Residents spent the first year rotating through the surgical services, with three rotations in general surgery, and one each in anesthesia, neurosurgery, plastic surgery and otolaryngology. Second-year rotations are in general surgery, vascular surgery, neurosurgery, and otolaryngology. Twelve weeks are dedicated to research chosen by the resident. The third year emphasizes physical diagnosis and ambulatory medicine. Residents rotate through audiology, speech pathology, and the vestibular clinic.
Residents also present at conferences and participate in teaching.
During the fourth and fifth years, residents have increased responsibility for teaching, operative procedures, conferences and the residents' clinic. During the fifth year, a four-week rotation in facial cosmetic surgery is taken at an outside facility in either St. Louis or Chicago. Three rotations in pathology and basic science research are mandatory. Residents can spend up to six months devoted to a special area or research. As chief resident in the sixth year, residents are responsible for management of the residents' clinic.