Otolaryngology Residency Program

This is followed by our completely resident-run multidisciplinary tumor board where residents present and propose all treatment plans under the guidance of our head and neck surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, neuroradiologists, and head and neck pathologists. Here all disciplines are able to share their specific opinions and specialized knowledge in an open forum discussion concerning the care of the often complex head and neck oncology patients.

Following this, the morning continues with a faculty-run didactic curriculum covering all aspects of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Two hours of lecture time are designated every week, and the two-year course curriculum is designed so that each resident will be exposed to the entire educational program twice during residency. Resident feedback ensures continuous improvement in this didactic program. This is followed by our weekly combined OTO-HNS and Radiology conference where upcoming cases and their pertinent imaging are presented and discussed with attending radiologists. The protected eductaional day finishes with "reconference," our weekly reconstructive conference with Drs. Heffelfinger, Krein, Luginbuhl, Goldman and Curry, where the complex reconstructive cases for the following week are discussed in detail. This conference frequently uses clinical photographs, imaging and 3D models printed by residents with particular interest in 3D printing, virtual surgical planning and reconstruction.

In addition to weekly educational conferences, a series of educational courses are scheduled throughout the 5-year residency program. Every year in July, the PGY-2 residents attend the ORL Emergencies Boot Camp.  PGY-2 residents also participate in a 6-week head and neck anatomy review course. The course is moderated by the Sidney Kimmel Medical College's Department of Anatomy and consists of lectures followed by cadaver dissections. During the PGY-3 year, residents are relieved of daytime clinical responsibilities for a temporal bone anatomy and surgical drilling course directed by faculty from Thomas Jefferson University and A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children.  Didactic sessions are followed by faculty-instructed dissection in our temporal bone lab.  Finally, in the fifth year, residents participate in an advanced temporal bone course at the University of Pennsylvania.

The Department also provides and sponsors the Home Study Course offered by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. And in the weeks leading up to the In-Service Exam each year, the Academic Chief Resident organizes a formal review on Wednesday evenings.