A longitudinal study of emotional intelligence training for otolaryngology residents and faculty.

Importance: Emotions underlie and influence physician communications and relationships with patients and colleagues. Training programs to enhance emotional attunement, or emotional intelligence (EI), for physicians and assess training effects are scarce.

Objective: To assess whether an EI training program for otolaryngology residents and faculty affects patient satisfaction.

Assessment of surgical competency.

Technical skill is only one component of overall surgical competency, but it has been one of the most difficult to measure. Assessment methods are currently subjective and unreliable, and include techniques such as operative logs, end-of-rotation global assessments, and direct observation without criteria. Newer objective methods of technical skill assessment are being developed and undergoing rigorous validation, including methods such as direct observation with criteria, final product analysis, and hand-motion analysis.