A review of undergraduate ENT training programs in the light of the Core Education Program

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this report was to evaluate the Core Education Program (CEP) and to contribute to the establishment of some national standards for undergraduate ENT training programs in medical schools. STUDY DESIGN: The documents of the national CEP for medical schools were reviewed. The lists under the titles of "Diseases-Condition-Symptoms," "Skills," and "Attitude and Behavior" were evaluated from the standpoint of ENT training. RESULTS: Of 396 items listed under the domain of "Disease-Condition-Symptoms," 25 items were found to be related to ENT training. The essential skills to be achieved concerning ENT were ear, nose, throat, and neck examinations, ear lavage, nasal packing, and the Heimlich maneuver. Skills such as tuning fork tests, paracentesis, and measurement of noise were regarded as optional. CONCLUSION: The aim of the CEP is to determine the necessary level of knowledge and skills for a general practitioner. It should be adopted by all disciplines of medical schools and incorporated into education programs. The ENT society, Association, and study groups of education should collect feedback from ENT departments and convey all this to the CEP Study Group, which convenes every four years to re-evaluate the CEP in the light of the feedback received and recent developments in medical sciences.