Author(s)
Kevin Wong BA
Minyoung Jang MD
Amir Gilad BS
Jessica Levi MD
Affiliation(s)
Boston University School of Medicine
Abstract:
Educational Objective: At the conclusion of this presentation, the participants should be able to describe the number and type of opportunities currently available to medical students in the United States in professional otolaryngology organizations. Objectives: For highly competitive fields such as otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (Oto-HNS), it is important that medical students are confident in their career choice due to the considerable time, effort, and sizable risk of not matching relative to other fields. Previous studies have shown that students are happier with career decisions when given ample and early exposure to a given field. However, few studies have formally evaluated opportunities currently available in otolaryngology. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which professional otolaryngology organizations and societies provide opportunities for medical student involvement. Study Design: Cross-sectional analysis. Methods: We reviewed the websites, newsletters, and brochures of 31 national otolaryngology related professional and subspecialty societies for clinical, research, networking, leadership, and service opportunities. Results: In total, 16% of societies offered student membership, 74% allowed students to attend national conferences, and half allowed students to present research at these conferences. The average cost of membership was $50 and the average registration cost to attend conferences was $295. Six organizations provided travel and/or research scholarships for students, however no organizations provided leadership or service opportunities. Conclusions: Most professional otolaryngology associations offered some level of student involvement, however opportunities were often limited in scope and depth. Increasing opportunities for medical students should be of interest for professional societies because it will not only increase interest in the field, but also foster the next generation of otolaryngologists who are both well trained and well informed regarding their career choices.