Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer Sessions. Four- or Eight-Week Session

Course Coordinators:
Carter Van Waes, MD, PhD
Andrew Griffith, MD, PhD

Course Description
The Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch and Hearing Section, Otolaryngology Branch, National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) offers an eight- to twelve-week elective program for a limited number of fourth-year medical students. The program places an emphasis on the diagnosis and care of patients participating in research protocols in the outpatient and inpatient setting. The elective includes involvement in clinical research activities of the assigned senior staff mentor. These opportunities include assessment of patients, observation of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, and observation of patients receiving inpatient surgery or combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Students may elect to assist with an intramural research project as part of their experience. The program places emphasis on the molecular and cellular pathogenesis and treatment of disorders affecting hearing, balance, voice, speech, and language.

Students will attend NIDCD and Clinical Center Grand Rounds, NIDCD intramural research seminars, and section journal club meetings on a weekly basis.

Course Objectives

• Familiarize students with opportunities for clinical research and care in communication disorders and in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery
• Allow students to participate in or observe investigational study and treatment of disorders affecting human communication
• Acquaint students with methods for clinical investigation in disorders affecting human communication
• Involve students in a research project in the Tumor Biology or Hearing Section

Staff

• Carter Van Waes, MD, PhD
• Andrew Griffith, MD, PhD
• David Bianchi, MD
• Brian Driscoll, MD
• Kenneth Hauck, MD
• Susan Rudy, CRNP