Healthcare Students’ Perception of Social Distancing During the 2019 Coronavirus Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Background: Since the implementation of social distancing practices during the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic there have been a myriad of definitions for ‘social distancing.’ The objective of this study was to determine students’ awareness of the various definitions of social distancing, how strictly they adhered to social distancing guidelines, and how they perceived the importance of various social distancing practices.  Methods: This cross-sectional survey was distributed via email to students at Emory-affiliated graduate schools, including the Medical, Nursing, and Public Health Schools. Results: Of the 2,453 recipients of the survey, 415 students responded (16.9% response rate). The majority of respondents were medical students (n=225, 55.6%). Of the respondents, 357 noted that they “frequently” or “always” abided by social distancing. The most common definition of social distancing with which respondents were familiar was the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s (n=276 of 369 responses, 74.8%). There were significant differences across groups  when grouping students by the definition of social distancing that they were aware of, the social distancing guideline they most closely followed, and their school of attendance regarding the importance of specific social distancing examples (p<0.05 for each). Conclusions: A survey of healthcare students identified differences in the importance of social distancing practices based on the definition of social distancing that they were aware of. The results of this study underscore the importance of having unified definitions of public health messaging, which ultimately may impact disease spread

Perspectives of Dermatology Program Directors on the Impact of Step 1 Pass/Fail.

INTRODUCTION: The shift of Step 1 to Pass/Fail has generated several questions and concerns about obtaining residency positions among allopathic and osteopathic students alike. Determining the perspectives of Dermatology Program Directors in regards to post-Step 1 Pass/Fail is critical for students to better prepare for matching into dermatology. METHODS: After receiving Institutional Review Board (IRB) exemption status, the program directors were chosen from 144 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and 27 American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Dermatology programs using contact information from their respective online website databases. An eight-item survey was constructed on a three-point Likert scale, one free text response, and four demographic questions. The anonymous survey was sent out over the course of three weeks with weekly individualized reminder requests for participation. RESULTS: A total of 54.54% of responders had Letters of Recommendation in their top 3. Forty-five percent of responders had Completed Audition Rotation at Program in their top 3. And, 38.09% of responders had USMLE Step 2 CK Scores in their top 3. CONCLUSION: Approximately 50% of responders agreed that all medical students will have more difficulty matching dermatology. Based on the survey study, Dermatology program directors want to focus more on letters of recommendation, audition rotations, and Step 2 CK scores. Because each field seems to prioritize different aspects of an application, students should attempt to gain as much exposure to different fields such as through research and shadowing to narrow down their ideal specialties. Consequently, the student will have more time to tailor their applications to what residency admissions are looking for

A case of generalized red sweating

We report a case of a 70-year-old man with a 5-year history of red pigmented sweating on the axillae, groin, forearms, trunk, and and peri-nuchal sites. No identifiable cause of the pigmented sweat was identified. Biopsy revealed lipofuscin pigment leading to the diagnosis of idiopathic chromhidrosis. This case represents an unusual presentation of chromhidrosis that was not limited to the apocrine sweat gland distribution and ultimately revealed no identifiable cause. After failing multiple treatment options, the patient elected for a trial of treatment with 20% aluminum chloride solution

A case of generalized red sweating

We report a case of a 70-year-old man with a 5-year history of red pigmented sweating on the axillae, groin, forearms, trunk, and and peri-nuchal sites. No identifiable cause of the pigmented sweat was identified. Biopsy revealed lipofuscin pigment leading to the diagnosis of idiopathic chromhidrosis. This case represents an unusual presentation of chromhidrosis that was not limited to the apocrine sweat gland distribution and ultimately revealed no identifiable cause. After failing multiple treatment options, the patient elected for a trial of treatment with 20% aluminum chloride solution

Actinic lichen nitidus

We present the case of a 29-year-old black female with an initial clinical and histopathologic diagnosis of actinic lichen nitidus. Three years later, she presented with scattered hyperpigmented macules with oval pink/viol-aceous plaques bilaterally on her forearms and on her neck, clinically consistent with actinic lichen planus. She was treated with topical steroids at each visit, with subsequent resolution of her lesions. In this report, we discuss the spectrum of actinic lichenoid dermatoses and of disease that presents even in the same patient. Case Repor

A rare case of lues maligna in an HIV-negative woman

We describe an HIV-negative 43-year-old woman presenting with a diffuse ulceronodular eruption and positive serological tests for syphilis consistent with lues maligna. Lues maligna is a severe and rare variant of secondary syphilis characterized by prodromal constitutional symptoms followed by the formation of multiple well-circumscribed nodules with ulceration and crust. This case depicts a particularly rare presentation as lues maligna usually involves HIV-positive men. The clinical presentation of lues maligna can pose a diagnostic challenge, with infections, sarcoidosis, and cutaneous lymphoma as just a few entities in its broad differential diagnosis. However, with a high index of suspicion, clinicians can diagnose and treat this entity earlier and reduce morbidity