The Birmingham ENT Dry Lab invited a range of West and East Midlands core trainees, registrars and medical students to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB) to face off for the title of 2022’s top ENT temporal bone simulation performer.
For the past two years, Lucy Dalton (Consultant ENT Surgeon at QEHB) has been transforming a previously disused ward on the fifth floor of the old QEHB into a dynamic hub for simulation-based otology and rhinology training. This year built on the success of last year’s VR simulation competition with the addition of a new ‘dry bone’ category. Competitors were challenged to perform tasks including their most complete and immaculate mastoid dissection in 90 minutes. Those in the VR category performed their drill on a VOXEL-MANN simulator and those in the dry bone category performed it on an artificial MED-EL temporal bone using theatre equipment.
On day one of the event, 12 junior trainees (ST3 and below) competed for the junior digital prize. On day two, nine senior trainees (ST4 and above) competed for the senior digital prize with a select group of otology fellows and phase three trainees (ST7 and above) competing for the dry bone prize. The junior trophy was won by Thomas Binnersley (below), with runner-up going to Jeremey Reid and a commendation going to Zach Shellman. The senior digital prize was taken by Josh Whittaker (above), with Hannah Lancer a close runner-up. The dry bone competition was taken by previous digital prize winner Alex Yao (left), with Julian Dallaire runner-up.
This year’s competition was kindly sponsored by MED-EL, Delta Surgical, Minim Healthcare and Severn Healthcare, whose representatives and the judging team provided a warm reception and networking opportunities to all competitors. The competition then drew to a Christmassy close at the end of the second day with a delicious prize-giving dinner at the Edgbaston Park Hotel, hosted by Med-EL.
On behalf of the Birmingham ENT Dry Lab team, we would like to thank all those who attended the 2022 competition and made it such a fun, memorable event. We look forward to warmly welcoming colleagues and competitors again in December 2023.
Thomas Binnersley (right), Medical Student, University of Birmingham.
