Advantages of virtual dermatopathology use in education

The US Food and Drug Administration recently permitted whole-slide imaging systems for primary diagnosis in pathology. Their deliberations and approval process have taken a number of years. However, in the interim, digital pathology has been used in various facets of education, ranging from medical student instruction and assessment, to board examination and continuing medical education. During that time, development in associated software has progressed and now allows for numerous ancillary processes. The advantages in using scanned slides and associated software in education are enormous.