Department of Otolaryngology

The Department of Otolaryngology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center/Long Island College Hospital had intensive continuing medical education activities during the academic year of 2010-2011. The mission of our department’s activity is to provide formal education, disseminate new information, provide a forum for presentation and discussion, and to ensure improvements and adjustments based on feedback from attendees.

The department’s continuing education is based mainly on Grand Rounds, a weekly conference that takes place at the Long Island College Hospital site for three hours on Thursday mornings. All Otolaryngology, Audiology, Speech and Language Pathology professionals as well as professionals in related disciplines are invited.  The conference is mandatory for the faculty and residents of our department. Attendance at our weekly conference numbered between 20 and 30 attendees per session, with total attendance of 1100.

The morning conference is divided into three parts.  Different aspects of basic sciences as related to the field of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery are presented and discussed during the first hour.  Experts in fields such as Audiology, Speech and Language Pathology, Anatomic Pathology, Head and Neck Radiology, and Cell Biology provide formal presentations.   In-house speakers and faculty as well as residents present information during the second hour. Also, biweekly Head and Neck Tumor Board are also included in the schedule for the second hour. During the third hour, lectures are delivered by invited guests who are nationally known for their expertise and experience in a variety of topics.

The roster of guest speakers for 2010-2011 is included in this report.   In general, all speakers gave excellent lectures with organized information relevant to the practice of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. The overall quality of the presentation was rated highly, as per the anonymous evaluation forms submitted. Practitioners, as well as residents, use the information which is disseminated during these conferences for their day to day clinical practice. The same lectures are used also as a forum for the audience to ask questions and to discuss difficult cases.

The major strength of this program is the diversity of the topics discussed and their relevance to the clinical practice of all attendees. This Grand Rounds Conference format will continue, with three hours dedicated to a single topic which is explored in depth. There are also plans to increase the number of conferences to accommodate additional COCLIA sessions and mock oral board examination practice.