title: Surgical exploration and discovery program: inaugural involvement of otolaryngology - head and neck surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is significant variability in undergraduate Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (OTOHNS) curricula across Canadian medical schools. As part of an extracurricular program delivered jointly with other surgical specialties, the Surgical Exploration and Discovery (SEAD) program presents an opportunity for medical students to experience OTOHNS. The purpose of this study is to review the participation and outcome of OTOHNS in the SEAD program.
  
  
  METHODS
  The SEAD program is a two-week, 80-hour, structured curriculum that exposes first-year medical students to nine surgical specialties across three domains: (1) operating room observerships, (2) career discussions with surgeons, and (3) simulation workshops. During observerships students watched or assisted in surgical cases over a 4-hour period. The one-hour career discussion provided a specialty overview and time for students' questions. The simulation included four stations, each run by a surgeon or resident; students rotated in small groups to each station: epistaxis, peritonsillar abscess, tracheostomy, and ear examination. Participants completed questionnaires before and after the program to evaluate changes in career interests; self-assessment of knowledge and skills was also completed following each simulation. Baseline and final evaluations were compared using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SEAD participants showed significant improvement in knowledge and confidence in surgical skills specific to OTOHNS. The greatest knowledge gain was in ear examination, and greatest gain in confidence was in draining peritonsillar abscesses. The OTOHNS session received a mean rating of 4.8 on a 5-point scale and was the most popular surgical specialty participating in the program. Eight of the 18 participants were interested in OTOHNS as a career at baseline; over the course of the program, two students gained interest and two lost interest in OTOHNS as a potential career path, demonstrating the potential for helping students refine their career choice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Participants were able to develop OTOHNS knowledge and surgical skills as well as refine their perspective on OTOHNS as a potential career option. These findings demonstrate the potential benefits of OTOHNS departments/divisions implementing observerships, simulations, and career information sessions in pre-clerkship medical education, either in the context of SEAD or as an independent initiative.
authors: University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Canada. bgree045@uottawa.ca.
authors: Brittany
authors: B
authors: Greene
authors: University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Canada. linden.head@uottawa.ca.
authors: Linden
authors: L
authors: Head
authors: University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Canada. nada.gawad@mail.utoronto.ca.|University of Toronto Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, 1 King's College Circle, Medical Sciences Building, Room 2109, Toronto, Canada. nada.gawad@mail.utoronto.ca.|Department of Surgery, The Ottawa Hospital, General Campus, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Canada. nada.gawad@mail.utoronto.ca.
authors: Nada
authors: N
authors: Gawad
authors: Department of Surgery, The Ottawa Hospital, General Campus, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Canada. stan.hamstra@gmail.com.|University of Ottawa Skills and Simulation Centre, The Ottawa Hospital, Civic Campus, Loeb Research Building, 1st floor, 725 Parkdale Avenue, Ottawa, Canada. stan.hamstra@gmail.com.
authors: Stanley J
authors: SJ
authors: Hamstra
authors: Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The Ottawa Hospital, General Campus, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Canada. lmclean@toh.on.ca.
authors: Laurie
authors: L
authors: McLean
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002321:Career Choice; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003479:Curriculum; D004493:Education; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009864:Ontario; D013517:Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures / Q000193:education*; D000066908:Simulation Training; D013043:Specialties, Surgical; D055815:Young Adult
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