AB158. SOH25_AB_110. Implementation of an on-site undergraduate otorhinolaryngology simulation programme—assessing its impact on students’ attitudes and perceptions
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AB158. SOH25_AB_110. Implementation of an on-site undergraduate otorhinolaryngology simulation programme—assessing its impact on students’ attitudes and perceptions

Niall McInerney1, Ger Sexton1, Adam Roche2, Martin Donnelly1, Liam Skinner1

1Department of Otolaryngology, University Hospital Waterford, Waterford, Ireland; 2Centre for Simulation Education and Research, Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin, Ireland

Background: Attracting medical students into a career in surgery is a multi-layered, challenging issue. The demanding nature of surgical training, with its long hours and rigorous training pathway, is just one deterrent. Balancing work-life considerations and concerns about burnout and evolving public perceptions and demands are other factors that come into play. Our study focused on enhancing medical students’ education in otolaryngology (ORL) through a 2-week rotation utilizing entrustable professional activities (EPAs).

Methods: Medical students participating in an ORL rotation over a single academic year received six lectures, participated in six discussion groups addressing key human factor topics and engaged in three simulation scenarios targeting specific procedural skills. Pre- and post-attachment questionnaires were administered.

Results: Although medical students did not demonstrate an increased interest in pursuing a career in surgery or ORL following the rotation, they exhibited heightened comfort levels with the specialty, emphasizing the positive impact of simulation-based learning. Additionally, the study identified a shift in students’ perceptions regarding the importance of specific qualities and skills for a surgeon, indicating a potential influence of the ORL rotation. Furthermore, improvements in comfort with ORL knowledge and the theatre setting suggested the effectiveness of the educational interventions.

Conclusions: This study highlighted the value of incorporating EPAs, lectures and discussions on human factors, and innovative simulations in a 2-week ORL rotation for medical students. As medical education evolves, this study contributes valuable insights into optimizing training paradigms for future surgeons, emphasizing the holistic development of skills and qualities necessary for a successful career in ORL.

Keywords: Otolaryngology (ORL); medical education; simulation; human factors; surgery

Acknowledgments

None.

Footnote

Funding: None.

Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Ethical Statement: The authors are accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Open Access Statement: This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which permits the non-commercial replication and distribution of the article with the strict proviso that no changes or edits are made and the original work is properly cited (including links to both the formal publication through the relevant DOI and the license). See: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.

doi: 10.21037/map-25-ab158
Cite this abstract as: McInerney N, Sexton G, Roche A, Donnelly M, Skinner L. AB158. SOH25_AB_110. Implementation of an on-site undergraduate otorhinolaryngology simulation programme—assessing its impact on students’ attitudes and perceptions. Mesentery Peritoneum 2025;9:AB158.

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