Current skin of color representation in medical school dermatology education in Germany, Austria and Switzerland (DACH region).

BACKGROUND AND

OBJECTIVES

Dermatologic diagnosis relies heavily on visual recognition, yet educational resources predominantly depict lighter skin types. While underrepresentation of Skin of Color (SoC) in medical education has been demonstrated in North America, data from German-speaking countries remain lacking. This study assesses the SoC representation in dermatology curricula in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland).

METHODS

We conducted a questionnaire-based study targeting dermatology departments at all medical schools in the DACH region (n = 57).

RESULTS

The response rate was 65%. 89% (33/37) rated SoC curriculum integration as important or very important. 65% (24/37) already implemented SoC education in mandatory teaching. Among these, 83% (20/24) introduced SoC content within the previous 4 years. Main barriers to integration are lack of teaching materials (62%, 23/37), insufficient expertise (24%, 9/37) and limited curriculum time (22%, 8/37). 14% (5/37) reported including questions on SoC dermatology in final examinations.

CONCLUSIONS

SoC is recognized as an important component of dermatology education in the DACH region. However, implementation remains inconsistent, as over a third of faculties do not offer mandatory SoC education. Access to high-quality teaching materials can be considered a key factor in strengthening SoC education. Further efforts are needed to promote diversity-sensitive education.