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Otolaryngology Residency

Otolaryngology Residency

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The Otolaryngology Residency at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center is a five-year, ACGME-accredited program that admits 3 residents per year.

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Program Details

What’s it like to be an otolaryngology resident at Penn State? Join prior chief resident Dr. Robert Saadi and resident Dr. Allison Keane (then PGY-3 trainee) as they share a day in the life of the program.

The primary goal for trainees in the Otolaryngology Residency is developing the knowledge base, surgical skills, clinical acumen and research skills to be successful in a career in otolaryngology. To that end, the program provides an environment and clinical experience that allows professional growth to occur.

The Otolaryngology Residency provides the full spectrum of clinical exposure, with focus on head and neck oncology, pediatric otolaryngology, otology, facial plastics and reconstructive surgery, maxillofacial trauma, laryngology, sinonasal and allergic disease and endocrine surgery.

Residents are expected to be dedicated to the ideals of residency training, with emphasis on the balance of self-directed and facilitated learning, combined with diligence in the execution of patient care responsibilities.

Why Choose Penn State Otolaryngology?

As a resident, you’re a doctor from day one, taking care of patients and learning clinical medicine. In this video, Otolaryngology Residency alumni share how the program prepared them for their careers.
  • The program is based on two inpatient facilities, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, with integrated services. Outpatient experience is obtained through the University Physicians Center on campus, as well as at off-site outpatient clinics.
  • Operative experience is primarily at Hershey Medical Center, but outpatient surgical experiences occur through other SurgiCenters.
  • Call responsibilities are for Hershey Medical Center emergency room and inpatient consults, as well as inpatient otolaryngology patients. Residents usually take call from home, at the discretion of the program director. Typically, call schedules are maintained at every fourth night. The program is compliant with current ACGME requirements for resident work hours.
  • Three weeks of vacation are provided per year. An additional five days of continuing medical education/education time are available for conferences and courses beyond those internal and external courses integrated into the program. Learn more about policies and benefits for all residents here.
  • The residency program provides access to a full complement of electronic journals and textbooks through Harrell Health Sciences Library and departmental resources.

A residency manual is distributed each year to the residents, which includes the program outline, current curriculum, residency policies and examples of tools utilized in resident and program evaluation.

Learn More about the Residency

Residency Quick Facts Expand answer

The Otolaryngology Residency is a fully-accredited training program in Hershey, Pa. Many clinical facilities reside on the 550-acre main campus, with several satellite offices and surgery centers across central Pennsylvania.

About the Residency

  • Two tracks: Five-year clinical or six-year research (with one year of research and five years of clinical), with Match options for one or both programs
  • Penn State will be matching 3 residents for the July 2024 start (2 clinical and 1 research)
  • The program’s Match quota is three residents per year clinical (15 total)
  • Facial Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship (one fellow per year)
  • Head and Neck Endocrine and Oncology Fellowship (one fellow per year)
  • A diverse and experienced physician faculty, with specialties including:
    • Otolaryngology (includes adult and pediatric skull-base, microvascular free flap reconstruction and cosmetic surgery)
    • Head and neck oncology
    • Pediatric otolaryngology
    • Facial plastic and reconstructive surgery
    • Laryngology
    • Neurotology
    • Rhinology
  • In the Department of Otolaryngology, more than 33,000 outpatient visits and nearly 2,700 surgical cases per year
  • Approximately 25 resident publications annually
  • Approximately 40 regional/national presentations annually
  • Resident didactic sessions from 7 to 8 a.m. each weekday
  • Multiple workshop courses:
    • Internal: Temporal bone dissection, facial plating, laser, facial fillers, pediatric airway, ultrasound
    • External: Otorhinolaryngology boot camp, SimFEST, Indiana basic science course, AAOA course, A/O courses, CHOP airway course
Goals Expand answer

Penn State’s Otolaryngology Residency aims to guide the adult learner from medical student to an independent and competent practitioner of the surgical field. The process involves hard work and dedication on the part of educators and learners. A presumption is held that the resident applicant is an intelligent, motivated and dedicated individual who enters the program seeking to reach the goal of competence and even expertise.

With that ideal in mind, the curriculum has been designed and implemented to assist in achieving that goal. Significant independent, self-directed learning is expected from the resident throughout the training program.

The over-arching goals of the program include:

  • Guide the resident in development of an extensive fund of knowledge within medicine, and specifically the otolaryngologic sciences.
  • Empower the resident in the arena of lifelong learning, as residency is not the completion, but the beginning of this process.
  • Provide graduated and progressive responsibility in the care of medical and surgical patients, as determined by training and ability.
  • Set forth practices to ensure competent, safe, high-quality and fiscally responsible medical care to the patients under our care, regardless of socioeconomic or cultural background.
  • Provide guidance and experiential learning in the area of medical research, as a foundation for furthering the medical field and personal professional growth.
  • Provide skills in the identification and application of evidence-based medicine.
  • Assist in the creation of effective communication techniques for trainees, for interactions with peers, health care professionals, patients, families and the community at large.
  • Promote awareness of the value of coordination of care among members of the
    health care delivery system, keeping in mind of safety, quality and cost containment.
  • Develop the skills to incorporate formative and summative feedback in continuous practice improvement.
  • Promote all aspects of the six ACGME core competencies as they relate to otolaryngology (head and neck surgery).
To Apply Expand answer

The Otolaryngology Residency carefully reviews all applications. The candidacy of applicants is not based on any singular factor, but a holistic review of the entire package of provided materials.

Key items required for the selection process include:

Interview offers are then made to applicants who are deemed to have qualifications and attributes best suited to being successful in the program.

All interviews were conducted virtually in keeping with the Coalition for Physician Accountability guidelines for the 2020-2023 residency application cycles. For the 2023-2024 cycle, Penn State Health Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery has decided to again conduct all interviews in a virtual format.

Applicants may apply to the Otolaryngology/Clinical Track or Otolaryngology/Research Track in ERAS. This is helpful to the program in prioritizing and best evaluating the application.

However, those who apply for and receive an interview with the Otolaryngology/Clinical Track will also receive information on the research track. The applicant can express interest in consideration for both tracks; however, each applicant needs to rank one or both programs as they fit their interests.

The deadline for application is Nov. 1. Interview dates are typically in December and January. Applicants who are offered an interview will be contacted with date options.

All applications must be made through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) and the National Residency Match Program (NRMP).

Faculty Expand answer
Current Residents Expand answer
Past Residents Expand answer
About Penn State Health Expand answer

A screenshot shows the 2020 virtual tour of Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine.

Virtual Tour

A recently developed virtual tour showcases locations across Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pa.

Explore the virtual tour


Penn State Health

Penn State Health is a multi-hospital health system serving patients and communities across 29 counties of Pennsylvania. Its mission is to improve health through patient care, research, education and community outreach.

In December 2017, the system partnered with Highmark Health to facilitate creation of a value-based, community care network in the region. The shared goal of Highmark and Penn State Health is to ensure patients in the community are within:

  • 10 minutes of a Penn State Health primary care provider
  • 20 minutes of Penn State Health specialty care
  • 30 minutes of a Penn State Health acute care facility

Learn more about Penn State Health

Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Penn State College of Medicine campus is seen in an aerial photo on a sunny day.

Penn State Health Children’s Hospital (left), Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center (center) and Penn State Cancer Institute (right)

Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

500 University Dr., Hershey, Pa., 17033 (Derry Township, Dauphin County)

  • The health system’s 647-bed flagship teaching and research hospital
  • The only medical facility in Pennsylvania accredited as both an adult and a pediatric Level I (highest-level) trauma center
  • Dedicated surgical, neuroscience, cardiovascular, trauma and medical intensive care units
  • Accredited Life Lion critical-care transport providing more than 1,100 helicopter and approximately 750 ground ambulance transports per year
  • More than 1,300 faculty members and more than 650 residents and fellows
  • Approximately 29,000 admissions, 73,000 emergency department visits, 1.1 million outpatient visits and 33,000 surgical procedures annually
  • Designated as a Magnet hospital since 2007

Learn more about Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

Penn State Health Children’s Hospital

600 University Dr., Hershey, Pa. 17033 (Derry Township, Dauphin County)

  • An eight-story, 263,000-square-foot-facility built in 2013 and expanded in 2020
  • 146 licensed pediatric beds, 18 acute care beds and a 56-bed neonatal intensive care unit
  • Level IV (highest-level) neonatal intensive care unit
  • Level I quaternary (highest-level) pediatric intensive care unit
  • Level I (highest-level) pediatric trauma center designation
  • Intermediate care unit
  • Dedicated pediatric operating rooms
  • More than 150,000 pediatric outpatient visits and approximately 5,000 pediatric patient discharges annually

Learn more about Penn State Health Children’s Hospital

The front of Penn State Cancer Institute is seen with an empty road leading up to it.

Penn State Cancer Institute

Penn State Cancer Institute

400 University Dr., Hershey, Pa., 17033 (Derry Township, Dauphin County)

  • The region’s only comprehensive cancer center
  • Clinical services offered at the institute in Hershey, Pa., as well as in State College, Pa. (in partnership with Mount Nittany Health) and Reading, Pa., at Penn State Health St. Joseph
  • Five floors, with ground level and first two devoted to patient care and top two housing research labs
  • Infusion therapy suites, private chemotherapy rooms and a state-of-the-art radiation oncology suite
  • Dedicated chemotherapy and infusion pharmacy

Learn more about Penn State Cancer Institute

Aerial view of Hampden Medical Center building.

Hampden Medical Center

Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center

2200 Good Hope Road, Enola, Pa., 17025 (Hampden Township, Cumberland County)

  • 110-private-inpatient-bed hospital on the West Shore that opened to patients in October 2021
  • Three-story, 300,000-square-foot facility designed to provide acute care and outpatient services
  • Provides expert 24/7 emergency medical care, inpatient and outpatient medical and surgical care, and labor and delivery services (opening in late 2021)

Learn more about Hampden Medical Center

A statue of Penn State's Nittany Lion mascot is seen in the front yard of Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center

Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center

Penn State Health St. Joseph

2500 Bernville Road, Reading, Pa. 19605 (Bern Township, Berks County)

  • A two-campus community medical center in Berks County (southeastern Pennsylvania), with an acute care hospital in Bern Township and a downtown Reading campus
  • Approximately 1,800 employees, including 400 board-certified and fellowship-trained physicians in all specialties
  • Nationally accredited centers for chest pain, stroke, heart failure and cancer care
  • Roughly 47,000 emergency department visits and 7,500 inpatient admissions annually

Learn more about St. Joseph

About Hershey: Benefits, Stipends and More Expand answer

An aerial image shows downtown Hershey with the words Welcome to Hershey superimposed at right.

Welcome to Hershey

A new guide to the Hershey, Pa., area showcases the highlights of life in central Pennsylvania.

Learn more about the Hershey area


More About Hershey

Interested in learning more about living and working in Hershey, Pa.? See details here:

Wellness Initiatives Expand answer

Wellness, including emotional, spiritual, social and physical health, is a crucial component to training and to becoming a professional, compassionate and resilient physician. Self-care is a skill which must be continually practiced and reinforced. Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Health are committed to addressing wellness among residents and fellows, with multiple resources readily available.

Institutional resources

Graduate medical education resources

Diversity Expand answer

Institutional Resources

Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine celebrate, embrace and support the diversity of all patients, faculty, staff, students and trainees.

Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

In keeping with this, Penn State Health has an active Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with various programs, networks and resource groups, including:

  • Talks and lectures on diversity, equity and inclusion through the Inclusion Academy
  • Regular events on topics such as eradicating racism and creating a culture of inclusiveness
  • Many Business Employee Resource Groups (BERGs), including:
    • Disability Business Employee Resource Group
    • Interfaith Business Employee Resource Group
    • LGBTQ+ Business Employee Resource Group
    • Military and Veterans Business Employee Resource Group
    • Multicultural Business Employee Resource Group
    • NextGen Business Employee Resource Group

Learn more about the Penn State Health Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Learn more about the College of Medicine’s Office for Diversity, Equity and Belonging

Office for Culturally Responsive Health Care Education

The vision at Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Health is to equip learners with the knowledge, skills and attitudes they will need to provide culturally excellent health care and research for an increasingly diverse U.S. population. The Office for Culturally Responsive Health Care Education was formed to help meet that goal.

Learn more about the Office for Culturally Responsive Health Care Education

Office for a Respectful Learning Environment

In addition, the institution does not tolerate discrimination, biases, microaggression, harassment or learner mistreatment of any kind, and any concerns are immediately addressed by the Office for a Respectful Learning Environment.

Learn more about the Office for a Respectful Learning Environment

Network of Under-represented Residents and Fellows
The Network of Under-represented Residents and Fellows (NURF) is a group of diverse residents and fellows representing all specialties. NURF’s goal is to promote cultural diversity in the residency programs through community involvement, mentorship with diverse faculty, professional networking and support for the recruitment of diverse medical students into the residency programs.

NURF is sponsored by the Penn State College of Medicine Graduate Medical Education Office and the Penn State Health Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Learn more information about NURF

Alumni Expand answer

To celebrate past achievements and foster future growth, Penn State Health’s Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Residency graduates are automatically members of the George H. Conner Alumni Society. This society aims to build a valuable network of peers and strengthen the relationship with the training program.

Contact Us Expand answer

Mailing Address

Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery
Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
500 University Dr., MC H091
P.O. Box 850
Hershey, PA 17033

General Contact Information

Phone: 717-531-1310

Fax: 717-531-6160

Email: jsell1@pennstatehealth.psu.edu

Curriculum Details

Curriculum by Program Year Expand answer

PGY-1

The first year is performed at the primary institution, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Rotations include:

  • Otolaryngology (head and neck surgery) (six months)
  • Surgical intensive care unit (one month)
  • Ophthalmology/oculoplastics (one month)
  • Neurosurgery (one month)
  • Anesthesia (one month)
  • Pediatric surgery (one month)
  • General surgery (one month)

PGY-2 to PGY-5

Years two through five involve a strong surgical training experience across the spectrum of the specialty, with an emphasis on balanced exposure.

Hershey Medical Center and Penn State Health Children’s Hospital are the focal points of the clinical experience. These freestanding facilities are connected to Penn State Cancer Institute as well as the primary outpatient clinic setting. An on-campus ambulatory surgery center, along with a private community surgical center, provide other settings for surgical experience-building.

Educational Tracks Expand answer

Two educational tracks are currently available within the program:

  • The clinical track involves five years of clinical training, with an ongoing expectation of academic productivity (e.g., research and publications), including the PGY-3 dedicated research block for three months.
  • The research track fosters an interest in academic and surgeon-scientist careers. The residents in this track spend the initial year after selection in research activities, primarily through Penn State Institute of Personalized Medicine and the Genome Sciences Facility. See more about the research track elsewhere on this page.
Research Requirements for All Residents Expand answer

Research can provide excellent resident educational opportunities. All residents in both the clinical and research tracks are required to participate in structured research activities, with at least one long-term project.

  • Residents have three months of dedicated research time during PGY-3.
  • Submission for publication of the project in a peer-reviewed journal is required.
  • Annually, each resident must identify a project and submit an abstract to the Pennsylvania Academy of Otolaryngology.

Most residents participate in research beyond these requirements.

Outside Educational Opportunities Expand answer

Department-sponsored academic courses offer outside educational opportunities. The course opportunities include a basic science course, airway foreign body courses, the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy (AAOA) Basic Course, junior and senior resident simulation courses and other courses as they become available.

Residents are encouraged to attend professional meetings annually. Experience and education are maximized if the resident presents a paper at these meetings. If a research presentation is to be delivered by the resident, reasonable travel expenses will be covered by the department.

Research Track Details

Research Track Overview Expand answer

The research track offers in-depth exposure and experience in basic, translational and clinical research in the diagnosis and treatment of head and neck and thyroid malignancies, as well as other related conditions usually seen by an otolaryngologist (head and neck surgeon). The training program lasts one year and takes place prior to entrance into PGY-1 of the Otolaryngology Residency. The second year then begins the traditional five-year clinical track.

Research Track Curriculum Expand answer

The research track trains a new generation of researchers and leaders who will eventually assume leadership roles and further the development of otolaryngology specialties.

In particular, the program expands the training experience so that residents not only become proficient as clinicians and consultants, but also become well-versed in the emerging genomic tools of personalized medicine.

Support Systems, Mentoring and Evaluations Expand answer

Penn State College of Medicine and the sponsoring departments for the research track provide exceptional clinical and scientific resources and a rich environment for the training of specialists in otolaryngology (head and neck surgery).

The Otolaryngology Residency draws on resources and faculty from Penn State College of Medicine, the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and the Institute for Personalized Medicine.

All aspects of the research track are carefully monitored and evaluated. A cornerstone of the evaluation process is faculty feedback in face-to-face meetings at the end of each quarter. These meetings are scheduled by the program coordinator to be certain that they occur. Semi-annual and annual meetings as well as final (summative) evaluations are held with the program director, where all evaluation methods are reviewed.

Residents will be given an adviser at the time they enter the program to help navigate their initial few months and to assist in networking for the choice of a research. Once a resident has a mentor and a research project, they must assemble a Research Advisory Committee to oversee the work and monitor progress. The Advisory Committee also advises the mentor and mentee as well as program leadership.

Each year, residents formally present their research at a Research Exchange to a panel of faculty and their peers and receive a composite evaluation for the quality of the work, presentation skills, etc.

Office and Lab Space Expand answer

The research track resident will be assigned individual desk and research bench space and resources throughout their year of training. These are located in the Institute of Personalized Medicine in the Biomedical Research Building at Penn State College of Medicine.

The institute encompasses 5,000 square feet of laboratory space, equipped with all the instrumentation necessary for state-of-the-art genomic studies. Residents will have access to all of these instruments and are expected to become well-versed in the preparation of libraries and execution of next-generation sequencing protocols.

Learn more about the Genome Sciences Facility

Genomics Training Expand answer

Research track residents will have extensive exposure to and training in genomic medicine with access to formal coursework in analysis of large genomic data sets.

One such course, Applied Bioinformatics, is designed to introduce students to the various applications of high-­throughput sequencing including chip req, RNA-Seq, SNP calling, metagenomics, de novo assembly and others. The course material concentrates on presenting complete data-analysis scenarios for each of these domains of applications and introduces students to a wide variety of existing tools and techniques.

In addition, the program runs informal training sessions in various aspects of genomic analysis under the tutelage of members of the bioinformatics staff – a group of PhD-level bioinformaticists and their affiliated graduate students, postdocs and staff.

Residents will also be exposed regularly to ongoing research within the Institute of Personalized Medicine. Institute members have two regularly scheduled hour-long meetings each week, one devoted to formal updates on each of the two dozen or so collaborative projects ongoing in the institute and one devoted to technical aspects of genomic analysis.

The institute also hosts a biweekly NextGen Sequencing meeting, in which investigators share tips, insights and internal and external advances in sequencing techniques. It also hosts a biweekly IPM Science meeting, at which clinicians from across the medical center describe clinical settings and diseases in which genomics might play a role.

Beyond attending the institute-sponsored sessions, residents will be expected to participate in a weekly scientific group meeting with their research mentor. Many research mentors have weekly group meetings in which the members of the group present their research progress and explore recently published topics related to their research.

Administration Expand answer

Administrators for the research track include:

Resident Honors and Recognitions

Exceptional Teachers Expand answer

Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center accept ongoing nominations for the Exceptional Moments in Teaching award.

The award, given monthly by the Office for a Respectful Learning Environment, accepts nominations from College of Medicine students who are invited to submit narratives about faculty members, residents, fellows, nurses or any other educators who challenge them and provide an exceptional learning experience. See more about the award here.

Previous nominees from the Otolaryngology Residency are listed here. Click the + next to a nominee name to read their nominator’s comments.

Resident/Fellow Research Day Presentations Expand answer

The annual Resident/Fellow Research Day is held each year (with exception of during the COVID-19 pandemic) on and around the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center campus.

The intent of the event is to provide an opportunity for residents and fellows to showcase their research accomplishments to their peers in other clinical departments, as well as their colleagues in the basic sciences.

Learn more about Resident/Fellow Research Day here.

Previous presentations from the Otolaryngology Residency are listed here.

Department Research Symposium Expand answer
Research day attendees sit in chairs and behind tables in a conference room with a presentation on a screen in front and speaker off to the side

The Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery held its first resident research day June 23, 2023.

Two men shake hands; one holds a Nittany Lion statue

Resident research day 2023

The Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery celebrated the inaugural Research Symposium on June 23, 2023.

This annual event highlights the amazing scholarly work of our talented resident and medical students.

The highlights of the event include special presentations by our graduating chief residents and our keynote speaker, Dr. D. Gregory Farwell from University of Pennsylvania.

A speaker behind a lectern to the right with a large screen showing a presentation

Resident research day June 23, 2023, in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery.

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