Survey of postgraduate fellows in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery

A survey of fellowship-trained otolaryngologists was undertaken. Seven hundred forty-four questionnaires were mailed, and 344 were returned. The survey respondents were asked questions regarding their fellowship training, location of practice, attitudes regarding certification, relevancy of fellowship to practice, and quality of fellowship training, among others. Results of this survey provide some information regarding the ongoing proliferation of fellowships in Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery and the philosophies of those having taken fellowships. Generally, this survey indicates that fellowship-trained specialists feel that there are enough fellowships currently, and suggestions are made to improve the quality of fellowship training. Almost 70% of this survey's respondents prefer a Certificate of Added Qualifications from the American Board of Otolaryngology for credentialing and validation of their fellowship training.