Advanced Practice Provider Otolaryngology

To prepare Advanced Practice Providers to provide excellent patient care on healthcare teams, using a 12-month training program that promotes education, access, innovation, and value in healthcare delivery within the field of Otolaryngology.

Program Goals

• This transition-to-practice program allows advanced practice providers to expand their knowledge base and develop confidence in skills within the field of Otolaryngology, while remaining in a protected learning environment.

• Emphasize team-based care and communication with the multidisciplinary approach in Otolaryngology

• Cultivate the APP leaders of the future, who will inspire innovation and share knowledge that will benefit all.

The Otolaryngology Residency carefully reviews all applications. The candidacy of applicants is not based on any singular factor, but a holistic review of the entire package of provided materials.

Key items required for the selection process include:

• Electronic Residency Application Services (ERAS) application

  listing experiences

• At least three letters of recommendation

• U.S. Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) scores

• Medical school transcript

• Dean’s letter

• Personal statement

Interview offers are then made to applicants who are deemed to have qualifications and attributes best suited to being successful in the program.

All interviews were conducted virtually in keeping with the Coalition for Physician Accountability guidelines for the 2020-2024 residency application cycles. For the 2024-2025 cycle, Penn State Health Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery has decided to return to an in-person format, as most 2024 otolaryngology applicants and a majority of programs favored that format.

The deadline for application is Nov. 1. Offers for interviews will be communicated to applicants via email using our interview software, Thalamus. Interview dates will be held on Dec. 16, 2024, Dec. 17, 2024, and Jan. 10, 2025.

All applications must be made through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) and the National Residency Match Program (NRMP).

The Otolaryngology APP Fellow will be mentored by attending physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners within the practice.

Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center is a tertiary-care teaching hospital designated as a Level 1 Trauma site for Adults and Pediatrics. Advanced technology and appropriate facilities will provide the fellow with the proper resources to become a well-rounded Otolaryngology clinician. Fellows will work on the inpatient service, outpatient clinics (main campus and branch locations), and will also have exposure to the operating room.

The fellow will rotate in the following clinics:

• General otolaryngology

• Otology/neurotology

• Rhinology

• Pediatric otolaryngology

• Laryngology

• Head and neck surgical oncology

• Facial plastic and reconstructive surgery

The fellow will also collaborate with audiologists, speech pathologists, and other allied health professionals.

Evaluations will be completed by the clinical mentors at the end of each quarter. In addition, the fellow will meet with the program director monthly to ensure satisfactory progression in program (review of attendance, procedure logs and feedback from faculty), as well as discuss fellow professional goals.

Fellows will be expected to complete one scholarly project (manuscript submission to a professional journal, or quality improvement project or research project with submission to present at state or national meeting of a professional organization).

The fellow will be provided with continuing medical education (CME) via weekly didactic sessions, research opportunities and outside professional meetings.

The program develops knowledge of ear, nose and sinus, pharyngeal and oral cavity, laryngeal and neck pathologies. During the program, fellows will learn through didactic as well as clinical practice how to perform:

• Basic Head and Neck exam

• Diagnosis and management of common ear, nose and throat pathologies

• Understand and interpret sleep studies

• Understand and interpret audiograms

• Understand and interpret CT and MRI imaging

Learn procedural skills such as:

• Flexible laryngoscopy

• Nasal endoscopy

• Otomicroscopy

• Office skin and oral cavity biopsies

• Tracheostomy tube placement and maintenance

• Nasal packing and epistaxis control

• Wound care and management

Didactic curriculum will include participation in relevant weekly resident education sessions as well as a weekly APP Fellow lecture. Fellows will be expected to attend weekly Head and Neck tumor board meetings, monthly Moribidity and Mortality conference, Trauma Review meetings as well as journal club. Fellows will attend grand round events and participate with inpatient rounds while rotating on the inpatient service.

Clinical curriculum will include rotations with subspecialized surgeons and APP team with exposure to inpatient service, outpatient service and operating room. The fellow will obtain patient histories, perform head and neck exams, order and interpret diagnostic studies, perform otolaryngologic procedures, formulate differential diagnoses, and provide appropriate pharmacological interventions. Clinical experience will develop medical decision making and skills to communicate effectively with patients on plan of care.