Assessing Medical Student Basic Otolaryngology Knowledge: A Multi-Institutional Study

Abstract

The prevalence of otolaryngologic complaints in general practice is disproportionate to the extent of otolaryngology teaching in undergraduate medical education. This is the first multi-institutional validated study used to assess basic otolaryngology knowledge among medical students in order to understand their abilities to recognize and manage these cases. A 9-question, psychometrically validated, multiple-choice quiz was distributed in June 2017 to medical students of 9 US allopathic institutions as an assessment of basic otolaryngology knowledge. A total of 547 medical student responses were used to assess basic otolaryngology knowledge, comfort levels, amount of exposure to otolaryngology, and number of times the head and neck physical examination was taught formally. Comfort in managing otolaryngologic conditions correlated positively with knowledge (P