Changes in the provision of undergraduate ENT clinical placements across the UK in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to report the changes made to ENT placements across the UK in response to the pandemic and their impact on student experience.

METHODS

A questionnaire eliciting how ENT placements were provided before and after coronavirus disease 2019 was disseminated amongst Student and Foundation Doctors in Otolaryngology representatives.

RESULTS

Thirty-eight respondents from 27 medical schools across the UK completed the survey (response rate of 90 per cent). Twenty-nine of the 38 respondents (76 per cent) reported a change in ENT placements in response to the pandemic. Six of the 38 students (16 per cent) remained satisfied with their ENT placements, as compared to 12 students prior to the pandemic (32 per cent).

CONCLUSION

There is considerable variability in how medical schools responded to the pandemic. Most medical schools placed students into smaller groups, with less direct contact in the hospital. These changes resulted in lower student satisfaction. The increased emphasis on e-learning underscores the need for high quality e-learning materials to promote learning throughout the pandemic and in the future.