Certificate in Primary Care Skin Cancer Medicine

The Certificate in Primary Care Skin Cancer Medicine is targeted at mainstream medical practitioners. It assumes no prior knowledge or specific training in the diagnosis and management of skin cancer in primary care.

The Certificate is designed to meet the needs of medical practitioners who are interested in primary care skin cancer medicine: primary care physicians, mainstream general practitioners, dermatology nurses and rural doctors. Overseas Trained Doctors will also find this course very useful as will doctors planning to work in skin cancer clinics. Since 2006 over 733 medical practitioners have attended this certificate course primarily from Australia but also from seven countries worldwide.

Learning Outcomes

This Certificate course will provide the clinician with a range of skills at an introductory level including the ability to:

• Diagnose common skin cancers and associated conditions
• Perform skin checks and identify suspicious skin lesions
• Use a dermoscope and the 3-point checklist to differentiate between benign and suspicious skin lesions
• Understand, select and apply appropriate treatment options for common skin cancers
• Safely excise and close small and low risk skin cancers with direct suture
• Understand limitations in training and experience, and consequently know when to refer Patients to the appropriate specialist: dermatologist, plastic surgeon and/or other medical practitioners

Dates and Locations

Certificate in Primary Care Skin Cancer Surgery

The format of the Certificate in Primary Care Skin Cancer Surgery is designed to meet the needs of generalist GPs as well as those with more procedural experience. These courses are practical based workshops with theory content.

Successful completion of the Certificate in Primary Care Skin Cancer Medicine (which includes basic surgical management and techniques) is encouraged for enrolment in the Certificate in Primary Care Skin Cancer Surgery. However this course is open to any doctor who has experience in minor skin surgery.

This course is presented by a New Zealand surgeon, Dr Sharad P Paul joined by experienced GPs to assist in optimising the learning outcomes. The content covers sections on theory plus hands-on practical sessions. This course is designed to assist GPs to develop confidence in various procedures and understand their limitations without further practical experience.

Learning Outcomes

This Certificate course will provide the clinician with a range of skills at an intermediate level including the ability to understand and complete:

• Principles Of Wound Closure
• Elliptical Excision
• Suturing Technique And Knot Tying
• Dog Ear Correction
• Full-Thickness Skin Grafting
• Principles Of Flaps
• Advancement Flaps
• Pivotal Flaps

Dates and Locations

Certificate in Advanced Dermoscopy

Successful completion of the Certificate in Primary Care Skin Cancer Medicine (which includes Dermoscopy) is encouraged for enrolment in the Certificate in Advanced Dermoscopy. However the Certificate in Advanced Dermoscopy is open to any medical practitioner who has extensive experience in Dermoscopy. The course focuses on the more complex skin cancers and their diagnosis and common dermatological conditions.

The certificate program includes pre-disposing activities, a two-day weekend workshop delivered by a team of truly exceptional international dermatologists, additional on-line training and on-line assessment. The course delivery is interactive including case studies plus hands-on practical sessions.

Learning Outcomes

This Certificate course will provide the clinician with a range of skills at an advanced level including the ability to understand:

• Diagnostic Algorithms
• Melanocytic And Non-Melanocytic Lesions
• Classification Of Nevi
• Melanoma Criteria
• Acral And Facial Lesions
• Vascular Lesions
• Clinico-Pathologic Correlation

Dates and Locations

Certificate in Advanced Skin Cancer Surgery

Successful completion of the Certificate in Primary Care Skin Cancer Surgery is encouraged for enrolment in the Certificate in Advanced Skin Cancer Surgery. However the Certificate in Advanced Skin Cancer Surgery is open to any medical practitioner who has extensive experience in surgery. The course focuses on the more complex skin closures including flaps, wedges and grafts.

The certificate program includes pre-disposing activities, a three-day weekend workshop delivered by a team surgeons and experienced skin cancer GP’s, additional on-line training and on-line assessment. The workshop delivery is interactive including case studies plus sections on theory plus hands-on practical sessions.

Learning Outcomes

This Certificate course will provide the clinician with a range of skills at an advanced level including the ability to understand and complete:

• Island Pedicle Advancement Flap
• Rotation Flap
• Z-Plasty Flap
• Wedge Resection
• Split Skin Grafting
• Nose Lesions
• Ear Lesions
• Eyelid Lesions
• Management Of Complications

Dates and Locations

Skin Cancer Business Management Workshop

This one day workshop is designed to assist medical practitioners, business owners and practice managers to understand the fundamentals of setting up and running a comprehensive and efficient skin cancer service within the primary care environment. It has been developed as an extension of the highly popular business section within the Certificate in Primary Care Skin Cancer Medicine.

Learning Outcomes

The course is designed to meet the needs of busy medical practitioners by providing a comprehensive approach to all elements required to build and run a successful business

• Policy And Procedures
• Patient Registration And Information Sheets
• Appointment Book Structure
• Workflow Management Principals
• Setting Up Your Clinic
• Efficient Head To Toe Examinations
• Medicare And Private Billing
• Medico-Legal Implications Of Skin Cancer
• Understanding Patient Expectations
• Patient Marketing And General Marketing Principals

Dates and Locations

Australian Diploma of Dermoscopy 2009

The Skin Cancer College of Australia and New Zealand is pleased to announce that it’s innovative and interactive dermoscopy course will now be offered annually. The course is designed specifically for Australasian primary care providers and relevant to the clinical material encountered in day to day practice in our region. Enrolments for the 2009 course are now open.

Whilst the diploma is intended to be suitable for complete novices, it will enable those already using dermoscopy an opportunity to significantly enhance their skills. Graduates will be expected to be competent in the diagnosis of pigmented skin lesions at near expert level. Unique features of the Diploma include the allocation of an experienced tutor to each student, to offer support and feedback and the use of high resolution quality images for teaching and assessment.

In brief the diploma course will consist of:

• A compulsory Introductory Weekend Workshop
• 12 fortnightly Online Modules
• 12 Fortnightly Interactive Online Clinical Meetings
  

During the course students will be expected to maintain a Surgical Audit of all lesions excised using the SCCA Audit program. This self audit tool allows automated and continuing monitoring or your diagnostic accuracy and benign to malignant excision ratio for lesions excised to exclude melanoma. Prospective candidates are encouraged to download and commence using this tool immediately. There will also be a requirement to submit a series of 20 Dermoscopic Case Reports from the student’s own practice in a standardised format.

Successful completion of the course will lead to the award of the SCCANZ "Australian Diploma of Dermoscopy", and qualify for award of RACGP and/or ACRRM QA and CPD points.