(077) Catching the Ear of Medical Students Through Otolaryngology Surgical Simulations

Introduction: Surgical simulation is an increasingly important modality for career discernment among medical students. We report an otolaryngology simulation activity and its prospective impact on student knowledge and interest.

Methods: A two hour simulation experience facilitated by ENT faculty, fellows, residents, and medical device experts was offered to first (MS1) through third (MS3) year medical students. The course included 1) Temporal bone drilling through cadaveric dissection, 2) Endoscopic sinus surgery navigation, and 3) Intraoperative neuromonitoring. Students were anonymously surveyed pre- and post-session with Likert-scale questions evaluated with paired Wilcoxon Signed-Rank tests (p < 0.05). Qualitative responses were analyzed with inductive coding.

Results: Four MS1s, eleven MS2s, and two MS3s attended the event (n=17). Pre-event, 71% rated they were ‘Interested’ or ‘Very Interested’ in pursuing ENT as a career and 47% rated themselves as either “familiar” or “very familiar” with the variety of surgery types performed by otolaryngologists. Post-event (n=12), 33% responded with a higher score for interest in pursuing the specialty (p = 0.20) and 42% reported increased familiarity (p = 0.06). Self-reported knowledge significantly increased regarding temporal bone procedures (p=0.005), endoscopic sinus navigation (p=0.006), and intraoperative neuromonitoring (p=0.005). 92% stated they would attend a similar event again, and all would recommend future events to peers. Qualitative responses indicate students enjoyed the variety of hands-on activities, especially temporal bone drilling and sinus navigation, learning from experts in the field, and the session’s interdisciplinary nature.

Conclusions: High baseline interest and significant increase in self-reported knowledge was demonstrated across multiple otolaryngology operative concepts during a medical student simulation activity. Surgical simulations are important tools for career discernment and medical student engagement that can be translated across surgical specialties.