UK DCTN Trainee Groups
Developing skills in clinical research for dermatology trainees
We have established a series of trainee groups to enable more dermatologists, at the early stages of their career, to become actively engaged in developing clincial trials. Joining a trainee group can help you gain the research competencies required by your clinical training programme.
Trainee Group membership involves:
- allocation to mentor-led group to devise research proposal
- attend introductory training session
- continue work with supportive group to develop a study idea
- attend one day clinical research skills training (research presentations)
- produce necessary pilot/ feasibility work (surveys/ critically appraised topic)
- if study feasible, continue to full study
2024 Trainee Groups
Our next cohort of trainee groups for 2024 is open to applications:
Before applying, please ensure you have noted the roles and responsibilities for UK DCTN Trainee Group members.
Enquiries to Network Manager: carron.layfield@nottingham.ac.uk
2021 Trainee Groups
There were three Trainee Groups in 2021, and with help from our mentors they worked up these research proposals:
- Do patients over 18 with anogenital psoriasis have improved outcomes in health-related quality of life with an addition of psychological intervention alongside standard medical therapy?
- Are teleconsultations as clinically effective and acceptable to patients/clinicians as face-to-face consultations for the follow-up management of paediatric eczema?
- Is secondary Intention Healing equivalent/superior to Full thickness Skin Graft for wounds of Keratinocyte skin cancers excisions on the scalp
More details of the 2021 Traninee Group projects
2018 Trainee Groups
The 2018 Trainee Groups worked on several research projects relating to dermatologicial surgery:
- Does cleansing with 4% chlorhexidine wash for 3 consecutive days prior to, or following an excision with primary closure reduce the incidence of post-operative surgical site infection?
- Are superficial absorbable sutures equivalent to superficial non-absorbable sutures with regards to patient and physician reported outcomes of the surgical scar, frequency of post operative complications and health economics?
- Petroleum jelly vs. none applied to excision wounds after dressing removal post-op
- Does the use of oral nicotinamide result in a reduction in the incidence of SCC in immunosuppressed solid-organ transplant recipients, compared with oral acitretin or placebo?
See more details of these skin surgery projects and how they have progressed here.
2015 Trainee Groups
The 2015 Trainee Groups investigated the following projects:
Alopecia: Does iron replacement therapy improve hair re-growth comoared to placebo in patients receiving standard treatment for alopecia areata?
Eczema: Does the order of application, and the time interval between applications, of topical corticosteroids and emollients make a difference to clinical outcomes in patients with eczema?
Non-melanoma skin cancer/ skin surgery: Do prophylactic antibiotics reduce the risk of wound infection at 4 weeks follwoing excision of ulcerated skin cancers?
Urticaria: To compare the safety and effectiveness of ciclosporin vs omalizumab for the systemic treatment of recalcitrant chronic spontaneous urticaria.
Look here to see more details of the group activities and outcomes / publications
2013 Trainee Groups
The 2013 Trainee groups investigated the following projects:
Vitiligo: Psychological interventions for vitiligo
Alopecia: Topical steroids for alopecia areata
Skin surgery: Compression stockings for wound healing of excisional biopsies of the lower limb
Morphoea: Optimal systemic treatment for adult morphoea
Skin cancer: Mohs surgery vs wide local excison for Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberan (DFSP)
Look here to see more details of the 2013 group activities and outcomes / publications