Medical Education

Residency Program

The residency training program in Otolaryngology was established at the University of Texas Medical Branch in 1940. In its early years, the program was directed by part-time faculty otolaryngologists from Houston who gave their time and effort to create a high quality program in our specialty. In 1968, Dr. Byron J. Bailey was appointed Wiess Professor and Chairman. In 2003, Dr. Shawn Newlands was named the second Wiess Professor and Chairman of the department, and in 2011, Dr. Vicente Resto was named the third Wiess Professor and Department Chair. The residency training program in Otolaryngology is fully approved by the Residency Review Committee for Otolaryngology sponsored by the Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association, the American College of Surgeons, and the American Board of Otolaryngology.

The purpose of our training program is to prepare residents to be successful in whatever practice venue they choose. In order to implement our purpose, we have designed a residency training program in otolaryngology that is both extensive and intensive, with an emphasis on breadth of experience.

The philosophy of the educational component of the training program is that strength in clinical skills is based upon a thorough knowledge of basic science information. We feel that resident involvement in research activities and publications, while secondary to the development of clinical expertise, is extremely important. Another key word in characterizing our training program is "balance." We seek to provide a balance between individual resident responsibility and resident supervision. Similarly, we seek to provide a balanced experience in terms of the emphasis which is placed upon the medical aspects of our specialty with the surgical aspects.

The scope of our residency program includes all aspects of otolaryngology, including otology, audiology and speech pathology, rhinology, laryngology, endoscopy, maxillofacial trauma, plastic and reconstructive surgery of the head and neck, pediatric otolaryngology, head and neck oncology, and otolaryngic allergy. Most of the surgical procedures are performed by residents under supervision of full-time faculty members, and all clinics are staffed by faculty members.

The resident plays an active and important role in the training of medical students, residents in other specialties, and other residents in otolaryngology. Periodically, the residents are given the primary responsibility of presentations at Grand Rounds, Journal Clubs, and other seminars.

Didactics

Our department sponsors a variety of weekly didactic activities which bring residents and faculty together to learn and teach in a collaborative environment.

Monday afternoonHead and Neck Tumor Board for multi-disciplinary management of head and neck cancer patients with Pathology, Neuroradiology, Radiation and Medical Oncology, and Speech Pathology and Rehabilitation
Wednesday morningGrand Rounds:
  • Structured around a two-year repeating schedule of topics drawn from Bailey’s Head and Neck Surgery
  • Presentations led by residents and faculty mentors
  • Past presentations: Quinn Online Textbook
Thursday afternoon"Quinn Rounds"
  • Mock oral board exam style teaching of interesting patient cases
  • Attending rounds on inpatients
Friday morningWeekly planning conference and evidence based update


Basic Introductory Course (BIC)

  • During July, junior residents participate in daily introductory lectures highlighting important topic areas in Otolaryngology.
  • Lecture topics and hands-on experiences range from head and neck radiology, audiology, care of tracheostomies, epistaxis management, etc.

Other educational resources provided for all residents include:

  • BoardVitals question bank subscription in preparation for the Inservice Examination and the Written Boards
  • Focused Lifelong Education Xperience (FLEX) educational curriculum through the AAO-HNSF
  • Otolaryngology textbooks and journals through UTMB Moody Medical Library
  • Resident fund that can be used at any time for educational purchases such as loupes, textbooks, conferences, courses, etc. ($1000 first year, $250 each year thereafter).

Labs:

  • Temporal Bone Lab
  • Anatomic Dissection Lab
  • Other courses provided throughout the year include a microvascular suturing course, plating course, and endoscopic sinus and skull base course.

Description of Rotations:

Team
 
Description
A Team
Head and Neck Surgery
2 months PGY1
2 months PGY2
2 months PGY3
4 months PGY5
The largest resident team, residents gain a comprehensive head and neck experience working with Dr. Resto, Dr. Coblens, and Dr. Joshi, performing a wide variety of procedures including head and neck cancer ablation with free flap reconstructions, neck mass excisions, neck dissections, thyroid and parathyroid surgery.
B Team
Rhinology and Allergy
2 months PGY2Although residents gain more than ample experience in rhinology and allergy in other rotations, two months are dedicated in the PGY-2 year in which residents primarily work with Dr. Siddiqui and Dr. Lees, one of our new faculty members.

C Team
Pediatric Otolaryngology

4 months PGY1
4 months PGY2
Apprenticeship-style teaching with Dr. Szeremeta as a PGY1 and Dr. Pine and Dr. Daram as a PGY 2. As a PGY2, you will be functioning as the chief of the pediatric otolaryngology team, providing early opportunities for resident leadership and mentoring.

D team
Otology

2 months PGY3
2 months PGY4
4 months PGY5
Highlighted by having three otologists Dr. McKinnon, Dr. Young, and Dr. Makishima, our program is particularly strong in otology. Residents will gain ample experience in all aspects of clinical and operative otology from basic tympanoplasties to vestibular schwannoma resections and lateral skull base surgery.
Texas Department of Corrections (TDC)4 months PGY2
4 months PGY4
One of the highlights of our residency program, the UTMB Texas Department of Criminal Justice Hospital remains the first and only free-standing hospital in the country specializing in offender care. This rotation offers similar autonomy to Veterans Affairs hospital rotations at other programs but with a larger patient population (encompassing almost the entire prison population in the state of Texas) and often more diverse and advanced pathology.
Methodist
 General Otolaryngology with focus on Laryngology and Facial and Reconstructive Plastics 2 months PGY3 2 months PGY4 The four cumulative months working at Methodist hospital provide exposure to a wide variety of different surgical faculty within every aspect of Otolaryngology. High surgical volume gives residents hands on experience and builds surgical confidence. Housing is provided in Houston by UTMB.
MD Anderson
Head and Neck Surgery
2 months PGY3
2 months PGY4
MD Anderson is one of the most respected cancer hospitals in the world. As a UTMB resident, you will have the privilege to rotate as a resident physician within the head and neck cancer team during your 3rd and 4th year. During that time you will be exposed to the complex and the multidisciplinary management of head and neck cancer patients. Housing is provided in Houston by UTMB.
Kridell1 month PGY3One month rotation working with Dr. Kridel and Dr. Sturm at Facial Plastic Surgery Associates, one of the Cosmetic Facial Plastic Surgery premier facial plastic surgery private practices in the Houston area. Residents receive exposure to every facet of facial plastic surgery from laser resurfacing and injectables to complex rhinoplasty, facelift, and brow lift surgeries.
Research3 months PGY3Three months are dedicated to protected research time during the PGY-3 year. Residents have the option to work on clinical projects such as clinical trials, systematic reviews, or meta-analyses, but some residents also choose to work on bench research. Residents have historically been productive on this rotation.

Second Mountain

The Second Mountain program is an entirely unique and progressive wellness program led by Dr. Pine and funded by the department. As an otolaryngology resident, progressing through residency is the obvious "first mountain" that one must climb. However, as a part of the Second Mountain program, residents choose an additional goal to work toward outside of medicine which can be a wide variety of things including a physical endeavor, spiritual goals, or expanding one’s competency of a hobby. Current residents have chosen goals such as reaching a higher rock climbing proficiency, losing weight, biking, and jiu jitsu. Residents must have an attainable goal, and progress must be tracked and reported to Dr. Pine.