The Department of Otolaryngology offers 3 or 4-week introductory and 4-week advanced clinical rotations in otolaryngology for medical students who elect otolaryngology in their third or fourth year. Select teaching activities in year II of the medical school curriculum are also conducted by various faculty members.

• Third Year Medical Student Rotation

  This experience provides an introductory overview of the specialty of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, including an introduction to subspecialties within the fields such as neurotology, head and neck surgery, pediatrics, laryngology, allergy, facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, and maxillofacial trauma. The learning objectives herein include the following:

  • Develop skills relative to performing thorough head and neck examinations.
  • Become familiarized with audiolology, vestibular, and laryngology laboratories and examination procedures such as audiologic tests, electronystagmography, laryngoscopy, and videostroboscopy.
  • Gain exposure to various patient populations with head and neck pathologies including, acute otitis media, vertigo, rhinitis, epistaxis, sinusitis, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, laryngitis, dysphagia, and dysphonia.
  • Become acquainted with the work-up and treatment for otolaryngologic emergencies such as airway obstruction, tracheotomy care, caustic ingestion, deep neck abscesses, and maxillofacial trauma.
  • Observe outpatient surgical aspects of otolaryngology, including septoplasty, functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS), tonsillectomy, and pressure equalization (PE) tube insertions. To complete this experience the medical student is expected to select a topic of interest in the areas studied and prepare a 10 minute oral presentation to be delivered to the residents during the final week of this rotation. Honors may be obtained by completing a paper and receiving appropriate grading by the faculty.
    
    Rotations are arranged through the coordinator, John D. Cramer, M.D.
     
• Fourth Year Medical Student Rotation

  This experience provides a comprehensive overview of the surgical specialty of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery either for those students who would like additional experience for a primary care track or for those students evaluating otolaryngology as a potential career. Aspects of the Residency program are explored through close affiliations with both departmental faculty and residents. The learning objectives of this rotation include the following:

  • Enhance history taking skills relative to head and neck pathologies
  • Improve techniques of head and neck examinations
  • Understand the purpose, value, and results of numerous laboratory assessments of various otolaryngologic disorders
  • Gain exposure to alternative work-up and treatment strategies for several different in- and out-patient populations with head and neck pathologies
  • Observe surgical aspects of otolaryngology with emphasis on both out-patient and in-patient procedures. Compared to the third year rotation, students during the fourth year will be provided with more integrated activity in the office and opportunity to assist in the operating room. Students in the advance rotation are expected to attend departmental clinical conferences during the rotation period, and they can receive a grade of Honors for the experience if they write a paper posing a question to review and/or research in the field of otolaryngology that is judged meritorious by the faculty members with whom they consult

  Rotations are arranged through the coordinator, John D. Cramer, M.D.

• Research Rotation/Elective

  This experience is essentially designed to familiarize the students with the fundamental concepts of clinical and/or research in a basic science laboratory. Specifically, the learning objective include the following:

  • Become aware of the overall research requirements of a residency program
  • Gain insight into how to review the medical literature
  • Develop skills necessary to write and orally present original research projects
  • Understand various biochemical and elctrophysiological testing techniques.

  Research with faculty in Otologic / Oncologic and related fields is available.
  
  Dennis Drescher, Ph.D. - Biochemistry, Molecular Biology
  Professor, Otolaryngology & Biochemistry
  
  Marian Drescher, Ph.D. - Neurotransmitter Substances
  Associate Professor, Otolaryngology

  Harry Goshgarian, M.D. - Neuronal Plasticity
  Professor, Anatomy & Cellular Biology

  Alexander Gow, Ph.D. - Molecular & Cellular Neuroscience
  Professor, Center for Molecular Medicine & Genetics,
  Carman and Ann Adams Dept of Pediatrics, Neurology

   

  Zhengqing Hu, Ph.D. - Stem Cell Regeneration of Cochlea
  Associate Professor, Otolaryngology

  
  Ho-Sheng Lin, M.D. - Proteomics, Molecular Biomarkers
  Professor, Otolaryngology

  
  Fazlul Sarker, Ph.D. - Molecular Biology of Cancer
  Professor, Pathology

  
  Michael Tainsky, Ph.D.. Proteomics
  Professor/Director, Cancer Genetics

  
  Wei-Zen Wei, Ph.D. - Tumor Immunology
  Professor, Immunology/Microbiology

  
  Jinsheng Zhang, Ph.D. - Auditory Implants
  Professor, Otolaryngology
  
  Rotations are arranged through the Director of this Program: Dennis Drescher, Ph.D.

  The preferred rotation is designed for two months although more limited experience can be arranged with the research/clinical faculty mentor.

• Student Advisors
  Career planning is an on-going process of understanding yourself, conducting research into various specialties, and creating shadowing opportunities to experience firsthand the different clinical opportunities available to you. There are a variety of resources to assist you in your career development. Read more.