Residency Program Curriculum

PGY-1 residents spend six months on the otolaryngology service and six months on useful off-service rotations including general surgery, critical care, emergency medicine and oral and maxillofacial surgery. The first three consecutive months are spent on the general surgery service and the last three consecutive months are spent on the otolaryngology service. 

General Surgery Rotation

The main goal of this rotation is to provide a broad exposure to the skills and knowledge base necessary for the appropriate evaluation, assessment and management of the surgical patient. Secondary goals include learning to work as an effective part of the healthcare team and developing the communication and professionalism skills necessary to become a successful physician. It is a three-month rotation with one month on each general surgery at UofL Health - Jewish Hospital, pediatric surgery at Norton Children’s Hospital and trauma surgery at UofL Health - UofL Hospital.  

Emergency Medicine Rotation

The main goal of this rotation is to provide exposure to the emergency room setting. There is emphasis on developing suturing and procedural skills. It is a one-month rotation at UofL Health - UofL Hospital.

Critical Care Rotation

The main goal of this rotation is to provide exposure to the skills and knowledge base for managing critical care patients in the surgical ICU. Secondary goals include development of communication and procedural skills. The critical care team is led by the anesthesia-critical care attending faculty. It is a one-month rotation at UofL Health - UofL Hospital. 

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Rotation

The main goal of this rotation is to provide exposure to the field of oral and maxillofacial surgery. Secondary goals include recognizing head and neck pathology requiring OMFS management and understanding the co-management of certain patients. Time is spent in both the operating room and clinics. It is a one-month rotation at UofL Health - UofL Hospital.

The PGY-2 to PGY-5 years are spent rotating between the university service covering UofL Health - UofL Hospital, the private service covering Norton Downtown Hospital, UofL Health - Jewish Hospital and Norton Children’s Hospital and the VA service covering the Louisville VA Medical Center. Three months are spent on research. One month is an elective month. 

ULH

The UofL Health - UofL Hospital is a large tertiary referral center and teaching hospital with a diverse patient population from a large catchment area. Residents perform a large volume of both elective and emergent level-appropriate surgical procedures with increasing autonomy. It is a Level I Trauma Center, one of two in the state of Kentucky. Residents share facial trauma call with the OMFS and plastic surgery services. The UofL Health - UofL Hospital is also home to the nationally accredited Brown Cancer Center and residents participate in weekly Multidisciplinary Tumor Board Clinic for head and neck cancer patients.

Norton Children's

Norton Children’s Hospital is the only free-standing tertiary care children’s hospital in the state of Kentucky and provides a broad exposure to complex pediatric otolaryngology disorders requiring both operative and non-operative management. It is a pediatric Level 1 Trauma Center, one of two in the state of Kentucky.  Residents share Q3 facial trauma call with the OMFS and plastic surgery services. 

Norton Downtown/Jewish Hospital

Norton Downtown Hospital and Jewish Hospital are large, integrated teaching hospitals for a diverse adult patient population. These hospitals are a major component of the adult operative experience, primarily for elective procedures. Norton Downtown Hospital is also home to the Norton Cancer Institute and here residents participate in weekly Multidisciplinary Tumor Board and clinic for head and neck cancer patients.

VAMC

The Louisville Veterans Affairs Medical Center is a part of the VISN 9 group of national Veterans Hospitals. This is a busy facility with the principal mission of serving the needs of United States veterans. Because of the aging of this population, residents learn the intricacies of operative and non-operative management of the geriatric population with considerable medical comorbidities. This rotation serves as an effective source of autonomous complex decision making in otolaryngology. 

The elective rotation allows for both ambulatory and operative experiences in various settings and related specialties depending on career goals. This rotation occurs for one month during the PGY-4 year.

The research rotation consists of 3 nonconsecutive months, one in each of the PGY-2, PGY-3 and PGY-4 years. The research experience for otolaryngology residents is not isolated to this rotation but occurs in a structured curriculum beginning in the PGY-1 year. During their rotation, the resident is excused from all clinical duties except night call. 

Residents develop research projects in collaboration with faculty. Expectations are clearly outlined in annually presented “research contracts” which provide the resident with specific deadlines for completion of research tasks.

Residents present at local, regional and national meetings and conferences. Program and financial support are provided for presentation of projects. For additional information or if you have questions about our research program, reach out to our vice chair for research, Liz Cash.

Residents take home call covering the downtown Health Sciences Center campus and the VA Medical Center. The ENT primary call schedule, split between PGY-2 and PGY-3 residents, is q. 6. Weekend call is also split evenly with at least two full weekends off every month. PGY-1 residents take buddy call while on the otolaryngology service. The ENT backup call schedule, split between PGY-4 and PGY-5 residents, is q. 5. 

PRIV = Private Hospitals (Norton Hospital, Norton Children's, Jewish Hospital); CC = Critical Care

Residents are provided three hours of protected didactic time on Friday mornings, during which residents are required to attend scheduled sessions including:

• Attending and Resident Grand Rounds Lectures
• Guest Speaker Grand Rounds Lectures
• Attending and Resident Clinical Case Presentations
• Quality Improvement M&M Conference
• Book Club (based on assigned textbook readings)
• Otolaryngology Study Group (lower level residents)

Facial Trauma Conference

A monthly case-based facial trauma conference with the OMFS and plastic surgery departments to discuss surgical methods and outcomes in facial trauma patients.

Head and Neck Multidisciplinary Conference

A weekly conference at the University of Louisville Brown Cancer Center and the Norton Cancer Institute to discuss multidisciplinary care of head and neck cancer patients. Residents present new patients and participate in discussion of evaluation and management.

Journal Club

A monthly conference to discuss both classic and current journal papers. The articles are briefly summarized, critically analyzed and related to clinical practice by the presenting residents and then further general discussion is encouraged by other residents and faculty.

In-House Courses are organized by residents and subspecialty faculty and include a Friday afternoon lecture by attending faculty and guest faculty and a Saturday morning cadaver dissection. The annual courses are as follows:

• Temporal Bone Course
• Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Course
• Trauma Plating Course
• Allergy & Sinus Course
• Head & Neck Course

Extramural Courses allow each PGY level resident to have additional level-appropriate educational opportunities. All costs associated with course attendance are paid for by the department. Traditionally the following courses are attended:

• ORL Emergencies Bootcamp (PGY-1)
• AOCMF Management of Facial Trauma Course (PGY-2)
• University of Michigan Temporal Bone Course (PGY-3)
• Indiana University Head and Neck Course (PGY-4)
• AAOA Basic Course in Allergy & Immunology (PGY-5)

Kevin Potts, department chair, has traveled numerous times to Ecuador and Kenya treating hundreds of children and adults who have minimal access to healthcare. Yearly, Drs. Potts and Bumpous lead a team of surgeons, anesthesiologists, CRNAs, nurses and residents, that travels to Migori, Kenya. This opportunity allows residents to perform numerous thyroidectomies for patients with enlarged and symptomatic thyroid goiters. They also serve patients with many other additional head and neck pathologies. 

The program is run in collaboration with Kenya Relief, whose mission is to rekindle hope for a new generation in Kenya through partnership between communities, uniting for a common good. According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, “residency is an optimal time to participate in humanitarian mission trips domestically and especially abroad. Such service can hopefully set a pattern for future service and can be a tremendous learning and teaching experience.”

“The educational value of mission work is immense—extending beyond clinical and surgical experience. Short-term mission work will help these young physicians become more compassionate and grateful as they prepare for their practice,” said Dr. Potts.

See photos from our trips on our Flickr page.