Graduate Medical Education

The NCC Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (more commonly referred to as ENT – Ear, Nose, and Throat) is a fully Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited 5 year program leading to board eligibility in Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. Matriculates within the program will receive a broad exposure to general Otolaryngology as well as to multiple subspecialties within Otolaryngology to include Pediatric Otolaryngology, Neuro-Otology (ear and skull base surgery), Facial Plastic Surgery, Rhinology (Sinus and skull base surgery), and Head and Neck Cancer Surgery.

Medical Student Clerkships
The program enthusiastically supports fourth-year medical students who wish to consider Otolaryngology as a specialty choice. Students in applying for residency positions should contact the Program Director for interview and application information. At this time, the program can only consider applicants who are on active duty in the U.S. Military. The program also is happy to host rotations for medical students interested in other specialties who wish to further their knowledge and experience in Otolaryngology. Due to current U.S. military security requirements, only students who are U.S. citizens can be hosted for rotations.

Internship
The ACGME has mandated very specific requirements (see ACGME.org) for the first post-graduate year in Otolaryngology training. Residents must have completed these specific requirements to be considered for progression to the Otolaryngology PGY-2 year. Physicians who have completed transitional year internship programs, general surgery internship programs, or other internship programs will need to repeat all or portions of their internship to be eligible for further Otolaryngology residency training.

Residency
The NCC Otolaryngology Residency program trains 3 residents per year group (typically 2 Army physicians and one Navy physician per year). The host institution is the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) in Bethesda. WRNMMC is a newly renovated facility which boasts a new, state of the art Otolaryngology clinic with the latest endoscopic equipment as well as a large Surgical ICU, pediatric ICU, neonatal ICU, Medical and Cardiac ICU, and Operating Room with state of the art equipment. A large Audiology and Speech division with multiple testing booths, complete vestibular evaluation capabilities, and an active research division is co-located with the Otolaryngology clinic. In addition, WRNMMC is further benefitted by its close location with the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, the National Institute of Health, and the National Library of Medicine. Other Otolaryngology residency rotation sites beyond WRNMMC include Fort Belvoir Community Hospital (Fort Belvior, VA), Children’s National Medical Center (Washington, DC), The University of Maryland (Baltimore, MD), INOVA Fairfax Hospital (Fairfax, VA), and MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX). Recent graduates of the program have compiled over 1700 cases as primary surgeon. Attending staff within the program have fellowship training in multiple Otolaryngology subspecialties to include Head and Neck Surgery, Neuro-Otology, Facial Plastics, Pediatric Otolaryngology, and Sleep Medicine and Surgery.

In addition to clinical rotations, residents also participate in research training, an evidence based medicine course, otolaryngic allergy course, micro-vascular reconstruction course, temporal bone dissection course, cadaver-based head and neck anatomy dissection course, and an Audiology and Speech Therapy Course. Academic achievement beyond clinical excellence is also strongly encouraged as all residents are mentored in research by attending staff and are expected to complete a research project during their residency with most residents completing multiple projects. The NCC Residency Program takes great pride that many of the program’s graduates have gone on to complete some of the most prestigious Otolaryngology subspecialty fellowships in America to include Harvard University, Vanderbilt University, Northwestern University, University of Pittsburg, UCLA, and many others.

Please feel free to contact the Program Director with any questions about the program or for requests for interviews or rotations.