Augmenting ENT surgery outside the medical school curriculum: the role of a 1-day otolaryngology course

Background ENT is highly under-represented in the saturated UK medical school curriculum, comprising less than 1 per cent of the curriculum. A 1-day course was implemented in order to raise awareness of ENT among medical students, educate them in the specialty and teach a basic skill. Methods The skills day comprised lectures by consultants followed by a consultant-led workshop teaching tracheostomy. Pre- and post-course questionnaires assessed perceptions of ENT, confidence performing tracheostomy and interest in ENT as a career. Results Perceptions of ENT as a specialty were improved by up to 80 per cent ( p p Conclusion A 1-day course run by a student body can be a powerful adjunct to the medical school curriculum, in terms of educating undergraduates in ENT and inspiring the pursuit of ENT as a career.