Weekly Grand Rounds

Students can attend department Grand Rounds every Thursday. Led by faculty members and residents, it serves as a forum for discussion of interesting patient cases and advances in the field of otolaryngology.

Student members of the ENT Interest Group listserv receive a weekly invitation to grand rounds. You can also contact the otolaryngology education administrator at [email protected] for the calendar invite.

Educational Opportunities

Informational sessions are designed to expose first-year medical students to the depth and breadth of otolaryngology. They are held at the beginning of the year and occasionally again later in the year to correspond with the ENT-block in the pre-clinical curriculum.

Additionally, every 1-2 months, the ENTIG holds a journal club or case-based discussion that highlights one of the unique disciplines within otolaryngology (head and neck oncology, otology, laryngology, etc.) Journal clubs are led by residents and faculty members who also share a little bit about their career path and their scope of practice. These sessions provide an opportunity for upper-level students to discuss “landmark” or “hot topic” papers in the specialty prior to their sub-internships. For earlier students, it offers a chance to learn how to read and critically appraise scientific literature.

Apart from journal clubs and case-based discussions, the ENTIG holds other panels, such as an “airway emergency” event and a multidisciplinary care panel that allows students to learn from the other disciplines that help care for ENT patients, including speech language pathology (SLP) and audiology.

Hands-On Skills Sessions

Along with educational activities, the ENTIG also host hands-on skills sessions to show students all the fun gadgets that you get to use in otolaryngology! From otomicroscopy to flexible laryngoscopy, these sessions help students learn technical skills before their otolaryngology rotations.

Sub-Internship and Residency Preparation

There are many resources provided by the ENTIG and the department to prepare students for otolaryngology rotations and to help them succeed in their sub-internship. The ENTIG offers anatomy prep lectures, provides textbooks for students to use and participates in the SCRUBS “How to be a Sub-I” panel. We also host a post-match panel with department faculty who share tips for navigating the residency application process with recently matched students.

Shadowing and Mentoring

Since there is little exposure to otolaryngology prior to the third- and fourth-year branches, first- and second-year students who are interested in earlier exposure to the field can participate in our shadowing program. Students can shadow a faculty member of their choosing in clinic or the operating room approximately once a month, as their scientific trunk and clinical clerkship schedules allow.

Third- and fourth-year medical students who have decided to pursue a career in otolaryngology can also participate in our mentoring program. Students are paired with resident mentors who can guide them through course selection and provide valuable advice regarding sub-internships, away rotations and the residency application process.

Research Opportunities

Students have the opportunity to partner with faculty, residents and other medical students on an existing research study or can discuss starting a new project with a faculty mentor. Past student projects have resulted in published manuscripts, presentations at regional and national conferences, and have served as UMMS Capstone for Impact work.

The department maintains a Google sheet of current research opportunities. If you would like access to the document, please contact a member of the ENT Interest Group leadership listed below. For more information on research opportunities, students can contact faculty members directly or email [email protected].

Connection to National ENT Programs

The ENT Interest Group strives to connect U-M medical students with national otolaryngology programs. These include, but are not limited to:

STAR OTO (Short Talks by Aspiring Residents in Otolaryngology) is a collaborative video library and national mentorship program where student participants can share academic talks, receive feedback from volunteer faculty mentors and network with otolaryngologists across the country. Visit the STAR OTO website to learn more.

The American Academy of Otolaryngology (AAO) mENToring Program connects medical students with practicing otolaryngologists across the country. Students will be paired one-on-one with a physician mentor for career guidance and opportunities to learn more about “day-in-the-life of an otolaryngologist” experiences. This program is open to student members of the American Academy of Otolaryngolog-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS). Visit the AAO website for more information about this program.

The Headmirror National Otolaryngology Interest Group (NOIG) is a great resource for medical students interested in otolaryngology and hosts its own webinars, conferences, and podcasts to help students. Visit the Headmirror website for more information.

The ENT Interest Group also aims to centralize information for students regarding informational or educational sessions, away rotations and social media contacts for otolaryngology programs outside of the University of Michigan.

Global Surgery Initiatives

Otolaryngology faculty and residents work across the globe. You can find an abbreviated list on Global Reach's website. In particular, the U-M Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery has a long-standing relationship with the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, Ghana. 

We can also help connect students to the Global OHNS Initiative, a group of otolaryngologists from around the world with the shared goal of increasing the quality and access to otolaryngological services globally.