The program's curriculum is focused on providing residents with a well-rounded education in all facets of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery.
Conferences are presented in otology, laryngology, oncology, pediatric otolaryngology, pharmacology, immunology, allergy, facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, audiology and speech, research methods and ethics, psychosocial issues, and practice management (medical, legal, financial, etc.). Conferences are held Wednesday afternoons after the weekly multidisciplinary Tumor Board. Residents prepare and present approximately half of all lectures and are generally paired with a faculty lecture based on a specific topic. Faculty lectures are presented by UCLA head and neck faculty, faculty from other departments at UCLA, and visiting faculty from other universities. Operating rooms in all of the hospitals and clinics are closed at noon, except for emergencies, to allow residents to attend these conferences.
Program workshops and cadaveric courses are offered in laryngeal anatomy, functional endoscopic sinus surgery, facial plastic dissection course, as well as simulated and cadaveric temporal bone drilling. Monthly rotating journal clubs are held in Otology, Rhinology, Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Laryngology, and Pediatric Otolaryngology. Monthly morbidity and mortality conferences are held, and are considered an essential forum for resident education.
