To evaluate the impact of the first three waves of COVID-19 on the academic and surgical training of ENT and Head and Neck Surgery residents in France.

Observational, retrospective study. A 55-item survey of academic education and surgical training was sent to ENT residents in five major French regions (Île-de-France, Rhône-Alpes Auvergne, Occitanie, Grand Est, Grand Ouest) from August to October 2021.

Eighty-nine out of 135 residents (66%) responded. Two-thirds considered that surgical training was more affected than academic education, with reductions evaluated of 50–75%, 25–50% and 0–25% for the first three waves, respectively. Residents in Île-de-France, Rhône-Alpes Auvergne and Grand Est were the most affected by the first wave (75–100% reduction in surgical activity, in parallel to increased admissions). Otology, rhinology and functional exploration were the most affected, whereas pediatrics and oncology were spared. Seventy-one of the 89 residents (79.7%) felt that the first wave impacted their career, while this proportion decreased to 39.3% and 44.9% for the second and third waves, respectively.

The first wave of COVID-19, compared to the following two waves, severely impacted the surgical training of French ENT residents, especially in regions severely impacted by the pandemic, while academic education was relatively safeguarded by the implementation of e-learning alternatives.