Dr Helen Dyett is a GP down on the coast and runs a skin clinic every week at her practice. Thanks to your generosity, she was able to undertake SunSmart’s dermoscopy training.
How many people do you see for skin cancers? How much of an issue is it?
I would see new skin cancers weekly. It is a huge issue in Australia and skin cancers are extremely common. I run a skin clinic every week at my GP practice and I am diagnosing new skin cancers every skin clinic I do.
Why did you want to do the dermoscopy training?
I really enjoy dermatology and I also wanted to provide the best quality of care that I possibly can for my patients.
They deserve to have their local GP skilled in skin cancer medicine considering how common skin cancers are, and also considering that my GP practice is located in a beachside town.
What did you learn from the training?
Increased skills with using a dermatoscope, diagnosing lesions early and providing appropriate treatment.
How important is it to have training like this?
This training is vital for all GPs. Preventative healthcare is at the forefront of what we do as GPs and early skin cancer identification and treatment is really important preventative care.
The training has enabled me to run a skin clinic one day a week which has led to so many early diagnoses of skin cancers and therefore reduced mortality and morbidity.
What do you think about the services Cancer Council provides?
The education provided by the cancer council is invaluable and it has certainly helped me to provide better care to the community
“I am extremely thankful that I was given the opportunity to do this training as it is allowing me to provide a higher standard of care to the community and ultimately better health outcomes.”