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Have we made any undergraduate medical education improvements since coronavirus disease 2019? A systematic review of ENT teaching

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 August 2025

Timothy Davies Open the ORCID record for Timothy Davies [Opens in a new window]  and
Thomas Hampton Open the ORCID record for Thomas Hampton [Opens in a new window]
Timothy Davies*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Liverpool Head and Neck Centre, Liverpool, UK
Thomas Hampton
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Liverpool Head and Neck Centre, Liverpool, UK
*
Corresponding author: Timothy Davies; Email: timothy.davies@nhs.net
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Abstract

Objectives

Otolaryngology/ear, nose and throat conditions are common in clinical practice, yet undergraduate exposure in UK medical schools remains limited. The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic created opportunities to innovate medical education. This review explores the scope of advance in otolaryngology undergraduate education following the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Methods

A search of MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane, and Education Resources Information Center databases was conducted. Studies that met inclusion criteria were subject to risk-of-bias assessment and narrative analysis.

Results

Interventions such as mixed reality, cadaveric teaching, and anatomical models improved short-term performance and student satisfaction. Surveys limited advancement in clinical exposure to otolaryngology/ear, nose and throat, when compared to pre-coronavirus-disease literature.

Conclusion

Despite the potential for reform following the pandemic, there has been no significant advancement in the provision of undergraduate medical education in the post-coronavirus-disease era. Standardisation of undergraduate education is needed to mirror recent changes to assessment in undergraduate education in the UK.

Keywords

educationmedicalundergraduateotolaryngologyotitis mediachildanti-infective agentschemoprophylaxismiddle ear

Information

Type
Review Article
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 139 , Issue 11 , November 2025 , pp. 1028 - 1033
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of J.L.O. (1984) LIMITED.

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Footnotes

Timothy Davies takes responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper

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