Regional variations in continuing medical education availability for dermatology grand rounds

Summary: Abstract Body: Grand rounds are essential for dermatological education, combining clinical exposure with Continuing Medical Education (CME) opportunities. This study examines regional variations in CME offerings for dermatology grand rounds. US MD schools were identified via the AAMC website and dermatology departments were surveyed. Programs were categorized by AAMC region (Central, Northeastern, Southern, Western). Of 112 departments, 51 (45.5%) responded. Among these, 46 (90.2%) host grand rounds, and 40 (78.4%) offer an average of 1.72 CME credits per session. The Northeastern had the most responses (16, 31.4%) and highest credits (2.58), while the Western had the fewest (11, 21.6%) and lowest (1.18). Central and Southern each had 12 responses, averaging 1.44 credits. Central programs reported hosting grand rounds at 83%, compared to 88%, 91%, and 100% in Northeastern, Western, and Southern regions, respectively. Programs with 1–20 participants averaged 1 CME credit, while those with 61–80 averaged 3.25. Hybrid formats were most common (26, 51%), followed by in-person (9, 18%) and Zoom (3, 6%). Monthly (16, 31%) and weekly (14, 27%) sessions were most frequent. Regional differences in dermatology grand rounds and CME offerings present a clear opportunity to enhance standardization and accessibility. Expanding hybrid formats may bridge regional gaps, ensuring equitable access to dermatology education. Angela R. Loczi-Storm², Kenny Ta¹, Dakota Hitchcock⁴, Maxwell McDaniel², Claire Reynolds³, Mariko Locke², Pritika Parmar⁴, Chaz Storm⁵, Eliza Skemp⁶, Aakash Mehta⁷, Victoria M. Hoffman⁸, Rebecca Van Dyke⁹, Corey Dunnick⁴, Robert Dellavalle¹ 1. University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, United States. 2. Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific-Northwest, Lebanon, OR, United States. 3. Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, United States. 4. University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States. 5. Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States. 6. Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, United States. 7. Brown University, Providence, RI, United States. 8. University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY, United States. 9. Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA, United States. Clinical Research: Epidemiology and Observational Research