Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Boot Camp in Preclinical Undergraduate Medical Education: A Pilot Study

Objectives: There are limited opportunities in the medical school curriculum to learn about the field of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (ORL) and to acquire relevant clinical skills, especially during preclinical years. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the impact of implementing an ORL boot camp in preclinical undergraduate medical education to help first- and second-year medical students learn about common ORL problems and become more comfortable performing basic ORL clinical skills so that they are better prepared to provide care for patients during clerkships and beyond. Methods: First- and second-year medical students were recruited to a single 3-hour boot camp session consisting of didactics/demonstrations and clinical experiences. The boot camp provided an introduction into the field of ORL, description of common ORL pathologies, associated management and procedures, and demonstrations of basic ORL procedures typically performed in clinic. Under supervision, subjects practiced complete head and neck physical examinations (H&NPE) on their peers including otoscopy, tuning fork tests, examination with a nasal speculum, and oral, basic cranial nerve, and neck examination. Pre- and post-tests assessing subjective (0-5 point Likert scale) and objective (content exam) measures of ORL knowledge, comfort level performing ORL skills, and interest in ORL were used to evaluate the intervention. Results: A total of 17 students participated in the boot camp as part of an extracurricular session. Seventeen students completed pre-tests and 16 completed post-tests. Ratings of self-reported knowledge of ORL (2.06 vs 3.00; P = .019) and comfort level in performing H&NPE (1.76 vs 3.44; P < .001) increased significantly after the boot camp. Mean performance on an ORL content exam also increased significantly from 42.17% to 71.35% (P < .001). Conclusions: An ORL boot camp may be an effective method of teaching for preclinical medical students. Further studies with a larger cohort are warranted.