EBEORL-HNS study plan

EBEORL-HNS · Give each week a clear focus.

8 weeks · About 6 hours per week

Week 1

Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (theoretical knowledge, Part I written exam)

Map the Part I syllabus into an organ-system checklist (otology, rhinology, laryngology, head and neck oncology, pediatric ORL, facial plastics, trauma, audiology/vestibular)
Build a one-page anatomy-and-embryology summary per region from your own notes, not copied text
Define normal values you must recall cold (tuning-fork thresholds, audiometric norms, ABR interpeak latencies, vestibular test norms)
Start a personal error log with one line per uncertain fact and a review date

A dated syllabus checklist with every Part I topic marked as confident, shaky, or unknown, plus the first 20 entries in your error log

Week 2

Explain the pathophysiology and first-line management of otitis media, cholesteatoma, and otosclerosis in writing, without reference material
Derive the differential diagnosis for conductive versus sensorineural hearing loss from test patterns alone
Classify vestibular disorders by timing and provocation and state the bedside test for each
Write 10 original single-best-answer items on otology and critique each distractor

A 1,500-word self-written otology summary plus 10 original otology questions with answer keys and distractor rationale

Week 3

Outline the workup and staging logic for sinonasal, oral cavity, and laryngeal tumors, naming the imaging study and its purpose at each step
Differentiate chronic rhinosinusitis phenotypes and state when surgery is indicated
Summarize voice and airway assessment for laryngeal pathology, including when tracheostomy is urgent
Rehearse the neck-level classification and the nodes most likely involved per primary site

A staging-and-workup table covering at least six head and neck primary sites, filled from memory then corrected against a textbook

Week 4

Cover the remaining Part I areas: pediatric ORL, facial trauma, salivary gland disease, and facial nerve disorders
Explain the management of acute airway obstruction and epistaxis as stepwise algorithms
Complete a timed 40-item mixed mock under exam conditions and score it
Rewrite every missed mock item as a corrected one-line rule in your error log

A scored timed mock with a written error analysis identifying your three weakest Part I subtopics

Week 5

Convert each Part I summary into a two-minute spoken explanation suitable for an oral answer
Practice structured case presentation: history, examination findings, differential, investigations, plan
Answer 15 'what would you do next' prompts aloud and record yourself
Identify the five Part I facts you still cannot state fluently and drill them

Five recorded two-minute oral explanations with a self-assessment note on structure, completeness, and hedging

Week 6

Work through at least 20 clinical scenarios covering emergency ORL: airway compromise, deep neck space infection, sudden sensorineural hearing loss, and orbital complications of sinusitis
Justify management choices with guideline-level reasoning rather than habit
Practice saying explicitly when you would escalate, refer, or call a senior
Rehearse how you would handle an examiner's follow-up question that challenges your first answer

A written scenario log of 20 cases, each with your decision, the reasoning, and the accepted alternative management

Week 7

Run two full mock orals with a colleague or recorded solo, covering both domains
Target the weak subtopics flagged in week 4 and confirm improvement with fresh questions
Tighten answers to fit a 90-second structure without losing safety caveats
Review the entire error log and retire items you can now answer reliably

Two completed mock orals with a scored feedback sheet per station and a list of no more than five remaining gaps

Week 8

Do a final rapid pass over all organ-system summaries, spending time only on flagged items
Rehearse the opening 30 seconds of a case presentation until it is automatic
Simulate exam-day logistics: timing, rest breaks, and what to do when you do not know an answer
Confirm you can state normal values and red-flag thresholds from memory

A one-page pre-exam cue sheet of red flags, normal values, and escalation triggers, written entirely from memory and verified once

Week 2: You can write a coherent otology summary and answer your own 10 items correctly without notes

Week 4: Timed Part I mock completed and scored, with a written error analysis naming your three weakest subtopics

Week 6: Twenty clinical scenarios logged with defensible decisions and accepted alternatives for each

Week 8: Two mock orals passed with five or fewer remaining gaps and a verified one-page cue sheet