New Otolaryngology Research Highlighted at Trio Sections Meeting

by Thomas R. Collins •

Research in Medical Education

Surgical Simulations in Residency Interviews

Maheer Masood, BA, a medical student at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, described surgical simulations implemented into the residency interview process. Their approach involved six stations that were meant to evaluate tasks used in six subspecialties—rhinology, facial plastics, laryngology, otology, pediatrics, and head and neck. At one station, for instance, applicants paired up. One had a picture of a model and had to describe to the other how to build it. The second applicant then had to try to build the model using Legos. Applicants had prior knowledge of each simulation station. The surgical simulations took up half the interview day. Masood said it was a “feasible, low-stress, and enjoyable way to enhance the interview process.”

Gaming Principles Can Improve Exam Scores

Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham looked at using a program that incorporated gaming principles as a study aid for the otolaryngology training examination. The program involved an online question bank using game-like elements based on gaming principles such as immediate feedback, game mechanics to enhance engagement, and rewards for good performance.

The findings, presented by David Alexander, MD, a resident at UAB, showed that residents who used the program performed statistically better than those who tested when the program wasn’t used. “We feel that this is a valuable supplement to the traditional didactic schedule for board preparation,” Dr. Alexander said.