Nail-Tutor: an image-based personal computer program that teaches the anatomy, patterns of pathology, and disorders...

Despite the clinical relevance of the nails, the interpretation of the appearance of the nails is often neglected by clinicians and in medical training programs. To help overcome this we developed Nail-Tutor(TM), a personal computer program based on approximately 150 images that systematically teaches the anatomy, patterns of pathology, and diseases of the nails and tests the user's understanding of the material in the program. Nail-Tutor(TM) is intended for medical students, residents, other healthcare trainees, general practitioners, and dermatologists and requires approximately 3 hours to use. The program has a number of advantages over textbook-based instruction and supervised instruction. It does not require an instructor or textbook. In addition it uses animation to show an important anatomic relationship, graphic overlays to unambiguously point out key features of images, it can show key images side by side for comparison, and an examination to evaluate learning objectives. The program can be used as a stand-alone teaching module, a supplement to traditional instruction, a source for continuing education, or as a reference.