Today, I enjoyed a “virtual learning day” as Dr. Mangelsdorf wasn’t going to be in the office. Instead of physically seeing different patients, I learned about warts through fake patients presented on my online module. I love the way the modules present the information as you learn background information on the patient first. This makes the case much more realistic/interesting than just presenting information on the specific wart the patient has. In addition, the background given helps you diagnose the patient and prescribe them medication that fits their individual needs. I think that’s super cool! In this particular case Megan Driskell, an eight year old girl, presented with bumps on her fingers and hands that had been there for 3 months, but were asymptomatic. No other family members were effected. When given a picture of the skin exam, I was able to see small, raised lesions that looked quite harmless. I was then asked by the module (it’s pretty interactive!) to describe these lesions. From previous knowledge of working with Dr. Mangelsdorf and the other modules I had completed, I knew that papules were raised bumps with no pus. Through common sense, I was also able to identify the bumps on Megan’s hands as exophytic as they were growing out from her skin. These are the kinds of bumps that Megan had! Then, the module gave me an overview of the symptoms and characteristics of Verruca Vulgaris (the specific type of Megan’s warts). It was super helpful to try to identify all the characteristics myself and then learn more about the condition later as it was easier to understand and remember. I was super excited to see all the information I’d learned last week play a roll in allowing me to understand and identify more skin conditions!
