How do medical students want to learn ENT?: Perspectives from a consensus forum

Introduction: The UK Medical Licensing Assessment (UKMLA) curriculum represents a consensus on core content including ENT-related content for newly qualified doctors. However, there is no similar consensus as to how ENT content should be taught at medical school. Design A virtual consensus forum was held at the 2nd East of England ENT Conference in April 2021 to ascertain views of medical students and junior doctors on how ENT should be taught at medical school. A syllabus of ENT-related items based on the UKMLA and GMC practical procedures curricula was divided into ‘Presentations’, ‘Conditions’ and ‘Practical Procedures’. 64 participants (27 students, 11 foundation doctors, and 7 other junior doctors) voted via anonymous polling for up to three of nine teaching methods they believed were best suited to teach each syllabus item. Results For ‘Presentations’, work-based/clinical-based learning and small-group seminars were significantly more popular than other methods, a further two were of middling popularity, and the remaining five (including simulation and e-learning) were significantly less popular. ‘Conditions’ results were near-identical, with work-based/clinical-based learning and small-group seminars significantly more popular than the remaining teaching methods. For ‘Practical procedures’ the three practical teaching methods were significantly more popular than the six theoretical methods. Conclusion Students and junior doctors express clear preference for clinical-based teaching and small-group seminars when learning ENT content. E-learning is poorly favoured, despite being increasingly used by medical schools and teaching bodies. Co-design of clinical training between students and educators may ensure training better matches students’ needs and expectations.