May, 2018

To: The AHNS Membership

The document available through the link to the right includes the Goals and Objectives section of a national standardized curriculum in head and neck surgical oncology, and a recommended syllabus. This document has been prepared following a deliberative process in developing the Goals and Objectives. The AHNS Council has supported this project after the Advanced Training Council and Education Committee identified the need for such a curriculum.

Many of you have contributed directly or indirectly to this project by participating in the needs assessment or more directly involved in the development of the document. Based on the findings of the needs assessment study in Summer of 2016, we developed a disease-based approach to goals and objectives with special sections for skills and knowledge that the experts thought were important for all the fellows to master (such as basics of clinical and basic science research and ethics). In the needs assessment study, we found out that the Number One request from the program directors and other experts was a standard syllabus that could be used as a reference for the fellows. We have developed a recommended reading list to fulfill this need. The curriculum is designed for the programs covering the full breadth of head and neck. The endocrine programs should find portions of significant interest to their educational needs as well, but may also identify opportunities.

This document has been reviewed by the AHNS Council and the Advanced Training Council and after two rounds of edits and revisions has been approved for publication.

We do not consider the current document a final product, but a 1.0 version. However, we believe this current version is a significant step forward in moving toward a national, comprehensive, standardized curriculum. We welcome additional comments and suggestions.

Over the course of the 2018 academic year and in future years, we will continue to solicit feedback from all stake holders on the impact (both positive and negative) that the curriculum is having on the training of head and neck surgery. Such information will then be collated and used to revise the materials under the direction of the new AHNS Education Division.

We look forward to your comments. If you have suggested edits, revisions or comments regarding this document, please send them electronically to the AHNS Administrative Office (admin@ahns.info).

The 2017-2018 AHNS Education Committee                             The AHNS Advanced Training Council
Babak Givi, MD – Chair                                                                             Ara Chalian, MD – Chair
Michael Moore, MD – member                                                               Donald Weed, MD – Co-Chair
Cecelia Schmalbach, MD – member                                                      Babak Givi, MD – member