The number of rhinology fellowship programs has increased over ten years. No standardization or accreditation process exists, raising the potential for disparate programs. The attitudes of faculty regarding training are essential to elucidate the educational experience of rhinology fellowship.
The data collection tool was an anonymous, web-based survey of rhinology faculty assessing the subjective attitudes toward various fellowship training domains, including surgery, office-based procedures, research, and career development.
Thirty-four faculty members completed the survey. The surgical procedures that received the highest mean importance scores were endoscopic surgery for advanced inflammatory disease, cerebrospinal fluid leak closure, and extended endoscopic sinus surgery. The techniques with the lowest scores were nasal valve repair, inferior turbinate surgery, and open approaches to the sinuses. Higher scores were noted for career preparation in academic versus private practice and provided clinical versus necessary science research opportunities. The majority of faculty felt that there were too many fellowship positions concerning the marketplace for private practice, academic jobs, and overall societal need.
The study concluded that a range of faculty attitudes concerning fellowship training is of importance. Continued assessment and refinement of the educational experience in rhinology fellowships are necessary.
Reference: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1945892418801403
