Trends in operative training opportunities for junior and senior trainees in otolaryngology

The implications of the European Working Time Directive in the medium and smaller sized craft specialties

“…Working at night or indeed night shifts has been formally recognised not to provide much in the way of educational opportunity for ST3 and above 8 .The effect of shift working on training has been clearly demonstrated in general surgery with a decrease in exposure to elective surgery, of the order of 59% 9 . For ENT ST1‐2 doctors there is a reported decrease of 19.5–69% in operative activity 10,11 . This is a result of level 2 doctors being absorbed into surgical cross cover systems so reducing NWD availability.…”

“…tonsillectomy and grommet insertion and thus has to gain the competencies required in less training time. This scenario is complicated furthermore by the effect of registrar expansion where between 2000 and 2006 there has been a decrease in operative opportunity of 38.5% for the ST3‐8 grade 11 …”

Training tomorrow's laryngologists – head and neck training alone is not sufficient

“…There is a conflict for trainees between this undertaking and the necessity for service provision. 3,4,7,8 As a result, time spent with a trainer in laryngology and voice clinics will often be compromised.…”

Re: Trends in operative training opportunities for junior and senior trainees in otolaryngology

“…We read with interest the recent editorial by Pothier et al. 1 highlighting the apparent declining opportunities for senior and junior otolaryngology trainees. The authors acknowledge the limitation of extrapolating total numbers of operations performed as a proxy measurement of the surgical activity of trainees, but feel this is still a ‘robust representation’ and necessitates safeguarding of existing training opportunities.…”