Since its inception in 1965, the Department
of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University
of Washington has demonstrated a
consistent commitment to resident research training.
It is the mission of the department to provide training
for academic otolaryngologists. This goal is complemented
by our NIH training grant, which incorporates basic
science and clinical research support for all residents.
Over our 25-year experience as a NIH Training Grant
site, we have been pleased by our measurable success
in resident research training. Since our first Training
Grant year (1984), 64% of all OTO-HNS residents graduating
from our University of Washington Training Program
have become faculty in full-time academic positions.
Numerous goals provide the rationale for our Research
Training Program. Paramount among them is the systematic
refinement of the trainee’s critical thought
process and the development of research skills that
will lead to a research oriented and productive career
in academic medicine. It is the intent of this program
to:
- Expose our residents early in their training to
the scientific method, including the logic of prospective
study and experimental design;
- Teach acceptance of critical and supportive input
from their peers and mentors;
- Provide exposure to issues and methodologies at
the cutting edge of biomedical fields related to
Otolaryngology and Communication Disorders;
- Expose trainees to the importance of sustained
research programs for attaining lasting, important
understanding; and
- Instill the concept of lifelong questioning as
a source for personal educational development and
as a vehicle for contributing to the advancement
of biomedical knowledge.
Scientifically trained investigators are essential
to our Research Training Program. In 1986, the Department
recruited a new Director of Research, Edwin W Rubel,
PhD. Under Dr. Rubel’s influence and guidance,
the research-training faculty in the Department of
Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery has expanded dramatically.
We now include 15 full-time, on-site PhD research faculty, three MD/PhD, and two MD/MPH.
The intensive research training experience within
the department is coupled with the University of Washington’s
own leadership in research. The UW is one of the top
three schools in the country in NIH funded research
support and is an international leader in genomics
and bioengineering. Our residents may select a mentor
in any appropriately funded laboratory in the University
system. Resident research has been pursued in a host
of laboratories including: the Fred Hutchinson Cancer
Research Center, UW School of Public Health and Community
Medicine, UW Center for Cost and Outcomes Research,
UW Center for Bioengineering, UW Center for Biomaterials,
and VA Health Services Research and Development Center
of Excellence.
From the department standpoint, active research efforts
concentrated into the training grant year, with additional
time during the R3 research block allows for development
of a full project for publication(s), and for pilot
data for a grant which is of key importance for academic
physicians who wish to have their research up and running
with the start of their first job. The department mission
assures that research training and implementation of
research into all phases of the residency provide for
graduates prepared to be translational researchers
and academic otolaryngologists.
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