The skin is not just a simple thin covering which keeps the body together. The skin is a complex combination of tissues that perform functions necessary for human survival. Our skin helps maintain body temperature, receives stimuli from the environment, and stores chemical compounds. Consider the human predicament if the skin were not waterproof. Every time it rained, each human would absorb water like a sponge. The skin also acts as a protective covering keeping underlying tissues from bacterial invasion and harmful light rays and from drying out. As a Medical NCO, it is important for you to understand the complex functions of the skin.

Subcourse Components:

The subcourse instructional material consists of the following:

Lesson 1, Anatomy and Physiology of the Integumentary System.

Lesson 2, Physical Assessment of the Integumentary System.

Lesson 3, Primary And Secondary Skin Lesions.

Lesson 4, Common Skin Diseases.

Lesson 5, Dermatological Drugs.

Here are some suggestions that may be helpful to you in completing this subcourse:

--Read and study each lesson carefully.

--Complete the subcourse lesson by lesson. After completing each lesson, work the exercises at the end of the lesson, marking your answers in this booklet.

--After completing each set of lesson exercises, compare your answers with those on the solution sheet that follows the exercises. If you have answered an exercise incorrectly, check the reference cited after the answer on the solution sheet to determine why your response was not the correct one.

Students who desire credit hours for this correspondence subcourse must meet eligibility requirements and must enroll through the Nonresident Instruction Branch of the U.S. Army Medical Department Center and School (AMEDDC&S). Examination Answer Sheets and Student Comment Forms are available by downloading the original correspondence course manual and printing the forms from it. The manual is available here.

Credit Awarded:

To receive credit hours, you must be officially enrolled and complete an examination furnished by the Nonresident Instruction Branch at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Upon successful completion of the examination for this subcourse, you will be awarded 8 credit hours.

You can enroll by going to the web site http://atrrs.army.mil and enrolling under "Self Development" (School Code 555).

A listing of correspondence courses and subcourses available through the Nonresident Instruction Section is found in Chapter 4 of DA Pamphlet 350-59, Army Correspondence Course Program Catalog. The DA PAM is available at the following website: http://www.usapa.army.mil/pdffiles/p350-59.pdf .