The University of Kansas School of Medicine Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (OTOHNS) training program accepts 3 new residents each year through the National Resident Matching Program (www.nrmp.org). Resident applications received through the NRMP prior to the stipulated deadline are reviewed by the faculty. Applicants must graduate from a LCME-accredited medical school in the United States or Canada and be able to obtain Kansas and Missouri medical licenses. Approximately 30 – 40 applicants are invited for interviews. During the interview process, the invited applicants are interviewed by the Program Faculty and PGY-3 residents. The other PGY-1 through PGY-5 OTOHNS residents are also available during the interview day for questions and tours. Interviewees are ranked on the basis of their preparedness, ability, aptitude, academic credentials, communication skills, and personal qualities. The University of Kansas Program does not discriminate with regard to sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, disability or veteran status. Following the interviews, the faculty meet to prepare a rank list of the applicants in preparation for the final rank list submission. The final NRMP match results are then available in mid-March.

The OTOHNS training consists of 5 years of OTOHNS training. The PGY-1 year consists of a combination of rotations on OTOHNS, surgical specialties, general surgery, ICU, anesthesia and emergency medicine. Currently one of the PGY-1 residents is based at the University of Kansas Medical Center, while the other two PGY-1 residents are based at Truman and Saint Luke’s Medical Center. The remaining 4 years are focused on OTOHNS training. The last year of OTOHNS training is the chief resident year. Five Medical Centers comprise the educational foundation for the University of Kansas School of Medicine OTOHNS Residency Program. The entire 5 years of clinical training is under the direction of the Department of OTOHNS Chairman, Doug Girod, MD, the OTOHNS Residency Program Director, Terry Tsue, MD, and the OTOHNS Associate Program Director, Robert Weatherly, MD. The OTOHNS Research Program is directed by the Resident Research Committee, chaired by the OTOHNS Director of Research, Dianne Durham, PhD. The University of Kansas Residency Program has received a favorable review with commendation by the ACGME OTOHNS Residency Review Committee. No citations were given and a maximum 5-year inter-review interval was awarded. The Residency Program was approved in 2004 by the Otolaryngology Resident Review Committee to expand from 2 to 3 OTOHNS residents per PGY-level. The Program will transition to its full complement of 15 PGY-1 to PGY-5 residents in 2007.

The University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) is a 468-bed hospital, which includes a 21-bed Surgical Intensive Care Unit and 26-bed OTOHNS ward. The 5-6 OTOHNS residents rotating at KUMC are given primary responsibility for the inpatient care and surgical management of all patients admitted to KUMC. The KUMC Blue (H&N, FPRS) and Red Teams (Rhinology, Otology, Laryngology, and Peds Oto) are each led by a chief resident. This allows for an in-depth and focused educational experience into each sub-specialty field. The clinical service is complemented by an OTOHNS Physician’s Assistant and patient care coordinator. The care of OTOHNS patients is closely supervised by one of the 12 KUMC attending staff physicians. There is no differentiation between private and non-private patients. There is a graded, supervised progression of responsibility throughout the residency and residents perform nearly all of the surgical procedures performed at KUMC. There are typically 2 to 4 concurrent OTOHNS OR rooms operating daily, as well as the OTOHNS outpatient clinic and Minor OR. OTOHNS residents also have the opportunity to operate with OTOHNS faculty at the KU Med West outpatient surgical center, enhancing their facial plastics, sinus and pediatric surgical experience.

The University of Kansas OTOHNS Residency Program is fully integrated with the OTOHNS Service at the Veteran's Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Kansas City, Missouri, a short 10 to 15 minute drive to the east. The VAMC is a 300-bed hospital with seven beds assigned to OTOHNS. One chief resident and one junior resident are assigned to the VAMC OTOHNS service at all times. One of the VAMC attending staff physicians is present at all times to supervise the outpatient clinic and the operating theater. The chief resident has direct responsibility for patient care under the supervision of the OTOHNS faculty assigned for a specific date. This provides the opportunity for residents within our OTOHNS program to manage patients with somewhat more autonomy and responsibility. The attending staff is consulted on all operative cases, and a surgical plan is determined prior to surgery. OTOHNS residents then are able to perform all of the surgical procedures at the VAMC under the attending staff's mentoring. The OTOHNS team is in the major OR 2 days per week and in the OTOHNS outpatient clinic the remaining 3 days. Minor OR cases are also performed during one of the clinic days.

One junior OTOHNS resident rotates at Children's Mercy Hospital (CMH). CMH is a 160-bed regional pediatric tertiary care medical center. Each resident works closely with the 6 CMH OTOHNS attending staff physicians in the outpatient, inpatient and surgical management of the full spectrum of common to complex pediatric OTOHNS problems. The majority of the resident’s time is spent focusing on the workup and management of issues requiring surgical intervention.

One junior resident rotates on a combined rotation at Truman Medical Center (TMC) and Saint Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC). For 2-3 months of their first year, each of the 2 TMC OTOHNS PGY-1 residents also rotates on the TMC-SLMC OTOHNS Team. TMC is located about 10 min to the east of KUMC and is attached to CMH. TMC is the main institution of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine and is a 209-bed facility. The OTOHNS residents are under the supervision of the 2 TMC OTOHNS faculty physicians and the educational experience includes head and neck surgery and general otolaryngology in a county-hospital setting. SLMC is a 560-bed multi-specialty private hospital located just a few minutes from KUMC. This is a unique educational experience for the residents to learn in a multi-specialty private-practice-like setting. The rotating OTOHNS resident is under the close supervision of the 5 SLMC attending physicians. The 5 supervising faculty are a combination of academic and clinical faculty.

When the full 15-resident complement is obtained in July 2007, the SLMC rotation becomes an independent PGY-4 senior resident rotation. The TMC rotation becomes combined with the CMH rotation where 2 to 3 different PGY-level OTOHNS residents are able to take advantage of the multi-resident level learning opportunities at these two adjacent Participating Institutions. Also, an additional month long Research-Clinical Competency-Radiation Oncology rotation is added to the PGY-4 year to supplement the current 4-month PGY-3 Research rotation.

There are no clinical fellows at the University of Kansas Department of OTOHNS allowing our residents to experience the full complement of clinical opportunities.

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