It is important that you bring an internet capable device. When you arrive a slide will be showing with instructions on how to log on to the Wifi system and then how to log on to “Socrative” which you will be using throughout the symposium. See www.socrative.com for more details.

The symposium will start with a rapid-fire quiz in which you will answer questions using Socrative. Later, you will get individualised anonymous feedback comparing your pre- and post-symposium quiz results and how you compare with your colleagues. In turn, we will get feedback on how effective our teaching is. We will review the results and during our last hour on Sunday, we will address areas that participants appear to be struggling with.

The importance of using a dermatoscope in general practice is now well recognised. The dermatoscope is a more useful tool than any other tool that might adorn your metaphorical white coat. This brief talk describes how to use your dermatoscope correctly, the usefulness of using both the polarised and non-polarised modes on the dermatoscope, as well the pros and cons of contact and non-contact dermatoscopy. Professor Cliff Rosendahl.

Whilst the perfect full and systematic skin check isn’t always possible in the context of a GP appointment it will provide you with the gold standard which you can use for patients at high risk who agree to return for an appointment purely dedicated to a “skin check”. Professor Cliff Rosendahl.

Dermatoscopy has evolved from subjective and confusing metaphorical language into an objective “teachable” descriptive language (revised pattern analysis). Cliff is a pioneer in this area of dermatoscopy will discuss the fundamental building blocks of dermatoscopic language, and how these basic building blocks can combine into benign and malignant patterns and their biologic symmetry or asymmetry. Professor Cliff Rosendahl.

Morning tea, and networking

Professor Amanda Oakley a world expert in dermatoscopy will talk about how to identify common melanocytic naevi. This talk is aimed at teaching the key clinical and dermatoscopic features of nevi, in particular how dermatoscopic elements combine to form symmetrical patterns. She will discuss the concepts of Chaos of Pattern and Chaos of Colour in relation to naevi. Recognising benign lesions is a fundamental skill and reduce the number of unnecessary excisions or referrals you make. Professor Amanda Oakley.

Special quiz on the fundamental building blocks for Revised Pattern Analysis – deciding how many patterns or colours there are and their symmetry or asymmetry. Professor Amanda Oakley.

Professor Amanda Oakley, who has been educating dermatologists and GPs in dermatoscopy in NZ and around the world for a decade or more, will present a fascinating summary. This talk is aimed at teaching the key clinical and dermatoscopic features of the solar lentigo, seborrhoeic keratosis, dermatofibroma, sebaceous hyperplasia, angioma and cyst. Recognising benign lesions is a fundamental skill and will reduce the number of unnecessary excisions or referrals you make. Professor Amanda Oakley.

Chaos and Clues is an algorithm to help you diagnose what pigmented lesions need excising. The specific diagnosis isn’t required. Melanomas, SCCs and BCCs can all be pigmented or non-pigmented. Professor Cliff Rosendahl in another dynamic lecture will make all this abundantly clear and make you laugh as well! Cliff is a co-author of the Chaos and Clues algorithm. There will be quizzes throughout the presentation to reinforce key messages. You will have access to these quizzes after the symposium to act as a quick refresher course. Professor Cliff Rosendahl.

Cliff will build on his previous lecture and provide plenty of repetition with new and interesting examples of how to apply the Chaos and Clues algorithm. Professor Cliff Rosendahl.

Amanda will give you pragmatic guidelines on how (in daily practice) to manage a lesion that melanoma is in the potential differential diagnosis. Some of these lesions will require urgent attention and others can be monitored over months or even years sometimes. These decisions are often based on your clinical assessment (nodular or flat, rate of change etc). Amanda will also discuss surgical margins for excision of any lesion that melanoma is a possibility (regardless of how remote). Also how to identify patients high risk of developing melanoma and how to manage these patients (advice re self-surveillance, and frequency of medical review). The role of sentinel node biopsies and the effectiveness of the latest treatment regimes for patients with metastatic melanoma is forever changing. Amanda will provide a brief update. Professor Amanda Oakley

Prediction without Pigment is our preferred algorithm for diagnosing non-pigmented lesions. In this lecture, you will get lots of repetition on the dermatoscopy of non-pigmented lesions. These can include naevi, melanomas, basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). This is an amazing lecture given with humour and passion by Professor Cliff Rosendahl who is a co-author of the ‘Prediction without Pigment’ algorithm. There will be quizzes throughout the presentation to reinforce key messages. You will have access to these quizzes after the symposium to act as a quick refresher course. Professor Cliff Rosendahl.

Squamous Cell Carcinomas (SCC) is the second most common skin cancer and can be lethal. This lecture will cover the dermatoscopic features of SCC, SCC in-situ and actinic keratosis. There will be quizzes throughout the presentation to reinforce key messages. You will have access to these quizzes after the symposium to act as a quick refresher course. Professor Amanda Oakley.

As with the preceding talk this talk goes beyond deciding if the lesion is benign or malignant and drills down to the specific diagnosis of BCCs. Fundamental management options will also be discussed. Professor Cliff Rosendhal.

Delicious lunch provided along with time for networking

The face and acral regions are special locations with additional features to look for to aid in your decision-making process. This talk will discuss the specific dermatoscopic features of lentigo maligna, pigmented actinic keratoses, solar lentigo, and pigmented acral lesions. Professor Cliff Rosendahl.

This talk will outline the role of sun protection, cryotherapy, fluorouracil cream, imiquimod cream and other therapies in the management of actinic keratoses, SCC in-situ and superficial basal cell carcinoma. Professor Amanda Oakley.

Case examples of common clinical scenarios. When to monitor, when to biopsy, why one person’s naevus is another person’s melanoma — a similar lesion on different patients will require different management strategies (signature naevi, new naevi in a young versus an older person, Spitz naevi etc). The interpretation of histology reports and the myth of the dysplastic naevus will also be discussed. Professor Amanda Oakley and Professor Cliff Rosendahl.

Post-symposium quiz. Followed by Cliff and Amanda going over the quiz and fielding questions. Prizes will be awarded to the top participants in the post-symposium quiz.