, Charles Institute of Dermatology, UCD School of Medicine, UCD, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland.

Module Coordinator:

Dr Rosalind Hughes, Consultant Dermatologist at St Vincent's University Hospital and Assist. Clinical Professor, UCD School of Medicine