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A Near-Peer Teaching Module to Supplement Current Undergraduate Teaching in ENT Surgery

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Abstract

Background

Near-peer teaching (NPT) has been successfully used in other medical specialties but not in ear, nose and throat surgery (ENT). Historically, undergraduates receive limited ENT exposure and subsequently report low confidence in ENT competencies. This has been a posited cause of high referral rates to the specialty. This study aimed to see if NPT could be implemented as an adjunct to traditional ENT teaching.

Activity

Learners received a short NPT module that was focused on clinical ENT. Pre- and post-module questionnaires collected data on students’ confidence and knowledge.

Results and Discussion

One hundred twenty-five undergraduate learners received the intervention. There was a significant percentage increase in both confidence (24.2%, p = < 0.001) and knowledge (35.9%, p = < 0.001) of learners. In a supervised setting, NPT could be a valuable adjunct to traditional undergraduate ENT education.

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Abbreviations

ENT:

Ear, nose and throat

NPT:

Near-peer teaching

SFO-UK:

Student and Foundation Doctors in Otolaryngology

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otolaryngology, St. George’s University Hospitals NHS Trust, London, UK

    James Schuster-Bruce

  2. Department of Renal Transplant Surgery, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK

    Angharad Davies

  3. Department of General Surgery, Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Guildford, UK

    Henry Conchie

  4. Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, Taunton, UK

    Oliver Penfold

  5. Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK

    Elizabeth Wilson

  6. Honorary Senior Lecturer, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK

    Angus Waddell

Authors
  1. James Schuster-Bruce
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  2. Angharad Davies
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  3. Henry Conchie
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  4. Oliver Penfold
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  5. Elizabeth Wilson
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  6. Angus Waddell
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Correspondence to James Schuster-Bruce.

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Ethical approval was granted from the University of Bristol ethics board.

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Schuster-Bruce, J., Davies, A., Conchie, H. et al. A Near-Peer Teaching Module to Supplement Current Undergraduate Teaching in ENT Surgery. Med.Sci.Educ. 30, 689–693 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-020-00965-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-020-00965-6

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