An Analysis of Interns’ Feedback after Dermatology Posting

Background: Dermatology knowledge among fresh medical graduates is poor in India as undergraduate medical curriculum and Internship training lack adequate focus on this subject. This contributes to the inappropriate management of Dermatology patients by the medical graduates. Objective: To analyse the expectations, motivations and experience of interns during their dermatology posting. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective record review of questionnaire-based anonymous validated feedback forms submitted by interns posted in a dermatology department of a tertiary care institute. The feedback form contained nine multiple choice questions some of which allowed multiple responses. Results: A total of 63 completed forms were analysed. The common expectations before the posting were, to learn the management of basic dermatological problems (98.4%), to take an informed decision regarding post-graduation in dermatology (53.9%) and hope that the posting will be useful for the postgraduate entrance test (50.7%). After the posting, 69.87% of them felt that their expectations were fulfilled. After the posting, 84.1% of the interns felt that they would have liked to study dermatology as a separate undergraduate subject with a summative assessment at the end. Limitations: The sample size was less and the feedback form contained limited questions. Conclusion: The majority of the interns were satisfied after dermatology posting. Increased exposure of interns to dermatology inpatients and side laboratory procedures will further enrich their clinical experience. The inclusion of dermatology as a separate subject with examination in the undergraduate curriculum was a felt need.