Career Advisor's Background and Career Information

Background

Name: Andrew H. Murr, M.D.
Career Advisor for: Otolaryngology
Title(s): Associate Professor, Chief of Service, Department of Otolarygology/Head and Neck Surgery at San Francisco General Hospital
Best way to contact (e-mail, phone?): (415) 476-4952 or ahmurr@ohns.ucsf.edu
Undergraduate & Graduate Degrees/Institutions: Boston University, BA, Medical Science; Hahnemann University, M.D.
Clinical Interests/Duties: General Otolaryngology, Rhinology/Sinus Surgery, Sleep Apnea Surgery, Facial Trauma
Research Interests/Duties: Outcomes research, sinus disease pathophysiology, fungal sinus disease
Personal Notes or Comments: If you are interested in surgery, and are not considering Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery as a career, you are making an error.

Career Information

1. What can students do in the 1st and 2nd years to explore and/or prepare for this career? Excellent performance in the basic science curriculum and demonstration of mastery of the material on the USMLE part 1 is of paramount importance. A publishable project in the field is desirable.

2. What common variations exist in the length/content of residency programs for this career? The vast majority of programs consist of one year of general surgery internship, followed by four years of Otolaryngolgy/Head and Neck Surgery training, culminating in the Chief Residency year. Some programs require two years of general surgery (UCLA, Yale), some have a research track (Hopkins, Pittsburgh), some require manditory research and extra time (University of Washington).

3. What common variations exist in this career after training? Most people who complete their training go on to practice Otolaryngology. Some do fellowships as follows:
1.Facial Plastic Surgery (1 year)
2. Pediatric Otolaryngology (2 years)
3. Otology/Neurotology (2 years)
4. Head and Neck Oncologic Surgery (1 or 2 years)
5. Rhinology/Sinus Surgery (1 year)
6. Laryngolgy (1 year)

4. What is a typical work day for you (or someone else representative)? The typical work week for a private practice Otolaryngologist is two days in the O.R. and three days in the office. An academic clinician scientist will likely spend 2.5 days in the lab and 2.5 days in the clinical arena. 10 hour days are fairly typical.

5. What is the "culture" of this career? Nice folks, happy, well-adjusted. Otolarygologists are procedure oriented and are interested in devices and equipment to a high degree. They are often more open to innovations compared to some other surgical fields.

6. How compatible is this career with raising a family? How is this different for men and women? A career in Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery is compatible with raising a family to the extent that any surgical career is compatible with this goal. I do not perceive a difference between men and women in the field as far as responsibility is concerned. The field is 80% male and 20% female and this is the same ratio as the application pool applying to residency.

7. How important, individually, are each the following for admission to a competitive program:

a.Extra-curricular/volunteer work? somewhat important
b. Research/publications? important
c. Honors in third year? very important
d. AOA? important
e. A sub-internship? mildly important
f. An externship? not important
g. (Other important elements to the application?) USMLE scores are frequently used as a screening tool in determining who will be interviewed, and therefore who will be accepted. Letters of recommendation are important. The interview is important. Your compatibility with the program is important. Your stated career goals may be important depending upon the program you are visiting.

8. What are the most important qualities or character traits for a person in this field? Dedication to the field and enthusiam are important traits. Attention to detail and clinical excellence are prized.

9. How competitive are the residency programs in this field? Otolarygology is one of the most competitive residency application processes in the U.S. Our program at UCSF receives about 300 applications for three positions. However, 75% of U.S. seniors who complete the match process will be placed.

10. How competitive is the job market after residency? The job market in this field is wide open. In fact, by 2010, there will likely be a shortage of otolaryngolgists in the U.S. About 280 new otolaryngologists are produced each year and the attrition from death and retirement is approximately the same. There are about 9000 otolaryngolgists in the U.S.

11. What programs would you consider to be in the 1st tier, 2nd tier, and 3rd tier?

First Tier: Hopkins, Pittsburgh, Penn, Michigan, Washington University, Baylor, University of Washington, UCSF, UCLA, Ohio State, Iowa, Harvard, Chapel Hill, University of Illinois

Second Tier: Cincinnati, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Oregon, Stanford, UCSD, Gainseville, Utah, Columbia, Sinai, New York Eye and Ear, Syracuse, UCD, Loyola, Northwestern

Third Tier: Boston University, USC, UCI, New Mexico, University of Vermont, Henry Ford, St. Louis University, Louisville, Miami, Missouri at Columbia, South Carolina, Other Texas programs, Nebraska, Wayne State, Penn State, Jefferson, Georgetown
Please note: This is my personal assessment. There is no "bad" Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery program. Also, programs can change rapidly, so this is a moving target. As an example, Stanford will be hot due to some positive changes and Vanderbilt may cool off due to some transition.

12. What resources (web, books, etc, besides the AMA and AAMC sites) would you recommend for students interested in learning more about this field? Individual departmental websites. http://www.sfmatch.com, http://www.otomatch.com pub med to do literature searches on people who you meet in the field.