HealthCert Blog

This report was prepared by Dr Ibrahima Traoré of Conakry, based in Guinea, who completed the General Dermatology course through the HealthCert Doctors for Development Scholarship. The program was established to provide access to quality education in the areas of skin cancer medicine and general dermatology for physicians who practise in the world’s least developed countries. To learn more about the scholarship, please click here.

Guinea is an underdeveloped country where more than half of the population lives on less than $1 a day. Difficulties encountered in the health system include errors in the diagnosis of diseases, a lack of training, low standard of living among patients, and a lack of information in the community about diseases. Diseases of the skin, hair, nails and mucous membranes occupy most of the consultations in health centres and university hospitals.

Concerned about the well-being of my community and especially the health education of the population, I applied for a vocational training scholarship of the Professional Certificate of General Dermatology with HealthCert, because my means are very limited to fund training. I was admitted to this scholarship and I was amazed by the level of training. I learned from practical methods and discovered new theories that allowed me to change the image of dermatology in my country.

This training is invaluable. The scholarship has allowed me to perform tasks competently and thus be useful to the community. The community is already beginning to notice many changes in pathology management and is benefiting greatly from the effects of this program. I am able to provide quality care to the local people, and I now host radio programs for the community on skin and venereal diseases. My patients have also witnessed significant changes in their charge prices.

To raise awareness about skin diseases, I undertook a mission in the prefectures and villages of western Guinea. This mission is to provide clarification and advice on skin diseases affecting children and elderly people. Benign pathologies have been identified from malignant ones. I have made recommendations and distributed these among the community, accompanied by photos, with a particular emphasis on infectious and contagious skin pathologies to avoid greater contamination of the disease.

To improve the health conditions of the community, I also participate in the practical and theoretical training of medical students at the University of Conakry. In front of my medical students, I never fail to specify the doctor’s role in the community.

This is how HealthCert’s Doctors for Development Scholarship has been totally positive for me and the people I serve. I hope to benefit from further training (Advanced Certificate and Professional Diploma levels) in order to be more competitive and to make an even better contribution in the community.

My thanks go to HealthCert’s entire teaching and administrative team.

Dr Ibrahima Traoré
Conakry, Guinea

Interested in General Dermatology?

The HealthCert Professional Diploma of General Dermatology will teach you how to manage all major dermatological conditions in primary care. The courses are university quality-assured, CPD-accredited and count towards multiple Master degree pathways and clinical attachment programs in Australia and overseas. The program is delivered online.