An Coiste Feabhais Acadúil
The Committee on Academic Quality Improvement
The Academic Quality Assurance Programme 2002-2003
Report to Údarás na hOllscoile
Review of
Department of Otorhinolaryngology
Self Assessment
Review Group Visit
Follow Up Meeting
Sept 2002 to Jan 2003
11-12th February, 2003
3rd February 2004
This Report was compiled for members of Údarás na hOllscoile, NUI Galway and its
committees as a readily accessible but comprehensive source of information on the above
review, its context and its outcomes.
Professor Jim Gosling, Director of Quality, April 2005
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Report to Údarás – Review of Department of Otorhinolaryngology 2002–03
1. Overview of Department
1.1 Aims and Objectives of the Department
1. To produce graduates with the necessary knowledge to care for Ear, Nose and Throat
problems at the level required in General Practice, Accident & Emergency Departments and
other non-ENT specialties.
2. At postgraduate level to produce the academic and clinical experience to prepare for
Specialist/Consultant status.
3. To encourage personal and departmental research.
1.2 Recent Changes
The Head of Department ( Mr. Kieran Tobin) retired in autumn 2003, when Mr. John Lang was
appointed in his place.
1.3 Programmes currently contributed to
Medicine 5MB, 1MB
Nursing 2NUI
Post graduate training in Otolaryngology FRCS
Post graduate Academic programs in Medicine & Surgery
National Otolaryngology academic programmes
1.4 Student numbers
Fulltime equivalent (FTE) student numbers are difficult to calculate accurately for the small
departments in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, and particularly in the ‘surgical
departments’.
1.5 Staff
There are four members of staff, the Head of Department (a statutory lecturer), two other
consultant otorhinolaryngologists (who are full time consultants and clinical lecturers) and one
clinical tutor. There is no University appointed administrator and the Western Health Board
secretaries help with academic matters.
1.6 Costs
This information was not made available for the review.
1.7 Accommodation and facilities
No specific accommodation exists in the Clinical Science building for the Department.
2. Review Group Visit and Report
The review team consisted of: Professor Brian Kavangh, Dept. of Critical Care Medicine,
Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto (Chairperson); Professor Helen Carty, Department of
Radiology, Royal Liverpool Children’s Hospital, Professor John Reynolds, Department of
Surgery, Trinity Centre, St. James’s Hospital, Dublin, Dr. Geraldine Gaffney, Department of
Obstetrics & Gynaecology, NUI, Galway; and Dr. Iain Mac Labhrainn, (Centre for Excellence
in Learning & Teaching) of the CFA acting as rapporteur.
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Report to Údarás – Review of Department of Otorhinolaryngology 2002–03
2.1 Summary, and Main Recommendations from Report
The Department presented clear and concise undergraduate aims, which the reviewers felt were
appropriate to an undergraduate course. The appointment of a clinical tutor was felt to be
beneficial to the department. Research activity within the department has been minimal but the
appointment of a successor to the retired Head of Department could address this. Although part
of the Department of Surgery, the Department appears to function in isolation both from an
administrative and academic perspective. The review groups have recommended that:
1. The academic head of department should have Senior Lecturer status with protected
academic time.
2. The relationship with the Department of Surgery should be clarified. A suggested
approach would be that Otorhinolaryngology would function as a sub-department of the
Department of Surgery with its own administrative and budgetary arrangements.
3. Formal or external assessment of the undergraduate course and examination should be
encouraged.
4. The timetable and scheduling of examinations, teaching and attachments in
Otorhinolaryngology and Ophthalmology need to be better coordinated.
Generic issues pertaining to Departments within the Department of Surgery
Throughout the review process, several ‘generic’ issues became apparent to the review panel,
who were responsible for reviewing the Departments of Otorhinolaryngology, Anaesthesia and
Radiology and Ophthalomology.
1. Full-time Dean.
The Dean of the Faculty is a part-time position. The external members of the panel
believe that a full-time Dean is required at NUI (Galway), and indeed this common need
in all Irish Universities at this time is widely recognised.
2. Departmental Budgets
The system of linking departmental credit and budget to the curriculum-linked student
FTE is inappropriate for rewarding departments that are unable to achieve representation
in the final medical examination. It may discriminate against such departments, and
provide unfair advantage to departments whose curriculum is in part taught by ‘noncredited’ departments.
3. Curriculum Review Committee
The structure of the curriculum review committee is small and does not represent many
departments (e.g. anaesthesia, radiology) that are not featured as distinct elements in the
traditional curriculum. This is inappropriate, and reflects (apart from medical
informatics) a binding of undergraduate teaching to a traditional medical degree
construct (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, etc).
4. Faculty Research Strategy
All departments should be welcomed as members of the faculty research committee
5. Skills Teaching and Facilities
The teaching facilities that we visited were uniformly archaic; the space and facilities for
teaching need to be developed along modern lines. There are particular opportunities for
all Departments involved in this review process and this theme should be driven through
cross-Departmental strategy within the Faculty and curriculum review group.
6. Communication, Transparency, & Concordance in Perceptions
The panel was struck by some discordance in perspective as portrayed by the Dean
compared with that portrayed by some of the consultant staff.
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Report to Údarás – Review of Department of Otorhinolaryngology 2002–03
7. Student Numbers
The panel was concerned that the plans for increased student enrolment were not
accompanied by adequately developed plans for teaching space and resources
8. Academic Contracts
There were serious staff contract issues in two of the four departments reviewed.
9. Arrangement with Department of Surgery
The nature of the affiliation between the department of surgery and the Departments of
Otorhinolaryngology, Ophthalmology, Radiology and Anaesthesia is unclear, and has
been that way for a considerable time. There is an urgent need to revisit this problem and
establish an actionable and measurable agreement between Surgery, for those
departments that would remain within the department of surgery. The expected
appointment of the Chair in Surgery in the near future may assist in establishing such
arrangements.
10. Stipend for Clinical Lecturers - potential for creative development
An approach to financial issues, suggested by Dr Flynn (Anaesthesia), was that
departmental clinical lecturers’ stipends be pooled and directed to the departments for
academic purposes. The panel viewed this as imaginative and creative.
11. Training the Teachers
The consultant staff need to be offered, and to engage in, formal processes designed to
learn and maintain teaching skills.
12. Academic Promotion
The consultant staff need to be offered a process of academic promotion for teaching and
or research, based on validated and accepted criteria. There is no incentive (aside from a
stipend that is essentially negligible relative to overall income) for consultants to teach
medical students, and from what the panel can discern, many consultants do not teach.
3. Follow up Meeting
Tuesday, 3rd February, 2004
Registrar’s Office
Present: Professor Jim Browne - Registrar, Dr Tony Carney – Dean of Medicine & Health Sciences (the Dean), Professor
Gerard Hurley - Dean of Research, Mr John Lang – Head of Department, Mr Mahesh, Professor Jim Gosling - Director of
Quality (Chair), Ms M Linnane (in attendance)
3.1 Action Plan for the Department:
1. The Department will work with the Dean and the new Professor of Surgery to develop a
system of cooperation and governance among the group of surgical departments, a
system that will avoid fragmentation of resources and respect the autonomy necessary
for the efficient facilitation of student learning and research.
2. The Head of Department will work with CELT:
a. To revise student assessment methods
b. Implement student feedback systems
3. The Head of Department will submit an application to the Dean for funds for teaching
equipment before 1 May 2004.
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Report to Údarás – Review of Department of Otorhinolaryngology 2002–03
4. The Head Department will consult with the Dean of Research in the development of a
five-year research plan, with a view to completing it by April 2005.
3.2 Action Plan for University Management:
1. The Registrar and Dean agreed that the relationship with the Department of Surgery
would be clarified after the new head of Surgery has been appointed, while respecting
budgetary and administrative arrangements necessary for the efficient facilitation of
student learning and research in otorhinolaryngology.
2. The Registrar recognises that all departments in the Faculty of Medicine and Health
Science s should be based on a suitable ‘academic model’, that allows for ‘protected
time for teaching, research and academic administration, and will work with the Dean to
achieve the appointment of a Senior Lecturer in Otorhinolaryngology on a 3/11 model
by January 2005.
3. Through the Faculty Curriculum Committee, the Dean will work with the Department to
enable clinical teaching in otorhinolaryngology and other appropriate areas to be spread
over much longer period than the current nine months, thereby facilitating smaller
groups of students and better use of facilities.
4. The Dean and Registrar agreed that there is a space problem within the department that
inhibits direct student-patient contacts, and will raise this matter with the Western Health
Board at all appropriate meetings.
5. The Dean of Faculty anticipates an application from the department for support to
purchase teaching equipment.
6. The Dean of Research will encouraged relationships between the Department and larger
research centres within the University e.g. BMES, with a view to expanding research
activity within the Department.
7. The Dean of Research will work with the Department/Faculty in providing/developing:
•
•
•
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An information session on grant applications/proposals to the Millennium fund and to the main
funding bodies, with emphasis on support for younger staff and for proposals involving other
departments in the Faculty and University.
Appropriate support for contract staff wishing to establish a research programme.
Research methodology training.
A register of research projects in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Science
Approved by: Head of Department, Mr John Lang, 27 February 2004
Approved by: Dean of Medicine & Health Sciences, Dr P A Carney, 20 April 2004
Approved by: Dean of Research, Professor Gerard Hurley, 10 March 2004
Approved by: Registrar, Professor James Browne, 9 March 2004
Finalised: 23 April 2004, Jim Gosling, Director of Quality
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