ENT training amongst general practitioners: results from a questionnaire

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the level of undergraduate and post-graduate ENT exposure amongst general practitioners and their perceived quality of this training. A secondary aim was to examine whether general practitioners believe ENT department based rotations should remain in the undergraduate curriculum. METHOD: An online questionnaire-based survey was sent to general practices in England. RESULTS: A total of 417 general practitioners completed the questionnaire. Sixty-seven per cent had completed an ENT rotation at medical school whereas 27 per cent had undertaken a postgraduate placement in ENT. Fifty-one per cent had received post-graduate teaching in ENT, mainly in the form of lectures. The majority of general practitioners were not satisfied with their training in ENT at undergraduate and post-graduate levels. Eighty-five per cent of general practitioners believed formal hospital-based ENT training should remain in the undergraduate curriculum. CONCLUSION: General practitioners reported insufficient exposure to ENT during both post-graduate and undergraduate training. Proposals to outsource undergraduate ENT teaching to affiliated departments such as general practice are of concern.