Resident Rotations

The first year of training includes six months of non-otolaryngology rotations, followed by six months of otolaryngology rotations. Otolaryngology experience includes working one-on-one with faculty for a month in outpatient clinics as well as learning to manage inpatients and operate along with faculty on inpatient otolaryngology services. In the spring, interns gradually achieve autonomy, first by working side-by-side with a PGY2 to learn to manage Emergency Department and inpatient consults, and then by a rotation as the primary ENT consult provider and a rotation on the junior night float call schedule. Residents are well-prepared for their PGY2 year.

Non-otolaryngology rotations (one month each) include:

• Neurosurgery
• Anesthesiology
• Critical care medicine  in the ICU
• Thoracic surgery
• Plastic and reconstructive surgery
• Vascular surgery

Most of the second year of training (nine months) is spent on the UW inpatient otolaryngology services and as part of the junior night float system. The junior night float system was resident-initiated due to clinical volume and an increase in resident number and has been a very well-received addition to the program.

The last three months of the year are spent rotating between the William S. Middleton Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital, UnityPoint Health-Meriter Hospital, and a dedicated research rotation. On the daytime UW inpatient service, the PGY2 alternates day-to-day between managing emergency room/inpatient consults under faculty supervision and operating. A significant portion of operating time is devoted to gaining experience in routine general otolaryngology procedures, including tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, myringotomy and tube placement, septoplasty, minor head and neck surgery, tracheostomy, endoscopic sinus surgery, and diagnostic endoscopy.

Responsibilities increase in the inpatient and outpatient clinical setting, as well as in the operating room, during the PGY3 year. ENT specialty training includes approximately three months on each of these services: William S. Middleton VA Hospital, UnityPoint Health-Meriter Hospital, UW inpatient otolaryngology, and three months of dedicated research time. Paired with a chief resident, the three-month VA Hospital rotation as a junior resident provides broad otolaryngology experience both in the clinic and operating room, with an emphasis on head and neck surgery as well as outpatient clinical skills. Meriter Hospital provides  general otolaryngology experience and higher-level operative experience, as well as autonomy in running an inpatient service.

The dedicated three-month research experience allows time to work on a research project under faculty guidance. Residents are encouraged to collaborate with other departments within the hospital and on the UW-Madison campus and present projects both at a local level and at national and international meetings. Each resident is expected to present and publish at least two manuscripts during their residency experience.

PGY3s also have the unique opportunity to rotate for one month with our  exceptional head and neck radiology and radiation oncology faculty.

Early in the academic year, the PGY3s participate in the structured 12-session Temporal Bone Anatomy and Dissection course, led by our two neurotologists. This course provides didactic and hands-on training with an emphasis on basic sciences, pathology, anatomy and temporal bone surgical techniques.

During the fourth year of training, six months are spent on inpatient otolaryngology services, two months on facial plastic surgery, two months as chief resident at the VA Hospital, and two months rotating with endocrine surgery. Residents are part of the senior evening call pool with the PGY4s and provide primary call for Unity-Point-Meriter Hospital and secondary call to the junior resident for UW Hospital, American Family Hospital and the VA Hospital.  The six months on the UW inpatient service provide graduated operative responsibilities and exposure to more complex cases in all areas of otolaryngology.

The facial plastic surgery experience is a unique opportunity to spend one-on-one time with our two, double-board-certified facial plastic surgeons. This “mini-fellowship” in both functional and cosmetic surgery expedites learning about pre-operative evaluation, operative planning and technical skills, as well as experience in facial reanimation, facial trauma, reconstruction after Mohs surgery, and facial gender affirmation surgery, including facial feminization surgery (FFS).

As VA Hospital chief, time is split equally between the operating room and running the outpatient clinic. The focus of this rotation is to gain experience in independent clinical practice and build on teaching skills by overseeing junior residents in the clinic and operating room.

The dedicated endocrine surgery rotation focuses on the work-up and management of thyroid and parathyroid disease and provides an opportunity to gain outpatient and operative experience with the UW Department of Surgery’s endocrine surgery division, in addition to our own head and neck surgeons.

The final year of training is split into eight months as chief resident on the inpatient UW otolaryngology services, two months as chief resident at the VA Hospital, and two months on facial plastic surgery. At this level, residents continue to gain operative experience and autonomy and are largely responsible for overseeing patient care, allocating operative case and outpatient clinic coverage, and training other residents.