A nail-biting tiebreaker at the ENT-themed University Challenge.
Haseem Raja, ST3 ENT Registrar, University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire and Daniel Ahari, Academic Foundation Programme Year 1 Doctor at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.
The North of England Otolaryngology Society and the Midland Institute of Otolaryngology joint Spring Meeting was hosted by Glen Watson, ENT Consultant at Royal Hallamshire Hospital, at the impressive Crowne Plaza, Sheffield, and comprised a diverse academic programme for over 250 delegates.
Professor Manohar Bance, president of RSM Otology section, began proceedings by highlighting present obstacles in cochlear implant surgery, including potential avenues for future research. Professor Brian Westerberg, University of British Columbia, followed on by captivating the audience with his enlightening presentation titled ‘Winning Performance in Surgery.’ Drawing from his own illustrious career and taking inspiration from diverse domains such as music, sports, and zoology, Prof Westerberg dissected the essential qualities and attributes necessary for both surgeons and their mentors to achieve triumph. The underlying message reverberated resoundingly: expertise is an acquired skill, not an innate trait.
The Stell Lecture was given by Professor Janet Wilson who emphasised the importance of language in clinical letters and hinted at the potential impact of artificial intelligence in the future. An engaging symposium followed with Miss Sheila Fraser, Professor Sabapathy Balasubramanian, Professor Muhamad Quraishi and Mr James England forming an interdisciplinary panel that explored the challenges of parathyroid surgery. Drawing from their collective wealth of experience, the panellists discussed the application of intraoperative aids and management of challenging revision cases.
Trainee presentations further showcased the breadth of the ENT specialty. Mr Stephen Robertson won the oral presentation prize for his project on ‘Can patients read the leaflets we give them? A study into the reading difficulty of ENT UK condition leaflets’. The best medical student prize was given to Dr Daniel Ahari for his exciting work on middle ear anatomical models as a medical student. The poster prize went to Maisie Fouweather, fourth-year medical student at Newcastle University, for work on ‘Sudden-onset sensorineural hearing loss induced by SARS-CoV-2 – do we need a different approach?’.
The ENT-themed University Challenge, masterfully orchestrated by Mr Andy Parker, found the competitive spirit climaxed in a nail-biting tiebreaker, with the Midlands trainees showcasing their astute recognition of audiogram findings to emerge victorious over their Northern counterparts.
In the afternoon session, Professor Kofi Boahene from Johns Hopkins University delivered a masterclass in facial reanimation techniques and advancements. This was followed by Professor Peter Andrews sharing his experiences with smell restoration following septorhinoplasty, including his personal mission to uncover the relationship between the two. The first day concluded with a wonderful social at the Mowbray.
The second day of the meeting shifted the focus on ENT training and how opportunities, including fellowships and research grants, can be accessed to aid career progression. Professor Nirmal Kumar encouraged all trainees and students to submit education and research grant applications to The ENT UK Foundation. Further inspiration was provided by Ms Kimberley Lau on her experiences of working abroad following CCT and Mr Pudi on progressing as a Specialty and Associate Specialist doctor.
We look forward to the next joint meeting.
