Prioritising topics for the undergraduate ENT curriculum.

OBJECTIVE: Knowledge of ENT is important for many doctors, but undergraduate time is limited. This study aimed to identify what is thought about ENT knowledge amongst non-ENT doctors, and the key topics that the curriculum should focus on.

METHODS: Doctors were interviewed about their views of ENT knowledge amongst non-ENT doctors, and asked to identify key topics. These topics were then used to devise a questionnaire, which was distributed to multiple stakeholders in order to identify the key topics.

RESULTS: ENT knowledge was generally thought to be poor amongst doctors, and it was recommended that undergraduate ENT topics be kept simple. The highest rated topics were: clinical examination; when to refer; acute otitis media; common emergencies; tonsillitis and quinsy; management of ENT problems by non-ENT doctors; stridor and stertor; otitis externa; and otitis media with effusion.

CONCLUSION: This study identified a number of key ENT topics, and will help to inform future development of ENT curricula.