In this year, the emphasis is on the development of safe and expedient surgical techniques, learning surgical anatomy, and understanding appropriate pre- and postoperative care. During the second year of training, the resident performs more complex surgical procedures. In the final two years of the program, the trainee is expected to have developed the expertise to plan and to carry out most, if not all, of the major and minor otolaryngologic surgical procedures. In addition to the operative experience described above, the residents are also responsible for care of patients on the wards and in the clinics. All residents are expected to see patients in the clinic along with the attending faculty.
Residents also are responsible for seeing emergency room consults.
The junior level residents perform the majority of direct patient care on the wards. The upper level residents are responsible for operative scheduling and administrative functions. Residents are actively involved in the teaching of medical students. Each resident has a rotation during the four years of otolaryngology training to carry out a research project. Opportunities are available in all areas of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery.