If you haven’t guessed it by now, medical education is sort of our thing here on willpeachmd.com! Building on our fantastic lists of the best anatomy and radiology websites to learn from, it’s time to cover dermatology.
Considering the general public’s general thirst for knowledge in the area, we hope this can be a useful roundup.
So, without further ado, here’s our rundown of our favorite (and what we consider “best”) learning websites on the subject.
P.S. we also have another great article on the best dermatology YouTube channels (if videos are more your thing!)…
1 – Geeky Medics Collection of Dermatology Revision Notes
Geeky Medics have tons of learning material. It is well-written, comprehensive, and excellently formatted.
The content is accessible and written by physicians or medical students, reviewed by physicians.
You can find tutorials about derm-specific clinical examinations, procedures, communication, interpretation, medicine, surgery, anatomy, and more. Besides all that, there are a ton of case studies, quizzes, and even a good app if you want to follow along on your smartphone.
Their dermatology section is hot on the following topics:
- Chickenpox (VZV)
- Pityriasis Rosea
- Acne vulgaris
- Scabies
- Steven-Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis
- Erythema Multiforme
- Molluscum contagiosum
- Psoriasis
- Non-blanching rashes
- Dermatological emergencies
And many more.
Also, their website is constantly being updated, so definitely bookmark it!
2 – MedlinePlus – Skin Conditions
MedlinePlus is a great online health information resource for patients, families, and friends.
It’s an initiative of the National Library of Medicine (NLM): the world’s most extensive medical library and part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
They aim to present high-quality, relevant health and wellness information that is trusted, easy to understand, and free of advertising.
MedlinePlus maintains a webpage dedicated to skin conditions. It is a hub for other sites with rich content, covering introductory topics and the most up-to-date research articles.
The website is a huge trove of good free information, including the following topics:
- Diagnosis and Tests
- Prevention and Risk Factors
- Treatments and Therapies
- Genetics
- Videos and Tutorials
- Statistics and Research
- Clinical Trials
- Journal Articles
- Children
- Teenagers
- Women
- Patient Handouts
A great starting point on your journey to learning dermatology!
3 – DermWeb
DermWeb is a leading destination for dermatology links and resources on the internet.
There are several areas of interest for 1) practicing dermatologists, 2) dermatology students, and 3) the public.
It is not a modern, good-looking, and organized site, but it holds a ton of useful information.
DermWeb is maintained by the Department of Dermatology and Skin Science at the University of British Columbia. They aim to provide quality dermatology links and resources to the professional community and the public.
Internal content and resources were written by and edited by doctors under Dr. Harvey Lui, MD, FRCPC, Head of the Department of Dermatology and Skin Science. He has acted as lead editor for all site content.
They constantly add links and resources to the site and welcome submissions for consideration.
The site content is basically divided into four groups:
- Dermatology Links (Academic, Organizations and Societies, and Journals & Publications)
- Dermatology Resources (Internal Resources and External Resources)
- Common Skin Problems
- Photo Atlases
You can also find information for the general public and for students under the umbrella of UBC Dermatology.
EDITOR NOTE: I used this for my med school’s dermatology shelf exams. The formatting is useful and its comprehensive enough to help meet the top grades in most exams! – Will
4 – DermIS – Dermatology Information System
DermIS is the largest dermatology information service available on the internet. It’s born from cooperation between the Department of Clinical Social Medicine (University of Heidelberg) and the Department of Dermatology (University of Erlangen).
It offers image atlases (DOIA and PeDOIA) with diagnoses and differential diagnoses, case reports, and additional information on almost all skin diseases.
They also have skin diseases illustrated by photographic images (e.g., rosacea and eczema), descriptions, therapeutic measures, and skincare suggestions.
Since hundreds of pieces cover many topics, it’s best used as a reference guide than as a primary source of learning material.
Use this after covering the basics and looking for more in-depth information on particular areas!
5 – Dermatology Atlas – Loyola University Dermatology Medical Education Website
Loyola University Dermatology Atlas has tons of good information.
It is edited by Jeffrey L. Melton, MD, and has an alphabetized index with pics of many skin conditions.
The website hasn’t been updated for a while. But even so, you can find rich stuff in there.
6 – Merk Manual Dermatological Disorders
Merk Manual was first published in 1899 as a small reference book for physicians and pharmacists. Since then, it’s grown in size and scope, evolving into one of the most used medical resources for professionals and consumers.
The manual expands the reach and depth of its offerings to reflect its mission: provide the best medical information to a broad cross-section of users. It includes medical professionals and students, veterinarians and veterinary students, and consumers.
The manual provides high-quality information and covers derm topics like the following:
- Approach to the Dermatologic Patient
- Principles of Topical Dermatologic Therapy
- Acne and Related Disorders
- Bacterial Skin Infections
- Benign Skin Tumors, Growths, and Vascular Lesions
- Bullous Diseases
- Cancers of the Skin
- Cornification Disorders
- Dermatitis
- Fungal Skin Infections
- Hair Disorders
- Hypersensitivity and Inflammatory Skin Disorders
- Nail Disorders
- Parasitic Skin Infections
- Pigmentation Disorders
- Pressure Injury
- Psoriasis and Scaling Diseases
- Reactions to Sunlight
- Sweating Disorders
- Viral Skin Diseases
Merk Manual is an excellent source of good information for both beginners and professionals.
7 – JAMA Dermatology
The JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) is a peer-reviewed medical journal. It publishes original research, reviews, and editorials covering all aspects of biomedicine.
JAMA Dermatology has tons of cutting-edge research. On the negative side, it’s not free, and it is actually quite expensive to subscribe. But if you are indeed a student, you might have free access through your university.
It is undoubtedly pure gold if you are professional and need high-quality info though!
8 – Derm.Talk
Derm.Talk is a blog run by Dr. Jenny Liu, a board-certified dermatologist and an assistant professor.
It is not specifically educational, but the author writes about medicine and dermatology. It might be a good source of information if you need a general approach.
As a personal blog, she writes about many subjects. But there are specific topics about dermatology and residency, where you can find good information.
9 – RCGP’s Dermatology Library
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) is the UK body responsible for setting the standards for general practice education, training, revalidation, and the MRCGP examination.
They have an eLearning section with excellent materials, developed by an experienced eLearning team, and a rich Dermatology Library.
This library provides educational material and guidelines on dermatology that are relevant to primary healthcare professionals.
It brings together national guidance, resources produced and accredited by the RCGP, and resources from the British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) and the Primary Care Dermatology Society (PCDS).
The library is divided into these sections:
- 1) overview
- 2) infection and infestation
- 3) genetic and systemic disorders
- 4) inflammatory conditions
- 5) specific lesions
- 6) urticaria and blistering
These resources are great for those who wish to develop a more specialized interest in dermatology.
They have a lot of free material, but a member must pay for some resources!
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I spend most of my time washing dishes, changing diapers, playing doll/ball/house/doctor/cooking with my daughter, and making my son sleep. I write and read about education, philosophy, law, religion, finance, and real estate when there is some time left. And I usually don’t sleep!