Otolaryngology for 3rd Year Medical Students

Purpose and Rationale for the Course: The purpose of this course is to expose third year medical students to the specialty of Otolaryngology (ENT). Otolaryngology is a broad surgical specialty that encompasses conditions and diseases of the head, neck, throat, nose, and ear. These conditions vary from very common and benign diseases such as sinusitis, otitis media, and tonsillitis to the most complex head and neck malignancies which require extensive surgery and multi-disciplinary care. Many of these conditions are encountered first by internists and primary care physicians before referral to an otolaryngologist. Up to 20-30% of primary care and internal medicine complaints are otolaryngology related.  It is important for medical students to gain knowledge and skills in otolaryngology so they have the appropriate skillset to diagnose and treat common otolaryngology pathology and know when an appropriate and timely referral to otolaryngology is required. For students interested in pursuing a career in otolaryngology, this course will also provide a good introduction to the field and allow them to network with possible future mentors.

Target Students: Third year medical students interested in gaining knowledge and skills in the field of Otolaryngology.

Course Description: Third year medical students will rotate on the Otolaryngology service for a two week elective experience and will participate in all facets of patient care including the in-patient wards, operating rooms, out-patient clinics, and multi-disciplinary conferences. Students will be expected to round and write notes on a daily basis for in-patients and to conduct history and physicals on patients in the out-patient clinic. Depending on the work flow, students will also write notes in clinic. They will scrub in on operative cases.

Students will be expected to see at a minimum one patient case from each category of the following conditions:

1. Ears - vertigo, tinnitus, cerumen impaction, hearing loss, otalgia, otorrhea
2. Nose - epistaxis, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, post-natal drip, nasal congestion
3. Throat - sore throat, dysphagia, GERD, aspiration, hoarseness, tonsils and adenoids, snoring and sleep apnea
4. Head and Neck - head and neck cancer, thyroid nodules, sialadenitis/sialolithiasis, neck mass

If students are unable to see an actual patient, alternative learning experiences with case studies are available on the American Academy of Otolaryngology website.

Because Otolaryngology is a procedure heavy specialty, students will have the opportunity to practice suturing and knot-tying on models and learn about airway endoscopy. Given the right clinical situation, students may have the opportunity to perform these procedures on patients under direct and very close supervision.

Course Learning Objectives:

By the end of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Perform a comprehensive  history for a given list of conditions of the head, neck, throat, nose, and ear.
2. Perform a complete head, neck, throat, nose, and ear examination for a given list of otolaryngologic conditions.
3. Demonstrate the ability to develop differential diagnosis for non-urgent and emergency otolaryngology conditions.
4. Explain the surgical anatomy related to the head and neck.
5. Perform introductory surgical and procedural skills.
6. Demonstrate the ability to present a patient case in an oral and written format.
7. Demonstrate effective communication with patients and families.