University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Program

Program Identity & Fit

This is a large academic, university-based otolaryngology program anchored at University Hospital, a Level 1 trauma center, with additional training across a children's hospital, VA hospital, and community-based sites (Meriter, East Madison, aesthetics center), producing broad exposure from tertiary/quaternary head and neck oncology and skull base disease to community general ENT. Research is deeply embedded in the program's identity - top-10 NIH funding nationally, a Head and Neck SPORE, the nation's only federally funded voice research T32, four dedicated research months across PGY2-3, and an expectation that each resident publish at least two manuscripts. The program supports its own head and neck oncology/microvascular and laryngology fellowships and reports operative volumes well above national averages in neck dissection, glossectomy, and rhinoplasty, reflecting a complex-case, high-volume surgical training environment. Structurally the program values residents who can operate independently early (graduated autonomy from PGY1), engage meaningfully in scholarly work with self-selected mentors, and thrive in a collegial, trust-based culture with resident-driven system improvements (e.g., the night float system).