Title : The ENT Run Through Pilot: a questionnaire survey of 23
trainees
Keywords : Education, Otolaryngology, Surveys and
Questionnaires, Pilot Projects
Key Points :
- ENT run through posts are extremely competitive requiring a median
core surgical interview rank of 27
- Holding additional degrees and transitioning directly from foundation
training may improve applicant success
- Prior exposure to ENT is variable in successful ST1 applicants
- The pilot has been successful in attracting candidates by providing
geographical stability and encouraging early engagement with ENT UK
- These results will enable development of the pilot programme and
provide valuable information for those applying to an ENT run through
post
Ethical Considerations :
Ethical approval was not required.
Background :
The Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) specialty is known to be underrepresented
in the undergraduate curriculum and competition for ST3 posts fell to
1.63 applicants per post in 2016.1,2 Core surgical training was seen as
a contributing factor, defocusing and demotivating ENT trainees. The ENT
run through programme, introduced in 2018, aimed to improve early
recruitment to the specialty by allowing trainees to begin specialist
training at ST1. In addition, the run through pilot aimed to provide
geographical training stability, competition free transition to ST3,
early engagement with ENT UK and refocused ENT training in the early
years.3 Candidate selection occurred at the core surgical interview and
is a highly competitive process with 1870 and 1896 applicants in 2018
and 2019 respectively for all surgical specialities.4,5
This study aims to understand what makes a successful interview
applicant and the experience of the run through trainees’ during the ST1
and ST2 years. The General Medical Council requested evaluation of the
programme which this study goes someway to address.
Materials and Methods :
A questionnaire survey was sent to all current ENT ST1 and ST2 run
through trainees in England on 6th November 2019. The
survey had three aims: to identify the background of successful
candidates, to determine the satisfaction of the run through trainees
and investigate progression to ST3. The questionnaire results were
recorded on google forms online.