Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery

Rotation

6 months

Each training term, two a year, starting in early February and early August

Time limit

14 rotations

Satisfactory rotations at most to finish the program and be awarded Fellowship

Paediatrics

6 months

At least, in a paediatric otolaryngology unit

Head and neck

6 months

At least, in a head and neck surgery unit

• A rotation is a six-month term in one accredited hospital. Each rotation is assessed when it ends, and only a satisfactory one counts toward the limit
• You train in the region of your offer for the whole program. Its regional training committee allocates each rotation, weighing your preferences, progress and the balance of your training

• Accredited posts96 in Australia, in 53 hospitals. Albury Wodonga Health is in two states' counts and is counted once here
• Your employerThe health service or hospital of the post you are allocated to employs you, and your offer depends on meeting its employment requirements

What every accredited otolaryngology post must give you

Operating lists

3 a week

Half-day lists at least, supervised by an otolaryngology surgeon

Clinics

6 hours

A fortnight at least, as two supervised 3-hour outpatient clinics

On call

1 in 3

At most, on the on-call roster

• In clinic you see each patient yourself, present your findings to the consultant there, then start the management plan and follow it up. Multidisciplinary clinics and private rooms do not count
• Ward rounds are taught by your supervisor or another consultant, with the focus on care before and after surgery

Supervisor of training

1

In each hospital, an otolaryngology surgeon there at least 2 to 3 half days a week

Trainers

2

Otolaryngology surgeons at least beside the supervisor, and 5 in a unit with two posts

• The supervisor of training oversees your training in the hospital and represents it on the regional training subcommittee. The supervisor is not the head of department
• A trainer is an otolaryngology surgeon in the unit who operates with you and teaches you, and appears regularly on the operating list roster

Surgical Science Examination in Otolaryngology

Novice

Passed in the Novice level

Fellowship Examination

Competent

Sat in the Competent level

• The Surgical Science Examination tests the sciences that underpin otolaryngology head and neck surgery. The Fellowship Examination is the RACSRoyal Australasian College of Surgeons final examination, written papers then clinical and viva segments

End-of-term assessment

Each rotation

With your logbook, when each six-month rotation ends

Operations logged

500 and 500

Type A and Type B operations by the end of training

Temporal bone dissections

60

Exercises in the Intermediate level

• The end-of-term assessment is your supervisor's report on the rotation. It decides if the rotation is satisfactory and if you are ready for the next level
• Your logbook records every operation, counted in the two classes the Board sets, Type A and Type B

Research requirement

1

A first-author paper, or a masters or PhD in the specialty, approved before the Fellowship Examination

• The paper reports your research in a peer-reviewed journal indexed on Medline or in the Australian Journal of Otolaryngology, with you as first author

Skills courses

3

Surgical skills, critically ill surgical patient and trauma life support courses, in the Novice level

Dissection courses

6

Sinus, temporal bone and head and neck courses, attended as a dissector

Scientific meetings

3

The society's annual scientific meeting or Frontiers in Otolaryngology, across training

• A dissection course is a hands-on cadaver course run by an otolaryngology unit, where you dissect the region yourself