The provision of ENT teaching in the undergraduate medical curriculum: a review and recommendations

Objective The existing provision of ENT teaching in the undergraduate curriculum is deemed inadequate by medical students, general practitioners and ENT surgeons alike. This study aims to explore the perceptions of a variety of stakeholders on how undergraduate ENT provision can be optimised. Methods This study involved semi-structured interviews with seven participants (two medical students, two general practitioners, two ENT surgeons and a curriculum developer). Inductive thematic analysis was used to identify key themes that emerged from the interviews. Results The four emergent themes were evaluation of current ENT provision, barriers to learning and teaching, alternate means of delivery of ENT education, and professional identity development. A number of barriers to learning and teaching in the clinical environment were identified including student-related, teacher-related and environmental factors. Conclusion The existing ENT provision should be re-considered to help students achieve a basic level of competence in managing common ENT conditions. This can be achieved by ENT teaching in additional contexts including general practice, e-learning and simulation workshops.