Since its inception in 1900, Baylor College of Medicine has offered important and unique opportunities to the prospective physician-scientist. Since 1969, Baylor has been a freestanding, independent school of medicine. Today, the College enjoys an international reputation as a leader in health science education - we have educated and trained more than 17,000 physicians and residents - and biomedical research - Baylor's annual research support is in excess of $302 million and the College includes some 90 research and patient care centers and units.

Baylor comprises a College of Medicine and The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. The College offers a combined M.D./Ph.D. degree program, as well as M.S. programs in Physician Assistant, and Nurse Anesthesia. Baylor College of Medicine also works with several academic and health care institutions to offer other educational opportunities. For example, the college collaborates with neighboring Rice University on M.D./M.B.A. and Ph.D./M.B.A. programs that respond to the changing practice of medicine and health care economics. Also within walking distance is The University of Texas School of Public Health.

Baylor conducts one of the largest graduate medical education training programs in Texas and in the nation. In addition to otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, the College offers residency programs in 20 other medical specialties. Overall, more than 950 residents from medical schools throughout the United States and 61 other countries train at Baylor each year. More than one-third of our residents are women, and there is a growing presence of underrepresented minorities.

Work in a Dynamic, Resource-Rich Environment

Few teaching programs can match the breadth of Baylor's affiliated teaching hospitals, which together have approximately 6,500 beds and record 5.1 million patient visits each year. Baylor and its affiliated hospitals are located in close proximity to each other in the heart of Houston's Medical Center. The 1000-acre Texas Medical Center includes 47 member institutions, which combine to create one of the largest and most advanced health care and research environments in the world. In addition to exceptional people and facilities, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery residents at Baylor have access to a vast array of resources to maximize their training and successfully launch their careers. These resources include the Houston Academy of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library, one of the country's largest medical libraries and one of only eight in the nation designated as a  Regional Medical Library by the National Library of Medicine. Further resources can be found in  Baylor's Learning Resource Center and the Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Department library, which includes all major specialty journals in the field, dating back almost 50 years.

Treat a Broad Spectrum of Patients in the Best Hospitals

The international reputation of Baylor's faculty and affiliated hospitals attract patients from across the country and around the world. The Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Residents rotate through five of the country's best hospitals, which include outstanding private and public facilities, as well as specialized pediatric and cancer hospitals. These elements combine to provide an exceptional learning environment where residents see a broad spectrum of patients, a wide range of medical conditions, and multiple health care settings. Another important aspect of Baylor's Residency Program is the high volume of patients seen and the range of procedures performed. In 2008, the Department had 48,800 outpatient visits and the residents and faculty performed 12,100 operative procedures in the affiliated hospitals. Residents act as surgeon on an average of more than 1,600 operative cases and as assistant on more than 500 cases during their training. Operative procedures are carried out in all areas of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, including head and neck, otologic/neurotologic, facial plastic, endoscopic and general otolaryngology-head and neck surgery.

Another important aspect of Baylor's Residency Program is the high volume of patients seen and the range of procedures performed. In 2008, the Department had 48,800 outpatient visits and the residents and faculty performed 12,100 operative procedures in the affiliated hospitals. Residents act as surgeon on an average of more than 1,600 operative cases and as assistant on more than 500 cases during their training. Operative procedures are carried out in all areas of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, including head and neck, otologic/neurotologic, facial plastic, endoscopic and general otolaryngology-head and neck surgery.

 

Affiliated Hospitals

The Methodist Hospital

The Methodist Hospital, which has 950 licensed beds in its seven-building complex, is one of the largest private, nonprofit institutions in the United States. A pioneer in cardiovascular surgery, innovative diagnostic and surgical treatments for aneurysms, and cancer treatment, the hospital has an international reputation as a specialty referral center. It serves approximately 40,000 inpatients each year, from 50 states and more than 80 countries and performs nearly 1 million outpatient surgical procedures annually. Recognized for its staff of internationally acclaimed cardiovascular surgeons, which included pioneer Michael E. DeBakey, M.D, Methodist is one of the most surgically intensive hospitals in the country.

Methodist has attracted international scientific and public attention for research activities and clinical care in the disciplines of cardiovascular surgery, general surgery, otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, immunology, internal medicine, neurosurgery, neurology, and orthopedics.

The Methodist Hospital is the home of the world's first multidisciplinary center devoted to neurosensory disorders. Operated in conjunction with Baylor, the Neurosensory Center is composed of The Institute for Head and Neck Surgery - which houses The Bobby R. Alford Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.

Texas Children's Hospital

Texas Children's Hospital is an internationally recognized children's hospital and the primary pediatric training site for Baylor College of Medicine, which has one of the largest pediatric residency programs in the country. Texas Children's is a 456-licensed bed, full-care pediatric facility. After the dedication of two new facilities in 1991 and renovation of its original structure, Texas Children's became the largest pediatric hospital in the nation.

Texas Children's provides medical care in more than 40 pediatric specialties and subspecialties. In 2008, the hospital had more than 22,128 admissions, conducted 1,215,424 clinic visits, and performed 21,509 surgical procedures. Texas Children's also has the largest pediatric Emergency Center in South Central Texas, with more than 83,968 children seen in 2008. Its pediatric oncology center is one of the largest such centers in the nation.

Together, Baylor and Texas Children's operate the nation's first Children's Nutrition Research Center, a U.S. Department of Agriculture facility that conducts research on the nutritional needs of pregnant and nursing women and their children. TCH participates in approximately 1000 research projects and receives more than $115 million in annual extramural grant support. Current projects include testing of medications to improve the quality of life for patients with HIV infections and AIDS, diagnostic methods based on DNA analysis for deafness, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy and other generic disorders, development of treatments through human gene therapy and other basic and applied research studies.

 

Harris County Hospital District Ben Taub General Hospital

The Harris County Hospital District is a public authority providing hospital care and health services to indigent citizens of Harris County, which has a population of over 3 million and includes the City of Houston. The Hospital District consists of two acute care hospitals (Ben Taub and LBJ General Hospitals), eleven community-based primary care clinics, Quentin Mease Community Hospital, a free-standing clinic for HIV-infected patients, as well as a dental clinic and several other community-based health programs.

Ben Taub General Hospital is a 650-bed, fully-integrated acute care facility. As the largest hospital in the Harris County Hospital District, Ben Taub provides an impressive range of services. More than 24,000 hospital admissions, 15,000 major surgical procedures, and 5,600 obstetrical deliveries annually. In addition, more than 195,000 patients are seen each year in the hospital's outpatient clinics.The renowned emergency department treats more than 150,000 patients per year in its Level I trauma center, and the psychiatric, pediatric, and obstetric/gynecologic emergency centers. Several national educational and entertainment programs on trauma have chosen to film segments at Ben Taub.

All medical and surgical services at Ben Taub General Hospital are staffed entirely by Baylor College of Medicine faculty and residents. The Hospital's chief of staff and the chief of every medical and surgical service are full-time Baylor faculty members.

Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center

The Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center is one of the largest facilities in the VA System. This state-of-the-art tertiary care center, which opened in 1991, features 415 acute care, medical, intermediate medicine and surgical beds, and a 120-bed nursing home. An automated transport system delivers food, laundry, and supplies throughout the building.

For 50 years, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center staff have provided clinical training for health care professionals through affiliations with Baylor College of Medicine and 85 other educational and research institutions. The vast majority of Houston VAMC physicians are faculty members of Baylor College of Medicine.The Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center serves as the health care provider for more than 120,000 veterans in the Houston metropolitan area and beyond. Veterans from around the country are referred to the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center for specialized diagnosis and treatment. Inpatient services include medicine, surgery (including all surgical specialties), psychiatry, neurology, ophthalmology, rehabilitation medicine, and spinal cord injury.

In 2008, the Houston VAMC admitted 13,756 patients and recorded 745,523 outpatient visits. Specialized treatment programs include cardiac surgery, medical and surgical intensive care, cardiology, hemodialysis, alcohol and drug rehabilitation, dermatology, radiation therapy, audiology and speech pathology, AIDS, prosthetics, sleep disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychiatric day treatment, geriatrics, homeless veterans program, women veterans program, hospital-based home care, and dentistry.

Research at the Houston VAMC encompasses biomedical, psychosocial, and quality of care projects and is supported with more than $20 million annually.

The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center is one of the world's most respected centers devoted exclusively to cancer patient care, research, education, and prevention. M.D. Anderson is one of the nation's original three Comprehensive Cancer Centers designated by the National Cancer Act of 1971 and is one of 35 such centers today.

Since 1944, more than 800,000 patients have turned to M.D. Anderson for cancer care in the form of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy or combinations of these and other treatments. Today, M.D. Anderson and Memorial Sloan-Kettering are the two largest cancer centers in the country. In 2008, M.D. Anderson's 1,400 faculty members will care for 29,000 new patients and handled 920,000 outpatient clinic visits. Scientific knowledge gained in the laboratory is rapidly translated into clinical care through research trials. Last year, more than 13,000 patients were enrolled in active clinical trials to explore new treatments for every kind of cancer.

M.D. Anderson's research program is considered one of the most productive efforts in the world aimed solely at cancer. In 2008, total research expenditures reached $488 million. M.D. Anderson is first in the number of grants awarded by the National Cancer Institute and second in total awards received through the NCI.

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©2001-2009 Baylor College of Medicine
Bobby R. Alford Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Mail: One Baylor Plaza, NA102, Houston, TX 77030
Phone: 713-798-5906
E-mail: oto@bcm.edu

Last modified: Oct. 14, 2009

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