Curriculum
Didactic conferences occur during four to five hours of protected time every Thursday morning. The year is divided into subspecialty blocks, each of which includes department and guest faculty presentations, resident grand rounds, quality improvement and patient safety conference, patient of the month cases, journal club, and an interactive simulation lab. In addition, there are longitudinal curricula within the topics of research, quality improvement and patient safety, wellness, and professionalism. Every other week, residents attend a T32 Research Seminar Series for the fifth hour.
Various conferences provide learning opportunities at other times of the week. Examples are: Head and neck tumor board conference for residents on the adult services; radiology, pathology, trauma, and head and neck tumor board conferences for residents on the Denver Health service; and, planning conferences at Children’s Hospital.
Residents are assigned grand rounds presentations at the beginning of each academic year based on weakest areas of performance on their prior year’s Otolaryngology Training Exam. Residents are expected to review the current literature for the most up to date information. Faculty mentors provide feedback and often lead a short discussion session after the presentation, during which more in-depth questions are asked to assure the presenter’s command of the subject. Faculty and residents evaluate the presentations in the areas of content and presentation skills.
Annually, the GME department provides a retreat for all Chief residents. This is designed to foster the professional characteristics for a successful chief year, including leadership, communication, and ethics.
Residents participate in a variety of courses both within and outside the institution. They routinely attend the following courses: Ultimate Colorado Mid-Winter Otolaryngology Update, Western States Rhinology Course, Craniomaxillofacial Surgery Courses, and Annual American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy Courses.