Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery in undergraduate medical education: advances and innovations

Abstract

Objectives/hypothesis: Medical students graduate with the knowledge and skills to be undifferentiated general physicians. Otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (OtoHNS) is an essential component of primary healthcare, but is disproportionately under-represented in undergraduate medical education (UME). Advances and innovations in educational technology may represent an exciting and creative solution to this important problem. Failure to meet this educational need will result in substantial downstream effects in primary healthcare delivery. The objectives of this study were to 1) demonstrate current deficits in OtoHNS teaching at the UME level; 2) develop, validate, and critically appraise educational innovations that may enrich OtoHNS teaching in medical school curricula; and 3) propose a process for standardization of learning objectives for OtoHNS in UME as it relates to development and deployment of such educational tools.

Study design: A white paper, prepared as a Triological Society thesis, which consolidates a prospective 10-year investigation of the problem of and potential solutions for under-representation of OtoHNS in UME. Cited datasets include multicenter surveys, cohort studies, and prospective, randomized controlled trials.

Methods: A series of published and unpublished data were synthesized that addresses the following: 1) the current state of OtoHNS teaching at the UME level with respect to content, volume, structure, and methods; and 2) educational innovations including e-learning and simulation with emphasis on validity and learning effectiveness. Educational innovations specific to postgraduate (residency) training were excluded.

Results: Data support the observation that there is uniformly disproportionate under-representation of OtoHNS within UME curricula. Medical school graduates, especially those pursuing primary care specialties, report poor overall comfort levels in managing OtoHNS problems. A series of novel teaching methods were developed and validated using e-learning and simulation. Selected technologies may have a role in medical student teaching. It has been shown that e-learning has limited value in teaching complex spatial anatomy to novice learners, but good value in teaching basic clinical knowledge and selected technical skills. The role of simulation as it pertains to the novice learner is evolving. Important factors to consider during development of these tools include: 1) knowledge base and learning style of the learner, 2) complexity and nature of the learning objectives, 3) understanding the features and limitations of different technological genres, and 4) a team approach to module development. There remains a role for traditional teaching paradigms such as lectures, labs, and standardized patients; however, the choice of instructional genre should be fundamentally tailored to the nature of the learning outcomes.

Conclusions: Enriching OtoHNS teaching in medical school is essential optimize primary care delivered to patients. Although e-learning and simulation are broadly accepted and desirable by today's medical students, these technologies should be woven into the fabric of UME pedagogical principles judiciously, and only after empiric assessment. Foundational to the development and implementation of these technologies is the framework of standardized competency-based learning objectives, common to all graduating medical students.

Level of evidence: NA

Keywords: Undergraduate medical education; e-learning; medical student teaching; otolaryngology-head and neck surgery; simulation.