University of Alabama Hospital Birmingham Program

Program Identity & Fit

UAB's Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery program is a high-volume academic tertiary/quaternary care residency, with chief residents finishing training with more than 3,000 surgical cases across university, pediatric, VA, and eye hospital sites within a single downtown medical district. The program is structured around fellowship-trained faculty in every subspecialty (head and neck oncology, skull base, otology/neurotology, laryngology, rhinology, pediatric ENT, facial plastics) and offers advanced procedural exposure including TORS and Inspire implantation with in-training certification pathways. Research is deeply embedded rather than optional: a dedicated three-month PGY3 research rotation, mandatory publication and national presentation requirement, monthly research meetings, an annual Research Day with awards, and over $2 million in annual extramural funding supporting basic, translational, and outcomes research (head and neck cancer, mucosal immunology, optical imaging, sleep, social determinants of health). The program values residents who can thrive in a high-acuity, high-case-volume environment while sustaining a genuine scholarly output alongside clinical training.