Health Sciences Education Symposium
Presentation Format
Poster
Type of Activity
Research
Original Presentation Date
2024
Date of Submission
October 2025
Abstract/Short Description
Background/Objectives: Breastfeeding is widely acknowledged for its medical and neurodevelopmental advantages, yet there is inadequate education on this topic for physicians in training. At the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine, there are limited resources about breast lesions and breastfeeding in the MD curriculum. Thus, a comprehensive online course module was proposed to address gaps in the education of breast dermatoses and breastfeeding for medical students. It is a tailored resource for medical learners that provides an overview of the diagnosis, workup, and management of dermatoses of the breast that occur during breastfeeding. Giventhe lack of skin of color representation in medical student resources, one of the objectives of this coursemodule was to provide examples of breast dermatoses in diverse skin tones.3
Methods/Innovative Practice: Students and faculty from the VCU School of Medicine, VCU Department of Dermatology, and VCU Department of Pediatrics collaborated with the head of lactation services for VCU Health to create an engaging, efficient self-directed course module, “Dermatoses of the Breast during Lactation”. The 34-slide online course module covers topics such as the differential diagnoses for breast masses (i.e., fibroadenoma, lactational adenoma, breast infarction, galactocele,pregnancy-associated breast cancer)), infections (i.e., mastitis, abscess, nipple candidiasis), and nipple lesions (i.e., nipple dermatitis, Paget’s, trauma, ill-fitting flanges, blebs, and vasospasm). Other topics covered in the module include practical advice for breastfeeding patients regarding lymphatic massage vs. deep breast massage, as well as differentiation of physiologic vs. pathologic nipple discharge. Images and descriptions of clinical findings in different skin tones were included to prepare students to identify skin lesions in a diverse patient population. The course module also includes self-assessments that can be taken before and after completing the module to help students reflect on their learning from this resource.
Results: This module was implemented as an optional course module in VCU School of Medicine Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN) Clerkship since April 2023. Out of the 93 students who completed the first five rotations of the OBGYN clerkship, 54 completed the optional course module (58%). An example of the student feedback we received includes: “I think in general this is a great study tool and would be a good thing to have included in the curriculum going forward - it certainly made a few visits in the ACC clinic a little easier for me.” The “Dermatoses of the Breast During Lactation” module is also available as an open education resource on VCU Scholars Compass and has had 40 downloads since July 7, 2023. This course module also inspired the creation of a patient handout sheet that was distributed in the VCU Lactation Clinic regarding general care tips for breastfeeding, the proper techniques for hand expression of breast milk, and common problems/solutions concerning lactation. It differentiated the presentations and care instructions for common problems such as latching pain, cracked nipples, plugged ducts, mastitis, thrush, and inverted nipples.
Conclusion: Self-directed online modules during clerkships can provide medical students with an engaging and effective means to learn about important educational material that deserves more attention in medical training. The “Dermatoses of the Breast During Lactation” module prepares students to recognize and manage breast lesions and pathologies in diverse patient populations. Future directions include analyzing pre-test and post-test results to determine the efficacy of this course module as a teaching tool, assessing ways to increase student participation, and administering surveys after completion of the module to collect student feedback. Our team is very open to collaborations with other medical centers to research this new teaching tool as well.
References
Meek JY, Noble L, Section on Breastfeeding. Policy Statement: Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk. Pediatrics. 2022;150(1):e2022057988. doi:10.1542/peds.2022-057988
Gary AJ, Birmingham EE, Jones LB. Improving breastfeeding medicine in undergraduate medical education: A student survey and extensive curriculum review with suggestions for improvement. EducHealth (Abingdon). 2017;30(2):163-168. doi:10.4103/efh.EfH_180_15
Perlman KL, Williams NM, Egbeto IA, Gao DX, Siddiquee N, Park JH. Skin of color lacks representation in medical student resources: A cross-sectional study. Int J Womens Dermatol.2021;7(2):195-196. Published 2021 Jan 8. doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2020.12.018
Rights
© The Author(s)
Is Part Of
VCU Medical Education Symposium
First Author Information
Divya Shan, BA, VCU School of Medicine