Peer Review for the Practising Otolaryngologist, and How to Become an Expert Reviewer at the Journal

Virtual reality simulation has long been used in the aviation industry, but there has been significant recent interest in the realm of surgical simulation. Since the landmark papers by Seymour and Grantcharov showing the transfer of surgical skills from the simulator to the operating room in residents, there has been a flurry of development in many surgical fields. Otolaryngology is particularly well suited to simulation and several experimental and commercial training simulators are now available. This workshop will review the current progress being made in Otolaryngology surgical simulation across multiple centres in Canada. We will also highlight other experimental and commercial simulators around the world in an interactive medium, using videos and haptic devices. An evidence- based review of these simulators will be presented along with their state of validation testing and skills transference. Future directions in surgical simulation research will be presented. Finally, we will examine whether surgical simulation should be implemented in Otolaryngology training programs and licensure examinations in the future. ABSTRACT PREAMBLE: Many clinicians find the medical literature confusing and/or time-consuming and decline to participate. Understanding the peer review process is an important step in the application of medical literature to patient care. In this workshop the editors of The Journal of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery will provide a practical outline the peer-review process with a view to reducing barriers to participation. PROGRAM: