Keywords: Residency education, otolaryngology, skin conditions

Background: Otolaryngologists frequently encounter dermatologic conditions, yet current training predominantly covers common skin cancers, overlooking other prevalent dermatologic concerns involving the head and neck. This discrepancy highlights a significant educational need, with existing literature suggesting inadequate dermatologic training across non-dermatology fields, which often leads to diagnostic errors.

Objective: This study aims to identify the gaps in dermatologic training among otolaryngology residents and to evaluate their diagnostic accuracy compared to dermatology residents.

Methods: This cross-sectional survey study, conducted online from February to March 2024, involved otolaryngology and dermatology residents across the United States. The survey comprised fourteen multiple-choice questions focused on common dermatologic diagnoses related to the head and neck. Statistical analyses included independent t-tests and ANOVA to assess differences in diagnostic accuracy between and within resident groups. A post-hoc power analysis was conducted to determine the effect size at 80% power and alpha of 0.05.

Results: Out of 1,632 dermatology and 1,805 otolaryngology residents surveyed, 61 (3.7%) and 36 (2.0%) respectively participated. Dermatology residents significantly outperformed otolaryngology residents, with average scores of 90% (SD = 8) compared to 71% (SD = 10) (p < 0.001). The expected effect size was calculated to be 0.603, while the observed effect size analysis (Cohen's d) yielded a value of 2.010, indicating that the study had sufficient statistical power to detect these differences. Otolaryngology residents performed significantly lower on seven out of the fourteen questions, accounting for the difference in total scores. Analysis based on PGY level showed no significant differences in scores within dermatology (p = 0.119) or ENT (p = 0.402) residency programs.

Conclusions: This study identifies gaps in dermatologic training among otolaryngology residents, highlighting significant areas where the curriculum requires enhancement to better equip residents for clinical practice.