An evaluation of otolaryngology resources at United States medical schools.

OBJECTIVE: Otolaryngology (OTO) is a competitive specialty, and medical school factors outside an applicant's control, such as presence of OTO student resources and an affiliated OTO residency program, can impact the competitiveness of a student's application. This study sought to evaluate the extent of OTO resources United States (U.S.) allopathic medical schools provide to help their students be successful, and to evaluate for medical school factors which may bias toward inequitable distribution of student OTO resources. METHODS: A 48-question cross-sectional survey evaluating the extent of OTO resources was distributed by email to LCME accredited U.S. allopathic medical schools in 2020 and 2021. RESULTS: Schools with residency programs and where faculty were employed through an OTO or surgery department were more likely to have an Otolaryngology Interest Group (OIG), an Otolaryngology Medical Student Education Director (OMSED), and were more likely to provide opportunities for OTO research.

A Cross-Sectional Survey Study Evaluating United States Medical School Curricula in Otolaryngology.

OBJECTIVES: With an ever-expanding medical knowledge base and requirements for clinical training, medical schools struggle to incorporate subspecialty education, such as otolaryngology (OTO), into curricula. This study aims to assess the current state of OTO education, and evaluate factors contributing to the extent of OTO teaching in United States (U.S.) medical schools. METHODS: A 48-question survey evaluated the extent and practices of OTO teaching. The survey was distributed by email to all 155 LCME accredited U.S. allopathic medical schools in 2020 and 2021. RESULTS: Sixty-eight unique responses were received (43.9% of U.S. allopathic medical schools). 36.8% (n = 25) of schools reported having formal expectations of OTO knowledge in their core curriculum. Only 1 school (1.5%) had a required OTO rotation; the majority of schools offered an optional third or fourth year clerkship rotation (76.5% and 95.6%, respectively). Schools with residency programs and who employ their faculty through an OTO or surgery department were more likely to have otolaryngologists teach basic science lectures and the Head & Neck exam, offer an optional third year rotation, and have formal expectations of rotating students. CONCLUSIONS: Medical schools with residency programs and who employ their faculty through an OTO or surgery department have more robust OTO curricula. Despite the ubiquity of OTO presentations across specialties, incorporation of OTO knowledge in U.S. medical school curricula remains variable, and at times limited.

Assessing the readability and quality of online information about benign prostatic hyperplasia.

PURPOSE: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) affects nearly half of men in their fifties. Patients often search the Internet to better understand their diagnosis, but online health information is not well regulated and can be difficult for patients to comprehend. This study aims to evaluate not only readability, but also the quality of online information about BPH, as well as the effect of commercial bias on readability and quality. METHODS: Three search engines (Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo) were used with broad search terms including "BPH," "BPH treatment," and "BPH surgery," to mimic a patient diagnosed with BPH seeking further information. 204 total websites were identified, of which 62 were unique websites. Among those unique websites, 23 were advertisements. Three readability formulas (Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease, SMOG) were used to generate readability scores. DISCERN standardized questionnaire was used to evaluate website quality. RESULTS: Average reading level of online information about BPH was significantly higher than the recommended level by the American Medical Association (AMA) and United States Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS). Advertisements had significantly easier readability than nonadvertisements. Average website quality was "excellent" for nonadvertisements, but only "fair" for advertisements. CONCLUSION: Although advertisements may hold optimal search result positions and have better readability than nonadvertisements, they have biased and lower quality information. It is important to guide patients to high quality online information of appropriate reading level. Continued efforts should be made to create and share with patients high quality resources with improved readability to facilitate comprehension and minimize misinformation.