Main Plenary Sessions: Summaries of Papers

The document summarizes findings from three separate studies. The first study surveyed 449 final year medical students in the UK, revealing that 56% felt dermatology education was insufficient, but 65% were confident in assessing and 52% in managing skin conditions. Confidence was higher in students with more clinical exposure, teaching from dermatologists, and small group learning. The second study involved 51 patients undergoing liver biopsies for methotrexate monitoring, finding that significant fibrosis was rare without risk factors but common in patients with a high BMI or multiple risk factors, suggesting caution in methotrexate use for these individuals. The third study examined melanin's role in fungal resistance to antifungal drugs, showing pigmented strains of certain fungi had higher resistance, and explored the link between androgen receptor gene polymorphism and female pattern hair loss in postmenopausal women, finding a correlation between shorter CAG repeat length and hair loss, indicating a genetic predisposition.