Skip to main content

Medical specialties

Dermatology Diploma

Register interest

An evidence-led diploma in clinical dermatology: how to describe and diagnose skin disease in every skin type, treat eczema, psoriasis, acne and other inflammatory conditions with modern systemic, biologic and Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor treatments, recognise skin cancer early and manage the emergencies that cannot wait.

Twenty-five weekly sessions across five modules take you from diagnosis, treatment principles and emergencies, through inflammatory disease, skin cancer and hair, nail, pigment and paediatric problems, to wounds, psychodermatology and running a service, taught live by practising specialists you can question.

Course director
To be announced
Format
25 live weekly sessions on Zoom, in 5 modules
Dates
Confirmed when enrolment opens

Register Interest

You are registering for Dermatology. We email you first when it opens for enrolment, and we will not pass your details to anyone outside PMI.

By submitting, you agree to receive emails from PMI about diplomas, course dates and updates. Unsubscribe any time.

Dermoscopic close-up of a skin lesion showing fine branching red blood vessels on a pale pink background.
Image: dermoscopy of a basal cell carcinoma by David.moreno72 via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Who it is for

Senior trainees, fellows and early-career consultants in dermatology, and GPs and physicians with a special interest in skin disease, worldwide.

The programme

25 one-hour sessions in 5 modules, each with its learning objectives. This is the draft programme: the course director reviews and refines it before enrolment opens, so session titles may change.

Module 1 · Sessions 1 to 5Diagnosis, treatment principles and emergencies

  1. 1. Describing and diagnosing skin disease in every skin type

    • Describe skin lesions accurately using standard morphological terms
    • Recognise how common inflammatory conditions present in darker skin types
    • Choose between punch, shave and excision biopsy and request the right histology
    • Build a differential diagnosis from distribution and pattern

  2. 2. The pigmented lesion, dermoscopy and skin cancer referral

    • Use dermoscopy to distinguish benign naevi from suspicious pigmented lesions
    • Apply national criteria for urgent referral of suspected skin cancer
    • Triage lesions safely using clinical and dermoscopic images
    • Explain the reasons for monitoring or excising a lesion to the patient

  3. 3. Topical, systemic and light treatments

    • Prescribe topical corticosteroids of the right potency, vehicle and quantity
    • Start and monitor ciclosporin and methotrexate safely
    • Select patients for narrowband UVB phototherapy and photodynamic therapy
    • Address adherence and steroid phobia with patients and carers

  4. 4. Dermatological emergencies

    • Recognise Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis and stop the culprit drug
    • Diagnose drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms using validated criteria
    • Manage erythroderma and eczema herpeticum as emergencies
    • Distinguish necrotising soft tissue infection from cellulitis and escalate urgently

  5. 5. Skin infections and infestations

    • Treat impetigo and cellulitis in line with antimicrobial stewardship guidance
    • Diagnose and treat superficial fungal infections, including confirming them before systemic treatment
    • Manage scabies in individuals and in institutional outbreaks
    • Recognise and treat cutaneous herpes simplex and herpes zoster
Module 2 · Sessions 6 to 10Inflammatory skin disease

  1. 6. Atopic eczema in children and adults

    • Assess the severity of atopic eczema with a validated score
    • Build a stepped topical treatment plan for a child and for an adult
    • Select patients for systemic, biologic or JAK inhibitor therapy
    • Recognise and treat infected eczema and eczema herpeticum

  2. 7. Psoriasis

    • Assess psoriasis severity and its impact on quality of life
    • Screen for psoriatic arthritis and cardiometabolic comorbidity
    • Choose and sequence systemic and biologic therapy
    • Manage psoriasis in pregnancy and in patients with infection risk

  3. 8. Acne, rosacea and hidradenitis suppurativa

    • Build an acne treatment plan by severity, including when to start isotretinoin
    • Apply current isotretinoin safety and monitoring requirements
    • Treat rosacea by its clinical features
    • Stage hidradenitis suppurativa and plan medical and surgical treatment

  4. 9. Urticaria, angioedema and drug eruptions

    • Classify urticaria and avoid unnecessary investigations
    • Step up treatment of chronic urticaria to omalizumab and beyond
    • Recognise bradykinin-mediated angioedema and refer appropriately
    • Identify common drug eruptions and the likely culprit drug

  5. 10. Blistering, lichenoid and connective tissue skin disease

    • Diagnose immunobullous disease using biopsy and serology
    • Plan first-line treatment for bullous pemphigoid in older patients
    • Treat cutaneous lupus and recognise systemic disease
    • Investigate dermatomyositis, including screening for underlying cancer
Module 3 · Sessions 11 to 15Skin cancer

  1. 11. Keratinocyte cancers and precancer

    • Assess the risk of a basal cell carcinoma and choose surgical or non-surgical treatment
    • Identify high-risk cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and plan staging and follow-up
    • Treat actinic keratoses and field change
    • Counsel patients on sun protection and skin self-examination

  2. 12. Melanoma: diagnosis, staging and follow-up

    • Recognise early melanoma, including amelanotic and acral types
    • Plan wide local excision margins and discuss sentinel lymph node biopsy
    • Stage melanoma and set a follow-up schedule
    • Explain prognosis and follow-up to a patient with newly diagnosed melanoma

  3. 13. Systemic treatment of advanced skin cancer

    • Describe which patients with melanoma are offered adjuvant immunotherapy
    • Recognise the options for advanced cutaneous squamous cell and basal cell carcinoma
    • Manage cutaneous immune-related adverse events of checkpoint inhibitors
    • Coordinate dermatology care within the skin cancer multidisciplinary team

  4. 14. Skin surgery and procedures

    • Choose the right procedure for a skin lesion, from cryotherapy to excision
    • Select tumours that need Mohs micrographic surgery
    • Manage anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs around skin surgery
    • Recognise and manage common wound complications

  5. 15. Cutaneous lymphoma and rarer skin tumours

    • Recognise early mycosis fungoides and when to biopsy repeatedly
    • Exclude cutaneous lymphoma before starting biologic therapy for atypical eczema
    • Recognise Merkel cell carcinoma and refer urgently
    • Identify Kaposi sarcoma and its associations
Module 4 · Sessions 16 to 20Hair, nails, pigment and special groups

  1. 16. Hair loss

    • Distinguish non-scarring from scarring alopecia
    • Investigate diffuse hair loss and telogen effluvium proportionately
    • Select patients with severe alopecia areata for JAK inhibitor therapy
    • Treat androgenetic alopecia in men and women

  2. 17. Vitiligo, pigmentation and skin of colour

    • Assess and treat non-segmental vitiligo, including topical JAK inhibitors
    • Manage melasma and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation
    • Counsel patients about the harms of unregulated skin lightening products
    • Adapt diagnosis and treatment to darker skin types

  3. 18. Nail, oral and genital dermatology

    • Distinguish nail psoriasis from onychomycosis and confirm the diagnosis
    • Recognise longitudinal melanonychia that needs a biopsy
    • Treat lichen sclerosus and arrange appropriate follow-up
    • Assess genital skin disease sensitively and refer when needed

  4. 19. Paediatric dermatology

    • Select infantile haemangiomas that need propranolol and start it safely
    • Recognise birthmarks that need investigation or referral
    • Manage eczema in infants with their parents
    • Recognise skin findings that should raise safeguarding concerns

  5. 20. Skin signs of systemic disease and pregnancy

    • Recognise skin signs that point to internal disease or cancer
    • Diagnose the specific dermatoses of pregnancy and their risks to the baby
    • Manage nodular prurigo with current treatments
    • Investigate generalised itch without a rash
Module 5 · Sessions 21 to 25Wounds, services and practice

  1. 21. Leg ulcers and wound care

    • Determine the cause of a leg ulcer, including arterial assessment before compression
    • Prescribe compression therapy safely
    • Treat leg ulcer infection only when it is present
    • Recognise pyoderma gangrenosum and other atypical ulcers

  2. 22. Contact dermatitis and occupational skin disease

    • Distinguish irritant from allergic contact dermatitis
    • Decide when to refer for patch testing and interpret the results
    • Manage chronic hand eczema
    • Advise on occupational skin disease and return to work

  3. 23. Psychodermatology and quality of life

    • Recognise delusional infestation and engage the patient in treatment
    • Identify body dysmorphic concerns and skin picking disorders
    • Measure the impact of skin disease on quality of life
    • Screen for depression and refer for psychological support

  4. 24. Running a dermatology service

    • Design a referral and triage pathway that meets urgent cancer standards
    • Use teledermatology and advice and guidance safely
    • Organise safe prescribing and monitoring of biologic therapy
    • Audit a dermatology service against national standards

  5. 25. Complex case panel

    • Apply the course to complex cases in a panel discussion
    • Manage diagnostic uncertainty and decide when to re-biopsy
    • Coordinate multidisciplinary care for complex skin disease
    • Build a personal plan for continuing development in dermatology

What the diploma includes

  • 25 live sessions on Zoom, one evening a week, with recordings for the weeks you miss.
  • Practising specialists teaching live, so you can put your questions to them.
  • Weekly MCQs and a final written assessment.
  • A digital certificate carrying your final classification.

Lead or teach the Dermatology Diploma

We are looking for a course director and faculty from the specialty. Sessions are one hour in the UK evening, live on Zoom, and paid.

Apply to teach