Thursday Morning Didactics
The backbone of the curriculum occurs on Thursdays from 7 to 9am, when residents are protected from clinical responsibilities. Each subspecialty block is led by a resident and attending team who choose background reading, educational format and guest presenters. This allows for greater resident influence within the curriculum and facilitates mentorship.
We also incorporate hands-on training sessions into our curriculum, including ultrasound training, microtia reconstruction, non-surgical facial rejuvenation and more.
Residents are provided breakfast and coffee at our weekly resident education sessions, as well as lunch for mid-day conferences (e.g., tumor board).
Head and Neck Oncology Tumor Board
The Multidisciplinary Tumor Board reviews over 1100 head and neck cancer cases per year across Kaiser Permanente Northern California. The video conference brings together expertise from across the entire region.
Journal Club
Journal Club is held bimonthly over dinner and hosted by faculty members at their homes. Journal articles are selected by residents and are often related to a recent clinical experience.
Grand Rounds
Half-day grand rounds are held quarterly, rotating topics by sub-specialty. Residents present lectures along with faculty and invited guest speakers. Afterwards, we discuss our M&M&M cases (Mortality & Morbidity & Misdiagnoses).
Temporal Bone Dissection Course
Our temporal bone laboratory is used to teach an annual dissection course. A 3-day intensive course covers everything from mastoidectomy, stapedectomy, labyrinthectomy and endoscopic otologic surgery. During the course, the residents alternate between dedicated lecture time and independent dissection/drilling. Lectures are given by Kaiser Permanente faculty and visiting professors from the University of California Davis. Residents have access to the lab year-round to practice their surgical skills at their own pace.
Facial Trauma Plating Course
During the Trauma education block, synthetic skulls and plating equipment are brought in to apply the repair principles being taught in lecture. Each resident receives a synthetic skull and a set of fractures to reduce and plate.
Head and Neck Anatomy Course
This is currently held in conjunction with other Bay Area residency programs. Usually conducted over two days with fresh frozen cadavers to allow for adequate soft tissue dissection.
Microvascular Course
We conduct a microvascular course annually for residents to practice basic microvascular surgical techniques using chicken thigh vessels and nerves.
Cosmetic Injection Course
We conduct a hands-on Cosmetic Injection course twice a year for the residents. Each resident is supplied their own Botox, Juvederm, Kybella, and other products. We review in-office plastic surgery techniques and improve their cosmetic skills under the supervision of our Facial Plastic Surgery instructors.
Simulation Training
Our PGY-1 residents attend a multi-institutional one-day simulation bootcamp where they learn important procedural skills and practice responding to Otolaryngology emergencies.
Visiting Professorships
Once a year, we invite a prominent Otolaryngologist to our medical center for a day-long conference. Usually the morning is spent discussing interesting patient cases presented by residents and the afternoon is filled with a series of didactic lectures given by the professor.
Kaiser Permanente GME Courses
External Courses
Our residents frequently participate in national or regional courses, including:
- UCSF Otolaryngology Update
- Stanford Otology Update
- Stanford Facial Plastics Course
- Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment of Sleep Apnea and Snoring
- Western States Rhinology Course
PGY-4 residents can also receive funding to attend one additional external course of their choice.
