5 Best Dermatology Anki Decks (Free Dermatology Flashcards) 

Dermatology is a very dynamic subject. To master it successfully, you will require good knowledge of the basics; especially skin anatomy and pathology. 

We’ll delve into some of the best premade Anki decks on Dermatology that will help you do exactly that.

The Best Dermatology Anki Decks

The 5 decks we’ll be looking at are: 

  1. Dolphin Dermatology (best overall)
  2. Vismo_djib’s Review of Dermatology Anki (most comprehensive)
  3. Hoop’s Clinical Decks: Dermatology Deck by originalhoopsta (best for basics)
  4. Derm Deck (AAD) by calm_samurai95 (best for diagnostics)
  5. AVSM by AVSM_ankiboi (best for rapid review)

Each of these, although they differ in size and depth, will help in your efforts to memorize dermatology essentials.

And all are free and easily downloadable. Just install the Anki desktop app to get started and enjoy the process!

Dolphin Dermatology

Deck Type:Dermatology Clinical Deck
Cards:13000
Card Format:Basic
Year of Upload:2021
Required Plugins:N/A
Download Size:1.2 Gb
Download Link:Dolphin Dermatology Anki

Dolphin Dermatology is the newest (and best) pre-made Anki deck out. At 13,000 cards it’s a complete beast!

Using the sources of VisualDx and DermnetNZ, this deck is best suited for existing residents or students gunning for a dermatology placement in the future.

The formatting is fantastic. One fact to a card, an image, and a simple back-to-front flashcard.

Here’s an example…

r/medicalschoolanki - Dolphin dermatology (Version 1) [New Clinical Deck]

Cards are organized and tagged by subtopic.

Download Dolphin Dermatology Anki here


Vismo_djib’s Review of Dermatology Anki

Deck Type:Dermatology Residency/Boards
Cards:8160
Card Format:Basic
Year of Upload:2021
Required Plugins:N/A
Download Size:450 MB
Download Link:Review of Dermatology Anki

Reddit user Vismo_djib has put together what’s possibly the most comprehensive of all Anki dermatology decks. Perfect for residents, board exams, and those on away rotations!

At 8160 total cards, this is a beast of a deck but features everything you’d ever hope to memorize in the specialty.

Frequently updated (the last update being in July 2021), it’s also a living, breathing deck, with other Redditors working and adding things to it.

The deck itself is based on the following sources:

  • Alikhan’s Review of Dermatology
  • VisualDx
  • Bolognia Dermatology
  • Weedon’s Skin Pathology
  • Elston’s Dermatopathology
  • Soyer’s Dermoscopy
  • Robinson’s Surgery of the Skin

Cards are categorized and tagged based on the following subtopics:

r/DermApp - Review of Dermatology Anki, year one update

Images are high-res but you’ll have to play around with the tags to ensure you unlock and work through the relevant categories (that’s why I’d only recommend using this if already familiar with Anki).

You’ll also need to create a master deck and pull cards in/out as you see fit.

Here’s how a typical card looks…

Other helpful add-ons to use with this deck include:

  • Special fields: Customize import behavior (1102281552)
  • Card browser: List only one card per note (797076357)
  • Hint Hotkeys: Show hint with keystroke (1844908621)

U/vismo_djib also invites people to email any comments and suggestions when using this deck to vismo@protonmail.com.

Download Review of Dermatology Anki here


Hoop’s Clinical Anki Decks: Dermatology Deck

Deck Type:Dermatology Basics
Cards:1311
Card Format:Basic
Year of Upload:2020
Required Plugins:N/A
Download Size:77.9 MB
Download Link:Hoop’s Dermatology Anki Deck

Reddit User Originalhoopsta created this deck series to help U.S. students on the wards (not Step 1 and 2).

For international medical students, however, the series still has a ton of value (covering almost everything you’ll likely need to know).

The series’ dermatology subdeck, similar to Originalhoopsta’s EKG one recommended here, serves as an excellent resource for a quick overview.

Built on top of an existing premade deck by Dermatology Geisel, Originalhoopsta went in and added 250 additional cards with explanations based on the Step 2 First Aid section on Dermatology. 

The cards are basic in format (written in open-ended question and answer style); with images showing a pathology on the front and the name of the pathology on the back.

Like this…

Personally, I like the fact that the theory is split into 7 chapters and that there is a review section.

It also has a “Quick ID” segment which is broken down into categories like hair/nails or skin cancer. Useful for quickly reviewing specific subtopics in derm.

Here’s how the deck is categorized/tagged…

The Basics section consists mostly of theoretical questions to improve your general knowledge. The answers are well-explained with tables or bullet points.

The major pro of this dermatology Anki deck is that all bases are covered: background information is given, as well as any relevant etiological factors.

At 1311 cards, it is a manageable deck and can help you quickly identify diseases e.g. melanoma so that you impress on your rounds.

The fact the deck is very image-heavy is important in helping serve up visual reminders for the types of pathologies that come up on exams. 

Download Hoop’s Dermatology Anki Deck here


Calm_Samurai95’s Derm Anki Deck

Deck Type:Dermatology Basics
Cards:439
Card Format:Basic
Year of Upload:2020
Required Plugins:N/A
Download Size:19.6 MB
Download Link: Calm_Samurai95’s Derm Anki Deck

This deck is based on the AAD (American Academy of Dermatology) basic Dermatology curriculum. 

User Calm_Samurai built this deck themselves, for the following reason…

This deck was the result of the frustration I felt when trying to get a grasp of the basics of dermatology!

At only 439 cards, it provides a concise overview of important topics but is still something of a “work in progress.”

Information is split into cards which are either a case scenario or asking what the treatment or diagnosis of a particular pathology is.

Unlike other decks, it gives you history (see the image below) to help your problem solving skills and contextualize all the different aspects of a disease.

In the answer to pathologies, you’ll see it highlights the name as well as some high yield points on that topic too.

Cards are basic style; front to back.

Super useful!

Another pro is the drilling of specific terminology that examiners like to quiz you on; “e.g. firm, hyperpigmented dome-shaped papules”. 

Download Calm_Samurai95’s Derm Anki Deck here


AVSM Anki Clinical Deck: Derma

Deck Type:Broad (with dermatology section tagged)
Cards:133
Card Format:Basic
Year of Upload:2021
Required Plugins:N/A
Download Size:531 MB
Download Link:AVSM Anki Deck

The AVSM deck is a large deck mainly focused on internal medicine made by a Reddit user in India.

Its “Derma” section houses 133 cards that help for a quick review for University-based exams focused on a dermatology rotation.

Cards are basic in format; prompting you with one line and then expecting you to come up with the details.

Here’s how that works…

A broad variety of topics are covered; including the morphology of pathologies, diagnosis, classification, and also treatment options. 

The images and tables are especially useful for helping classify dermatology-based diseases and help in recalling key information.

You’ll need to download the deck (it’s big at 531 MB) in its entirety but then use the tags to focus on dermatology.

Download AVSM’s Anki Deck here


Additional Information On Dermatology Anki Decks 

Depending on what level of study you’re at, and how deep you want to go, it could be an idea to review the anatomy of the skin first before beginning any dermatology class or rotation.

Check out the following deck recommendations to get started…

Related7 Best Anatomy Anki Decks: Learn Anatomy Fast (2021)

Additionally, you can get through a lot of derm-related pathology, pharmacology, and microbiology via studying from the relevant cards in Anking’s latest version of Zanki.

This also includes the dermatology chapter from Pathoma which I strongly recommend students start with!

To find out more about this deck check out the following article…

RelatedWhat Is The Best Anki Deck For Step 1?

Other Dermatology Resources

There are several other platforms besides Anki for those of you who are interested.

Depending on how far into the dermatology you wish to go, each of these resources goes into varying depth.

Good Dermatology-Related YouTube Channels

JJ Medicine

JJ Medicine has an informative playlist dedicated to Dermatology where it covers topics like psoriasis, fungal infections, and acne. 

Armando Hasudungan

Armando Hasudungan also has some very beneficial videos on Dermatology which are good to help grasp the basics. He uses plenty of visual aids too!

Good Dermatology-Related Podcasts

Dermatology UK the podcast

This podcast incorporates everything from the newest research to interviews with notable doctors/professors and provides a focused look at new developments.  

Dermatologically Tested

Dermatologically Tested is from the British Association of Dermatologists. It creatively tackles the world of our skin with the experts and deals with a host of topics from clinical to cosmetic. 

Related: 23 Best Podcasts For Medical Students

Recommended Dermatology Textbook Resource 

As a medical student myself, I relate to the struggles of spending hours reading reviews to find the most appropriate books to use which are only somewhat tailored to my curriculum. 

“One shoe fits all” is certainly not applicable in this case.

I have listed a couple of my personal favorites below:  

  1. Sima Jain Dermatology: Illustrated Study Guide and Comprehensive Board Review
  2. Fitzpatrick’s Color Atlas & Synopsis of Clinical Dermatology by Klauss Wolff and Richard Allen Johnson

Other Top Dermatology Learning Resources

Dermatology Anki Questions

Where to Find More Anki Dermatology Decks 

We highly recommend going on Reddit and searching the r/medicalschoolanki community.

Right now there’s recruitment going on for a crowd-sourced dermatology Anki deck based on converting Andrews’ Diseases of the Skin Clinical Dermatology into digital flashcard format.

Besides this, you’re also able to filter your results to see the most recent and most relevant Anki dermatology decks for your studies.

Why Use An Anki Dermatology Deck?

  1. Excellent free resource
  2. Saves time making your own cards while covering the most high yield principles

Top Tips for using Anki Dermatology Flashcard Decks 

There can be lots of information on some cards which can be overwhelming. Our top tip is to keep it SIMPLE and make sure you are actively practicing the cards on a regular basis. 

Keep reviewing the cards where possible, i.e. once you have finished your set for the day, briefly make a mental note or write down on a whiteboard any crucial new information you learned. 

Related Anki Questions

If you’re not familiar with Anki, I recommend checking out The Anking YouTube channel.

This offers many useful tutorials and tips for Anki users. It’s primarily designed for med students but the content is just as good for students in other fields.

CLICK HERE TO GET 10% OFF ANKI PALACE’S ANKI MASTERY COURSE

Here’s a good primer (as well as a good intro on what they offer) below…

How Do I Add Plugins To Anki?

You can plugins, such as the hierarchical tags and image occlusion ones mentioned in some of the decks above, by going to tools add-ons > get add-ons

Alternatively, press ctrl + shift + A on your keyboard.

From there, go to “browse add-ons” and copy the code of the plugin you want into the field here. For hierarchical tags, it’s 594329229.

It’s that easy.

Why Do I Have To Go To Reddit/Ankiweb To Download?

Reddit/Ankiweb is where these decks are uploaded and shared. The original users deserve accreditation and the opportunity to be thanked for their hard work.

The files for these decks are hosted in these threads created by the deck’s creator.


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