| The goal of the Otolaryngology Residency at University of Minnesota is first and foremost to provide excellent clinical training so that the finishing resident is competent to perform a wide variety of surgical procedures and to care for a wide variety of patient problems. It is also the philosophy of the Department that a thorough understanding of the basic sciences relevant to otolaryngology is crucial to the training of the resident and to the maintenance of clinical skills and expertise upon finishing the training program. Additionally, this Department is dedicated to training academic otolaryngologists who not only have excellent clinical skills but will also become teachers and researchers in the specialty.
A major strength of the program is its highly respected clinical and research faculty, who bring extensive expertise to the resident’s training. Five major training facilities provide broad clinical experience in otolaryngology.
The clinical program covers all aspects of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, including a comprehensive head and neck cancer program in conjunction with the Cancer Center at the University of Minnesota, otology and neurotology, facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, pediatric otolaryngology, laryngology and voice disorders, and endoscopy. Residents participate in cadaver and temporal bone dissection, as well as in-training experience in audiology and vestibular testing. Training is structured to provide each resident with significant responsibility for patient care, while receiving graded and supervised instruction. Regularly scheduled conferences in the department and the medical school provide additional resources for the resident’s educational experience.
The PGY1 year includes rotations in general surgery, thoracic surgery, plastic surgery, emergency medicine, critical care, anesthesia, neurological surgery, and otolaryngology.
Mastery of the basic sciences pertinent to otolaryngology is required, and the PGY2 curriculum includes an extensive range of topics such as acoustics, audiometry, biochemistry, cochlear physiology, embryology, head and neck anatomy, immunology, interpretation and design of prospective studies, language disorders, physiology, and nasal and laryngeal physiology and vestibular morphology.
Through our Graduate School master’s degree program (or optional Ph.D.), residents learn to design and conduct research, and to effectively present the results of their investigations. Each resident has six months of research-dedicated block time beginning in the PGY3 year. Full-time research and clinical faculty participate actively to advise residents on research projects in clinical and basic science areas relevant to otolaryngology. Research interests of our faculty are included in the Otolaryngology Residency Manual Part B. An additional complement to the program is the active collaboration of colleagues in the basic sciences from departments such as microbiology, immunology and cancer biology, pharmacology, and physiology. Outstanding research facilities occupied by the department on the University campus include 9,500 square feet of laboratory space at the Lions Research Building, as well as laboratories on the eighth floor of the Phillips-Wangensteen Building. Laboratory space is also available at Hennepin County Medical Center, Regions Hospital, and the Veteran’s Administration Medical Center.
In providing outstanding faculty, challenging clinical experience, comprehensive curriculum, and excellent research opportunities, the Department of Otolaryngology seeks to maintain the high standing of its residency and fellowship programs. This commitment to excellence is reflected in the superior caliber of candidate it attracts and by the professional prominence of its graduates serving throughout the world.
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