Education: How FLEX Has Reshaped Otolaryngology Education
The Foundation’s “Flexible Lifelong Education Xperience” (FLEX) program—that replaced the Home Study Course—produced eight sections this inaugural year and was nothing short of exceptional.
James C. Denneny III, MD, AAO-HNS/F EVP/CEO
Inaugural Year
The Foundation’s “Flexible Lifelong Education Xperience” (FLEX) program—that replaced the Home Study Course—produced eight sections this inaugural year and was nothing short of exceptional. Planning for the launch of this new flagship product was in motion more than a year before the pandemic hit last spring.
Great emphasis was placed on ensuring the curriculum design reflected creative and contemporary learning modalities. Jeffrey P. Simons, MD, MMM, AAO-HNSF Coordinator for Education
There were almost 3,500 subscribers to the FLEX program this inaugural year, including more than 1,000 resident users. FLEX modules are interactive, engaging, easy to access, and immediately relevant to clinical otolaryngology practice. Their faster production timelines support the ability to cover emerging trends in the field and include the most up-to-date clinical and practice management information.
Serious Games: Future of Learning
We are especially proud of the latest education innovation offered in the Complex Airway Management Simulation serious game created to enhance learning in the FLEX April section on Tracheostomy Management. The objective of this serious game is to challenge the physician’s ability to identify the critical steps to obtain and secure a difficult airway in the setting of a large supraglottic mass that is bleeding. Learners can repeat the course as often as needed to support surgical training and prepare for a similar emergent scenario that may arise while on call or in the hospital setting.
What’s Next for FLEX
We are excited about the upcoming year for the FLEX program. We will be incorporating much of the feedback that we received from members who have participated in the first year to continue to improve the learning experience.
Stacey T. Gray, MD
Registration is now open. For more information, please visit www.entnet.org/education/flex.