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Plant products for practising procedural dermatology

Procedures form an inextricable part of the dermatologist’s practice. When first undertaking a new procedure, novices are often daunted by the steep learning curve in the first few months, an experience we (the authors) empathise with. The use of fruit and vegetables may lessen some of the stress and enhance a sense of fulfilment in the nascent proceduralist. Bananas, the most popular fruit in the Western world, provide a readily available curved surface with intrinsic layers on which newly appointed registrars can practise suturing. Mohs fellows can practise removing surgical ‘debulks’ and taking bevelled, uniformly thin Mohs layers, an initially alien concept to the recently graduated dermatology registrar that will become increasingly familiar during their training. For the new laser practitioner, aubergines provide a ready source of water-rich material that provides an ideal medium on which to practise ablative laser surgery, including with devices such as the carbon dioxide laser. The purple skin of the aubergine provides a clearly visible surface that can be ablated and give an indication of the depth of penetration and the extent of fractionation. Furthermore, aubergines do not tend to explode on being vaporised – an important, pragmatic advantage of this vegetable. Plant-procured products can provide a cheap, accessible, less pungent alternative to porcine skin and synthetic models and can hugely improve the experience of procedural dermatologists. We suggest those learning new procedures (and their trainers) consider these tools to augment their learning.