Assessing Trends in Fellowship Training Among Otolaryngology Residents: A National Survey Study

To summarize trends in otolaryngology fellowship applications, fellowships selected, and reasons for pursuing a fellowship.

One-page anonymous questionnaire.

A survey was completed by examinees at the conclusion of their American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery oral examination from 2011 to 2019.

Data included age, gender, fellowship type, reasons for doing a fellowship, and type of practice that examinees will enter. Spearman correlation and Pearson chi-square tests were completed.

Over the 8-year study, 58% of the 2243 responding examinees did fellowships. The most frequently chosen fellowship was facial plastic surgery (25%), followed by pediatric otolaryngology (21%), head and neck surgery (19%), rhinology (13%), laryngology (9%), and neurotology (8%). The 2 most common reasons for doing a fellowship were desire for additional expertise beyond residency training (35%) and intellectual appeal (30%). Over the study period, the number of residents choosing to do a fellowship increased from 45.6% in 2011 to 61.5% in 2019, with a positive correlation between year and number of residents (r = 0.73, P = .036). When the data were stratified by gender, there were statistically significant differences in fellowship selection (P < .001), notably with women selecting pediatric otolaryngology at a higher frequency than men (30.9% vs 15.8%).

There is a statistically significant increasing trend of otolaryngology residents who choose to undergo further training in fellowship. These data from a large, long-term study will be valuable in planning for training and workforce needs in the future.