[The relevance of anatomical courses in ENT-education]

Dissection-courses have become an important element in ENT-education. They are offered covering different subjects. Until now no study exists that verifies the acceptance and efficiency of those courses.

We consulted the trainees of three surgical anatomical courses with a multiple choice form for their opinion on courses visited in the past. The acquired data was analyzed quantitatively and examined for statistically significant correlation between age, gender and professional experience.

In our study 73 participants filled in our questionnaire. The average age was 32 years. The satisfaction concerning the currently offered courses is high. The dissection-exercises were rated as 'good' and 'very good' by 72%. The strongest point of criticism (49%) related to the price of the dissection-courses. The improvement of surgical skills showed to be the main motivation for visiting anatomical dissection-courses (46%). Most respondents had registered for dissection-courses of the temporal bone and the paranasal sinuses. A correlation between professional experience and the type of courses visited could be found for the courses on nerval- and blood vessel reconstruction.

The courses offered currently in ENT are appreciated as beneficial and effective. The fact that these courses are visited frequently and that the benefit in daily practice is highly appreciated indicate a well thought out educational concept. It seems unlikely that fees for these courses can be reduced as hoped for by many participants. The economic pressure on the organizational team is very high. Surprisingly the interest in CME-points is relatively low.