Our Opportunities for Medical Students
The Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery actively participates in the education of medical students. In addition to daily interactions, the department provides the following didactic lectures:
- Two one-hour lectures to first-year medical students about the diseases of the ear (part of the Integrated Pathway Med 1 - Neuroscience)
- Three one-hour lectures in Ambulatory Care Clerkship to third-year medical students about different aspects of otolaryngology (total of 18 lectures per year)
- Otolaryngology Selective (during Ambulatory Care Clerkship)
- Comprehensive Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
- Pediatric Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
- Adult Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
- Contemporary Comprehensive Care of Cancer Patient
- Otolaryngology–Research
- Away Elective in Otolaryngology
- International Elective in Otolaryngology
Medical students interested in completing an away rotation with our department should apply through The Ohio State University College of Medicine and the Visiting Student Learning Opportunities.
The department faculty members also contribute to the educational activities of the medical students during other rotations, such as pediatrics.
Visiting Student Scholarship for Medical Students
The Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery is offering visiting student scholarships for the upcoming academic year. The program is open to all and is intended for students seeking to obtain additional clinical exposure to the field of Otolaryngology and its subspecialties. Additional consideration will be given to those students with economic hardships and limited Otolaryngology exposure at their home institution. The $1,500 scholarship will be used to help offset cost for travel, lodging and other student needs.
Students applying for one of the scholarships should be in their fourth year of medical school with plans to apply for an Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (ENT) residency position; they should also be interested in rotating at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
All interested applicants must provide a letter of interest (one page in length), an updated CV and one letter of recommendation. All applications will be reviewed by Ohio State faculty.
Deadline to apply is June 1, although early submission is encouraged. To submit your application or learn more information, contact Medical Student Education Program Coordinator Elaine Ortiz Sanchez at Elaine.OrtizSanchez@osumc.edu or Director of Medical Student Education Nolan Seim, MD at Nolan.Seim@osumc.edu.
2025 Pediatric Otolaryngology Medical Student Bootcamp
The Pediatric Otolaryngology faculty at The Ohio State University/ Nationwide Children’s Hospital are thrilled to announce the First Annual Pediatric Otolaryngology Medical Student Bootcamp! All students participating in a sub-internship rotation in 2025 are invited to attend, at no cost to the learner. Please note that this event is by invitation only. Please RSVP to the invite you are provided, as further communication will be provided upon receipt of your confirmation.
Nationwide Children’s Hospital Simulation Center
520 Butterfly Gardens Drive, Columbus, OH 43215
Saturday July 26, 2025 from 8:00 am 12:00pm EST.
The Bootcamp will allow students planning to apply into Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery to gain experience in many pediatric otolaryngology procedures, including:
• otomicroscopy
• myringotomy
• tube placement
• abscess drainage
• airway endoscopy
• laryngotracheal reconstruction
Please contact the course directors with any questions:
Dr. Meredith Lind | Meredith.Lind@nationwidechildrens.org
Dr. Rishabh Sethia | Rishabh.Sethia@nationwidechildrens.org
Dr. Aaron Thatcher | Aaron.Thatcher@nationwidechildrens.org
Otolaryngology Summer Research Program for Medical Students
The Summer Research Program is offered to first- and second-year medical students across the U.S. who are interested in Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery. The goal of the program is to engage medical students in biomedical discovery and scholarly inquiry. Ideally, this program aims to encourage students to consider a future academic career in biomedical research within otolaryngology.
Research will be performed at The Ohio State University or Nationwide Children’s Hospital under the mentorship of the Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery appointed faculty during a period of eight to 12 weeks between June and August. Students will pursue full-time research during the summer averaging 40 hours per week. Participants will receive a $5,000 stipend. Room and board can be arranged on an as needed basis.
Summer Research Program positions are awarded through an annual competitive application process. The deadline for applications is Jan. 1, 2025.
Eligibility
The summer program is open to first- or second-year students enrolled in a MD, DO, or MD-PHD medical school program who have an interest in the field of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, and are seeking additional research experience. Additional consideration will be given to those applicants with economic hardships or limited research opportunities at their home institution.
At the time of application, the applicant must:
- be enrolled in a MD, DO, or MD-PhD medical school program as a first- or second-year student.
- be able to participate in-person at the assigned research location for 8-12 weeks beginning in May or June depending on the end of term for the applicant’s medical school.
- be committed to conduct the relevant research project at The Ohio State University.
Program Mentors
Research mentors are Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery faculty who assume the responsibilities of overseeing the participant's work and progress. The research mentor's responsibilities are primarily to:
- aid the participant in the establishment of his/her research experience following award disbursement.
- complete an evaluation of the participants performance.
- assist in the preparation of a short presentation of the participant's research.
- encourage the student to continue to explore otolaryngology as a career option.
Application Requirements
All applications must include the following, which should be emailed in a single PDF to elaine.ortizsanchez@osumc.edu:
- Curriculum vitae or NIH Biographical Sketch
- Applicant Personal Statement (one page or less) summarizing the applicant’s previous research training and experience, reasons for pursuing the summer research experience at Ohio State, and potential research interest in the field of otolaryngology.
- At least one letter of recommendation on official letterhead from an advisor or medical school instructor articulating how participation in the summer research program would benefit the applicant’s career development.
Documents must be received by the deadline (Jan. 1, 2025) to be considered for the program. Contact Dr. Minka Schofield at minka.schofield@osumc.edu or Elaine Ortiz at elaine.ortizsanchez@osumc.edu with any questions regarding the program.
Research Opportunities for Ohio State Medical Students
There are several opportunities for medical students at The Ohio State University to participate in research in our department. If you are interested in research with the Department of Otolaryngology, please contact Beth Miles-Markley or Jamie Wohrer at:
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
Eye and Ear Institute
915 Olentangy River Road, Suite 4000
Columbus, OH 43212