ENT Student Interest Group

Interested students may join us weekly on Thursday mornings for the Department of Otolaryngology Grand Rounds. Grand Rounds are led by faculty members and residents and serve as a forum for discussion of interesting patient cases and advances in the field of otolaryngology. Due to the COVID pandemic, grand rounds are currently virtual. All students who are members of the ENT Interest Group listserv will receive a weekly invitation to grand rounds. You may also contact otolaryngology education administrator at [email protected] for the conference link and calendar invite.

Throughout the year, we hold informational sessions and educational seminars. Informational sessions are held at the beginning of the year for first-year medical students and occasionally again later in the year to correspond with the ENT-block in the pre-clinical curriculum. Informational sessions are designed to expose students to the depth and breadth of otolaryngology. Additionally, every 1-2 months, we have 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 will share a little bit about their career paths and the scope of their 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, these sessions offer the chance to learn how to read and critically appraise scientific literature. Apart from journal clubs and case-based discussions, we also hold other panels, such as an “airway emergency” event and a multidisciplinary care panel that allows students to learn from the other disciplines who help care for ENT patients, including speech language pathology (SLP) and audiology. 

In addition to our educational seminars, we 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 will also help students learn technical skills before their otolaryngology rotations. 

The ENT Interest Group as well as the larger otolaryngology department has many resources to help students succeed on their sub-internships. ENT Interest Group members participate in the SCRUBS “How to be a Sub-I” panel each year. We also host a post-match panel with faculty in the department where recently matched students can share tips for navigating the residency application process. The ENT Interest Group also helps prepare students for their otolaryngology rotations by offering anatomy prep lectures and providing textbooks for students to use.

As there is little exposure to otolaryngology prior to the Branches, students who are interested in obtaining earlier exposure to the field may participate in our shadowing program. First- and second-year medical students may shadow a faculty member of their choosing in clinic or the OR approximately once a month, as their Scientific Trunk and Clinical Clerkship schedules allow. Students who have decided to pursue a career in otolaryngology may participate in our mentoring program. Third- and fourth-year medical students will be 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. 

Students have the opportunity to partner with our faculty, residents, and fellow medical students on a research project. You can collaborate on an existing study or 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 which is updated quarterly. If you would like access to the document, please contact one of the ENT Interest Group leadership team members. Students can contact faculty members directly or reach out to [email protected] for more information.

The ENT Interest Group partners with faculty and residents to staff an extension of the Hope Medical Clinic at the Taubman Healthcare Center at the University of Michigan. This clinic provides underinsured patients with free access to advanced otolaryngologic care. Student volunteers can practice conducting patient histories and physical exams, formulating differential diagnoses, and developing assessments and plans alongside faculty experts. Learn more about the Hope Clinic here.

The ENT Interest Group strives to connect UMMS students with national otolaryngology programs. These include, but are not limited to, STAR OTO through Vanderbilt University, the AAO mENToring Program and the National Otolaryngology Interest Group (NOIG)/Headmirror.

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 mENToring Program is a new initiative by the American Academy of Otolaryngology that 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 experiences of an otolaryngologist. This program is open to student members of the AAO-HNS. Visit the AAO website for more information about this program.

NOIG is a great resource for medical students interested in otolaryngology and hosts its own webinars, conferences, and podcasts to help students.

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

Michigan's Otolaryngology faculty and residents have been actively working to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) not only within the department but also throughout Michigan Medicine and on the national level. Dr. David Brown, a pediatric otolaryngologist, serves as the Associate Vice President and Associate Dean for Health Equity and Inclusion at the University of Michigan Medical School. Additionally, several of our colleagues have recently been recognized for their significant contributions to DEI. Dr. Shannon Fayson is an otolaryngology resident and the inaugural resident recipient of the 2021 Dr. Senait Fisseha Award for Excellence in Inclusion and Innovation. She is recognized for her efforts and impact in innovating new ways to engage diverse individuals into UME, GME and otolaryngology. Dr. Mark Prince, the chair of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at U-M, is the inaugural faculty recipient of the Dr. David Gordon Award for Quiet Influence in DEI for his selfless, consistent and courageous efforts to promote DEI in the otolaryngology department throughout his career. 

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 had a long-standing relationship with the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, Ghana. You can read more about this partnership here and here. 

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 access to and quality of otolaryngological services globally.