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Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Background: Impact of COVID-19 pandemic has been immense. An innocent casualty of this disaster is medical education and training. Dermatology, which primarily deals with out-patient services, medical and surgical interventions, and in-patient services, was one of the worst hit. The National Medical Commission of India has implemented competency-based medical education (CBME) in Dermatology, Venereology, and Leprosy since 2019. The new curriculum relies on acquiring practical and procedural skills, training skills in research methodology, professionalism, attitude, and communication., Objectives: The study was undertaken to understand the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on postgraduate dermatology CBME training in India., Materials and Methods: A questionnaire-based survey was carried out on postgraduate dermatology teachers and residents in India after obtaining ethics committee approval. An online semi-structured English questionnaire was administered by Google Forms. The calculated sample size was 366 dermatology faculty and 341 postgraduate students. Validity (Content validity ratio (CVR) ≥0.56) and reliability (Cronbach's alpha coefficient 0.7249) of the questionnaire were determined., Results: Among the 764 responses received, 51.4% reported that their institutes were converted to exclusive COVID hospitals. Domains of dermatology education affected were procedural training ( n = 655), bedside clinical teaching ( n = 613), outpatient department-based clinical teaching ( n = 487), bedside laboratory procedures ( n = 463), research activities ( n = 453), histopathology ( n = 412), and theory classes ( n = 302). To keep up with the teaching-learning process, online platforms were mostly utilized: Zoom Meeting ( n = 379), Google Meet ( n = 287), and WhatsApp Interaction ( n = 224). Teaching during ward rounds was significantly more affected in exclusively COVID institutes than non-exclusive COVID institutes ( P < 0.001). Psychomotor skill development suffered a major jolt with 26.7% of respondents reporting a standstill ( P < 0.001). Communication skills among students suffered due to social distancing, mask, and poor attendance of patients. According to 23.84% of respondents, formative assessment was discontinued., Conclusion: Online seminars, journal clubs, and assessments have been incorporated during the pandemic. Online modalities should be used as a supplementary method as psychomotor skills, communication skills, research work, and bedside clinics may not be replaced by the e-learning., Competing Interests: The authors certify that the study reported has not received any financial support from any pharmaceutical company or other commercial source. None of the authors or any first-degree relative of the authors have any financial interest in the subject matter discussed. The study was purely academic in nature., (Copyright: © 2023 Indian Dermatology Online Journal.)

Well-designed and rigorously conducted randomized controlled trial (RCT) can produce most valid and precise scientific evidence. Any intervention, be it systemic or topical medicine, dermatology procedure needs to be tested for its efficacy in improving particular disease condition and RCT should come into mind of investigator. The biggest strength of RCT lies in two self-explanatory factors; they are randomized and controlled. Randomization of study subjects eliminates selection and confounding bias and controlling of study condition improves the internal and external validity of findings. "Blinding" eliminates assessment bias. If one starts a comparative study without stating proper hypothesis, he/she would end up collecting lots of data which does not make sense. PICOT format helps in formulating research question. Writing a detailed protocol based on hypothesis describing in detail methodology, sample size calculation, randomization method, and blinding procedure up to statistical analysis plan is very important step in planning of RCT. Trials registered prospectively contribute to transparency of the trial and are considered to reduce the publication bias by reducing selective publication of positive outcomes. Adverse events can occur at any time during conduct of an RCT and should be reported and kept track of. Physical injury resulting from clinical trial participation is entitled to financial compensation. During preparation of final manuscript of study, the CONSORT guidelines must be followed to improve the quality of reporting of RCTs. Clinical trials provide evidence-based approach in medicine and a designed and well-implemented trial can alter clinical dermatology practice for a healthier tomorrow., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2021 Indian Dermatology Online Journal.)

Biomedical research relies on proving (or disproving) a research hypothesis, and P value becomes a cornerstone of "null hypothesis significance testing." P value is the maximum probability of getting the observed outcome by chance. For a statistical test to achieve significance, the error by chance must be less than 5%. The pros are the P value that gives the strength of evidence against the null hypothesis. We can reject a null hypothesis depending on a small P value. However, the value of P is a function of sample size. When the sample size is large, the P value is destined to be small or "significant." P value is condemned by one school of thought who claims that focusing more on P value undermines the generalizability and reproducibility of research. For such a situation, presently, the scientific world is inclined in knowing the effect size, confidence interval, and the descriptive statistics; thus, researchers need to highlight them along with the P value. In spite of all the criticism, it needs to be understood that P value carries paramount importance in "precise" understanding of the estimation of the difference calculated by "null hypothesis significance testing." Choosing the correct test for assessing the significance of the difference is profoundly important. The choice can be arrived by asking oneself three questions, namely, the type of data, whether the data is paired or not, and on the number of study groups (two or more). It is worth mentioning that association between variables, agreement between assessments, time-trend cannot be arrived by calculating the P value alone but needs to highlight the correlation and regression coefficients, odds ratio, relative risk, etc., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2019 Indian Dermatology Online Journal.)

Clinical trials looking at which treatment is better must have certain checks in place. Appropriate "control" selection while comparing the investigating agent to the "control group is essential to rule out selection bias. Randomization is another step to minimize variability or "confounders." By randomization, research participants have an equal chance of being selected into any treatment group of the study, generating comparable intervention groups, thereby distributing the confounders. A trial can be "open labeled" or "blinded." By the process of blinding, we make the participant and/or assessing physician unaware of the treatment he/she is going to receive. Thus, the element of bias which can creep in owing to personal preference or subjective component to the assessment of outcome can be eliminated. Concealment of allocation is done as the participant enters the trial. Concealment secures randomization and prevents "selection bias"., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Background: Pityriasis rosea (PR) is an acute inflammatory dermatosis. The association of human herpes virus 6 and 7 suggests the utility of use of antiviral agents in this disease., Aims and Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acyclovir in the treatment of PR., Methods: An observer-blind, randomized (1:1), parallel group, add-on trial was conducted on 24 adult patients with PR. Subjects of both Group A and B received the standard of care in the form of cetirizine 10 mg OD and calamine. Group A in addition received acyclovir 400 mg tablets thrice daily for 7 days. Both groups were followed up for four consecutive weeks for assessment of effectiveness and adverse events., Results: Group A complained of significantly fewer new lesions than Group B (P = 0.046). A complete response was obtained in all patients of Group A and 83% patients of Group B at the end of the follow up period. There was significant reduction in both lesional score and pruritus at second week follow-up in Group A and third week follow-up in Group B (P < 0.05). Minor adverse effects were observed in both treatment arms., Conclusion: Acyclovir offered rapid resolution of clinical severity of PR from second week onwards without significantly increased adverse events as compared to supportive therapy alone.