Educational Program

Programs Goals and Objectives

The overall goal or objective of developing clinical competence is the basic requirement for this training program in Otolaryngology .  The resident, upon completion of the program, must realize that competence at a given moment in time - upon completion- does not result in continued competence without continued achieving of the other goals of research awareness, clinical expertise, continued education, and adherence to basic ethical standards and practice guidelines.  Clinical abilities include: appropriate diagnostic methods, appropriate medical and surgical treatment, and possible future identification of disorders currently undefined.  The fund of knowledge and the abilities common to competency at one point in time, if they remain static, may be related to incompetency in the future.

 

Instilling in the resident the need for continued education after leaving a regimented curriculum is a key programmatic goal.  Introduction to the American Academy of Otolaryngology's continued education courses and the requirement to take these courses, with attendance at societal meetings and presentation by the residents of studies performed by them, are the elements developed to achieve the goal of awareness and activity in continuing education.

The goal of passing the certifying examinations by the American Board of Otolaryngology, which admittedly does not evaluate competence, but does evaluate the fund of knowledge and the abilities that can allow for competence, is developed through regular questioning by the faculty on a day-to-day basis, participation in the continuing education materials of the Academy and the annual examination and practice drills in an oral examination format which allows for the development within the resident of thought processes and organized approaches to problem solving.

The program and rotational goals and objectives include a comprehensive, well organized and effective curriculum including the cyclical presentation of core specialty knowledge through an intensive weekly lecture schedule.  This teaching takes place through a variety of settings including outpatient clinic, inpatient ward rounding, operating room teaching, research laboratories, and a formal lecture curriculum.  Competencies in academic matters such a medical knowledge and practice based learning are evaluated based upon score reviews on the inservice training exam, home study course, patient of the month program, and the institutional common curriculum yearly completion.  Clinical competencies of patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and systems based-practice are judged by one on one contact of the faculty with residents and graded upon prior resident competency evaluations. A 360 degree evaluation inclusive of clinic, OR and hospital ward staff are also utilized in competency evaluations.  Grand Rounds discussion and mock board sessions will also serve as measures of clinical competency.  Interpersonal and communication skills, as well as professionalism will be judged by 360 degree evaluations of the competencies.

 

 Surgical Experience

While not all residents are expected to have the same operative experience, the total surgical procedures performed by the residents should be similar and sufficient in number and variety to provide education of the entire scope of otolaryngic surgical care. At the resident committee discretion and chair decision, residents may be directed to specific cases to improve the variety and experience in certain complex cases based on their cumulative operative experience.

Documentation of each individual resident's operative experience must be provided on a yearly basis and the accumulative operative experience will be reviewed semiannually by the Resident Oversight Committee (ROC).  Case Logs are recorded by each resident online on the ACGME website. The accumulative records at the end of the year will be submitted to the American Board of Otolaryngology and as needed for review by the RRC.