The mission of the residency program in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery is to provide resident physicians with a broad and comprehensive educational experience in this rapidly developing specialty. It is our core objective to offer our residents sufficient academic and clinical exposure to allow them to choose any career path within the field that interests them. Opportunities for careers after residency are plentiful in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, and our Department will provide resident physicians with the requisite training in medical practice, surgical techniques, clinical judgment, professional development and clinical and translational research to allow them to successfully compete for these opportunities.
The residency program in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery recruits two or three residents per year, alternating, through the National Resident Matching Program. Approximately 250 standardized applications are reviewed per year, and forty prospective candidates are invited for interviews. Candidates are selected based on academic excellence, standardized test scores, letters of recommendation and evidence of motivation during the interview process. Selection for residency in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery is highly competitive nationally.
Residents who match into our program will embark on a five-year journey that will offer them educational and clinical experiences commensurate with their level of training. In the first year, PGY-1 residents will spend 6 months in otolaryngology, where they will acquire basic skills in the perioperative and clinical management of patients across all disciplines within otolaryngology-head & neck surgery. They will also spend time in specialty rotations, including neurosurgery, radiation oncology, anesthesiology, critical care, oral and maxillofacial surgery and radiology, each of which offers experiences important for training in our specialty.
Beginning with the PGY-2 year, residents will be immersed in the field of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, and will rotate with both the pediatric and adult services through Temple University Hospital, St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, Abington Surgery Center, Allegheny General Hospital, Temple University Hospital – Jeanes Campus and Fox Chase Cancer Center. They will be given increasing clinical responsibility as they progress through the program, and will complete their training with a 6-month rotation as Chief Resident in the PGY-5 year. Throughout these final four years of the program, resident physicians will gain experience in all aspects of the clinical practice of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, including pediatric otolaryngology, head and neck surgery, thyroid/parathyroid surgery, facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, facial trauma surgery, allergy, rhinology, laryngology, otology and neurotology. They will be required to spend a designated period of time in a dedicated research block during the PGY-3 year, when they will develop and complete a basic, translational or clinical research project that will culminate with a publication-ready manuscript. Residents are encouraged to develop programs of research during their residency, and faculty members are available to serve as mentors for these projects.
On completion of residency training, our graduates will be prepared to enter practice with broad training in all the aspects of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery. In addition, our graduates have been successful in achieving fellowship opportunities to further their training in areas such as facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, pediatric otolaryngology, rhinology, otology and laryngology. Several of our residents have gone on to develop successful academic careers. All residents have taken and passed the American Board of Otolaryngology certification examination in the past 5 years.
We are pleased that you are considering our residency program as a platform for your career development and training. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time. Best of luck!
Sincerely,
Karl Whitley, MD
Residency Program Director, Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery