AI Transforms Otolaryngology

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a topic that simultaneously captures our imagination and provokes hesitation. While its promise is vast, the rapid pace of technological advancement can feel difficult for busy surgeons and educators to follow, let alone integrate meaningfully into daily practice. Yet AI is no longer a distant or theoretical concept. It is already being deployed across healthcare systems, influencing how we deliver care, educate trainees, and select the next generation of physicians.

At the Society of University Otolaryngologists (SUO) Annual Meeting held in Washington, D.C., in November 2025, a panel moderated by Mas Takashima, MD, was convened to offer a pragmatic view of how AI is being implemented across clinical operations and residency training. The discussion focused on three domains of immediate relevance to academic otolaryngology: improving operating room efficiency, leveraging AI-driven data analytics to reduce inpatient readmissions and mortality, and reshaping resident education and selection. While a degree of apprehension toward AI is understandable, the collective experience presented at this panel suggests that thoughtful, incremental adoption can yield meaningful benefits without sacrificing human judgment or professional values.

AI in Otolaryngology Residency Selection: the AAMC–Thalamus Collaboration

The session opened with a discussion on AI in resident selection and featured Ioannis Koutroulis, MD, PhD, associate dean of MD Admissions at George Washington University, speaking on behalf of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), alongside Alex Thomson, cofounder of Medicratic, the company whose AI platform was later incorporated into Thalamus. Their segment led the panel and focused on how emerging AI tools may reshape residency recruitment.

Otolaryngology residency programs face steadily rising application volumes, intensifying the challenge of performing a thorough, holistic review. Faculty must evaluate academic metrics, personal attributes, letters of recommendation, and institutional fit while balancing clinical responsibilities. During the opening portion of the panel, speakers discussed how AI-assisted review tools are being introduced as decision support systems rather than replacements for human judgment.

The AAMC has partnered with Thalamus to expand access to Cortex, an AI-assisted screening platform designed to organize and structure applicant information. Beginning with the 2026 recruitment cycle, electronic residency application service (ERAS) programs, including all otolaryngology residencies, will have access to these tools without additional cost. This marks the first recruitment season in which AI-supported holistic review may become widely available across the specialty.

Platform Overview

Cortex functions primarily as an information management system. It uses document parsing and natural language processing to extract and organize data from transcripts, personal statements, and letters of recommendation into structured dashboards. Importantly, it does not generate automated rank lists or final decisions. Instead, programs build customized scorecards that reflect their own educational priorities. Multiple reviewers can score applicants using shared rubrics, and the system aggregates evaluations to support consistency across faculty reviewers.