Fatigue is a common problem among residents due to a combination of long work hours, high work load, interrupted sleep, and the expectation that patients’ needs take precedence above one’s own. Unmitigated fatigue can lead to concentration difficulties, irritability, and burn-out, causing adverse outcomes for both patients and residents themselves. Furthermore, within surgical specialties, the culture often implies that trainees who admit to being fatigued are “less dedicated” than their peers.

This module covers the basic anatomy behind pain, overall pain assessment, and the management of both acute and cancer related pain. It also addresses the different classes of pharmacologic agents used to treat pain, the etiologies of head and neck pain and the differences in evaluation and treatment in pediatric, elderly and substance abuse patients.

The role of ethics in a surgical subspecialty comprises clinical ethics, professional or organizational ethics, and bioethics. Clinical ethics is a pragmatic field of practice that informs medical decision making at the bedside. Professional ethics guides behavior among colleagues and with patients and society. Organizational ethics refers to the principles and values that guide the actions of organizations when they act as moral agents. Bioethics is an academic field of inquiry that uses the tools of philosophy, the humanities and the social sciences to analyze critically controversies ari

Otolaryngologists are viewed as the airway expert, partnering closely with our anesthesia colleagues and managing complex airway emergencies. This module covers the breadth of anesthesia related topics encountered in otolaryngology, from local anesthesia and conscious sedation to general anesthesia and emergency surgical airway management. Emphasis is placed on pharmacokinetics, patient selection and contraindications. Complications related to general anesthesia are highlighted to include malignant hyperthermia will be included.
 

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. Understanding of the particular risk factors inherent to patients having otolaryngologic surgery allows for accurate risk stratification and implementation of strategies to minimize this potentially significant complication. This VTE module is designed to provide understanding of the economic as well as patient impact of VTE. Risk factors will be reviewed along with prophylaxis strategies. 

The assessment of outcomes after treatment has evolved over the past few decades, with new tools and techniques available for outcomes measurement. Also, there is an appropriately increased focus on the assessment of quality of life and outcomes from the perspective of the patient, after medical care. In addition, interest in standardization of best practices has driven the creation of care guidelines. In order to incorporate the best evidence from the published literature into care decisions, the concept of “evidence-based medicine” has emerged, with a set of standard definitions and tools

This module explains the separate components of universal precautions which include hand hygiene, personal protective equipment, correct handling of contaminated supplies, safe injection practices and patient resuscitation.  It also provides data to support the different uses of handwashing versus utilization of alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

Physicians can become mentally or physically impaired during practice, which affects their ability to effectively treat patients. Impairment can stem from substance abuse, mental health issues, or physical conditions that affect cognitive, motor, or perceptive skills. Colleagues of an impaired physician have an ethical responsibility to identify impairment and assist in seeking care for their fellow physicians. This includes helping the provider recognize the impairment, encouraging self-referral for treatment, and may require reporting the physician to supervisors or medical licensing auth