Welcome to Our Residency Program
The top-ranked Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery residency program at Vanderbilt University Medical Center is consistently recognized for producing world-class surgeons. As the number-one-ranked O-HNS residency for six years in a row by Doximity, we create exceptional clinicians and nurture curious minds while providing all our residents with the resources to become outstanding community or academic leaders. We value individuality and teamwork; and we take pride in our unique culture—which respects resident autonomy, emphasizes collegiality and prizes efficiency.
Our 2026 Residency Cohort with Program Director Priyesh Patel, MD and Department Chair Eben Rosenthal, MD.
We accept six residents into our program:
- Five in a five-year clinical track
- One in seven-year physician-scientist training program (VTOPS) (which includes two years of protected research time).
Program Leadership:
- Department Chair: Eben Rosenthal, MD
- Residency Program Director: Priyesh Patel, MD
- Associate Program Director: Aaron Moberly, MD
- Vice Chair for Research/VTOPS Director: Alex Gelbard, MD
- Vice Chair of Education: Amy Whigham, MD, MS, HPEd
Program Highlights:
- 6 months of otolaryngology during PGY-1 (intern) year
- > 45 surgical faculty in all subspecialties
- > Five months of dedicated research time for clinical track residents (PGY-3)
- Three hours of protected resident education/academic time per week
- Single pool night float call system
- Integrated leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship training
- Proven track record of successful fellowship matches across all specialties
- Multiple dedicated courses including yearly temporal bone and endoscopic sinus dissection courses
- Department sponsored resident social and academic activities to promote a healthy work-life balance
- Numerous basic science and clinical research opportunities with resident support for attendance at national and international meetings