The impact of COVID-19 on global disparities in surgical training in pediatric otolaryngology

OBJECTIVE: To assess global trends in otolaryngologic and non-otolaryngologic education in response to COVID-19, specifically with regard to surgical simulation and personnel reallocation needs in case of patient demand. STUDY DESIGN: Online survey. METHODS: A multiple-choice survey regarding operative caseload and impact on resident education was sent to Otolaryngology residents and Pediatric Otolaryngology faculty globally. The survey was open for responses for ten days in March 2020. RESULTS: A total of 96 completed surveys were received across 22 countries. 87.5% of respondents reported that no supplementary operative education is being provided. Despite 71.43% of responses indicating that simulation was useful for all levels of residents, 20.95% of responses indicated that simulation is not possible at their institution, with the majority of these being skewed toward responses from South America. CONCLUSION: Despite the majority of respondents stating that simulation was helpful, there were disparities in access to simulation seen across countries. The results inform the need for a coordinated effort to expand educational efforts outside of the operating room and clinical environment. A major limitation of this study is the low domestic response rate.