Internship
All residents complete a one-year internship of surgery at Baylor College of Medicine. The internship is integrated into the department’s residency program and is under its supervision.
The surgical experience includes one-month rotations in plastic surgery, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, general surgery and critical care. Other rotations during the year include thoracic, vascular and pediatric surgery. The rotations in the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery are spent at Ben Taub Hospital, the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and Texas Children's Hospital. Currently, two months are spent on the otolaryngology service at the MEDVAMC.
Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery
The PGY 2-5 otolaryngology - head and neck surgery training consists of broad and diverse clinical experiences. During the four years of training, residents rotate through Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center, the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Texas Children's Hospital, Harris Health System Ben Taub Hospital, and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Each hospital has comprehensive Otolaryngology - Head and Neck services with outpatient clinics, inpatient services, dedicated operating room time, emergency services, and diagnostic testing.
PGY-2
During the PGY-2 year, residents rotate through three Baylor affiliated Hospitals: Ben Taub Hospital, the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Texas Children's Hospital. PGY-2 residents, during the first two months, also participate in a six-week boot camp that provides the necessary scientific background and clinical fundamentals for the physician entering this phase of training. Subjects include head and neck anatomy, temporal bone anatomy, audiology and vestibular physiology, simulation, allergy, head and neck radiology, and otolaryngic-head and neck surgery emergencies.
PGY-3
During the PGY-3 year, residents assume greater responsibilities in patient care and surgery. The typical year includes a dedicated research block and rotations at Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center, Texas Children's Hospital, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center and MD Anderson. The Texas Children's Hospital rotation includes special exposure to pediatric patients with airway anomalies, head and neck masses, hearing loss, neonatal and pediatric intensive care needs, chronic sinusitis, and congenital disorders.
PGY-4
The PGY-4 year of training provides intensive operating room experience with rotations at the Ben Taub Hospital, the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, and as Chief Resident at Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center. This year offers comprehensive experiences with increasing levels of responsibility in facial plastic surgery, reconstructive surgery, aerodigestive endoscopy, endocrine surgery of the head and neck, endoscopic sinus surgery, and microlaryngeal surgery.
PGY-5
The PGY-5 year of residency is the chief residency year with rotations at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Ben Taub Hospital and UT MD Anderson (with fellow level responsibilities). During this year, the Chief resident is responsible for patients under his/her auspices at these three hospitals during outpatient clinics, inpatient hospitalizations, surgical procedures, and emergency consultations. The chiefs are directly responsible to the attending staff at each hospital. The Chiefs are responsible for overseeing and teaching junior residents in clinic, the operating room, and ER care.
Resident responsibilities and educational goals are level-dependent as the resident progresses from junior to senior resident level. The experience at Ben Taub Hospital allows a comprehensive, hands-on experience with adult (general otolaryngology) patients as well as trauma patients. Rotations at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center provide unique opportunities in head and neck cancer management, otology, laryngology and facial reconstructive surgery. The UT MD Anderson rotations provide a comprehensive exposure to head and neck cancer cases, with an opportunity to return as a senior level resident fulfilling fellow level responsibilities on a busy head and neck surgery service. Texas Children's Hospital provides experience in all facets of pediatric otolaryngology.
Curriculum Details
For more information about the program curriculum, please see below:
Didactic sessions are at the heart of the educational process for residents in training. The Department of Otolaryngology is proud to offer trainees many opportunities for learning through lectures, hands-on simulation and training modules. Highlights of our training program include:
Grand Rounds
Each week residents select and present a patient case presentation and topic for discussion from one of the affiliated hospitals.
Tumor Boards
These head and neck multi-disciplinary conferences are held at at Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center, Ben Taub Hospital, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center and MD Anderson Cancer Center. They include participation with otolaryngology head and neck surgeons, oncologists, radiation therapists, oral surgeons, speech therapists and pathologists. These participants also meet with residents to plan the therapy of patients with head and neck cancer.
Sub-specialty Conferences
Texas Medical Center faculty present topics to residents in the areas of otology, neurotology, head and neck surgery, general otolaryngology, facial plastics and reconstructive surgery, allergy/immunology, laryngology, sleep and pediatric otolaryngology. Other lectures include neuroradiology, pathology, infectious diseases, speech pathology, radiotherapy and pulmonary medicine.
Journal Club
Review of landmark journal articles and current literature updates.
Additional Opportunities
To compliment didactic lectures, hands-on learning courses, simulation, and training modules are provided periodically.
- Basic science course
- Rhinoplasty course
- Temporal Bone course
- Trauma course
- Endoscopic Sinus surgery course
- Rigid Fixation workshop
- Soft-tissue workshop
- Cochlia (Resident led discussion)
Resident responsibilities and educational goals are level-dependent as the resident progresses from junior to senior level.
Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center offers residents the opportunity to address a broad spectrum of patient conditions.
The experience at Harris Health System Ben Taub Hospital allows a comprehensive, hands-on experience with adult patients as well as trauma patients.
Rotations at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center provide unique opportunities in head and neck cancer management, otology, laryngology and facial reconstructive surgery.
Texas Children's Hospital provides experience in all facets of pediatric otolaryngology.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center rotations provide a comprehensive exposure to head and neck cancer cases, with an opportunity to return as a senior-level resident fulfilling fellow-level responsibilities on a busy head and neck surgery service.
One highlight of the program is the research block in the PGY-3 year for residents. This experience introduces research design, as well as the critical thought process used in laboratory science and in the pursuit of new knowledge, thus providing the resident with strong scientific insight to apply to the practice of medicine.
Many residents choose to work with the department’s faculty who are world leaders in the fields of cochlear biophysics, hair cell transduction, vestibular compensation, and cochlear development. Residents have also worked in other Baylor College of Medicine laboratories, or at other affiliated institutions. This includes Rice University and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, with residents pursuing projects in tumorigenesis and molecular genetics. Residents find this time to be extremely rewarding because they can enhance their training through scientific presentations and publications.
Frequently, residents present their work at national meetings including the:
- American Academy of Otolaryngology –Head and Neck Surgery
- Combined Otolaryngology Spring Meetings
- Triological Society, American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology
- American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
- American Rhinologic Society
The projects of BCM’s residents have won research awards from the American Head and Neck Society, the Triological Society, and the Texas Association of Otolaryngology –Head and Neck Surgery.
Research Areas
The international reputation of Baylor College of Medicine’s faculty and its affiliated hospitals attract patients from all over the world. 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 healthcare settings.
Affiliated Hospitals
- Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center
- Harris Health System / Ben Taub Hospital
- Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center
- Texas Children's Hospital
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Baylor College of Medicine Difference
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, residents, and biomedical researchers. Baylor's annual research support is in excess of $363 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 925 residents from medical schools throughout the United States and 61 other countries train at Baylor each year.
Dynamic, Resource-Rich Environment
Few teaching programs can match the breadth of Baylor's affiliated teaching hospitals, which together have approximately 9,200 beds and record 10 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 1300-acre Texas Medical Center includes 52 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 our residency program is the high volume of patients seen and the range of procedures performed. In 2023, the department had 100,536 outpatient visits and the residents and faculty performed 18,265 operative procedures in the affiliated hospitals. Residents act as surgeon on an average of more than 1,500 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.