Online Medical Resources for Otolaryngologists

by Cheryl Alkon •

Launched in 2009 with the help of two of Dr. Metson’s then-Fellows, Man-Kit Leung, MD, and Zachary Soler, MD, the site now attracts users from around the globe and, as of mid-August, had close to 1 million page views and nearly a quarter of a million users, said Dr. Metson. On the main site, two videos on basic steps of sinus surgery are the most popular, but on YouTube, “the most popular video is one where I am taking a bullet out of the nose that went into the orbit, but the eye still had vision,” said Metson. “It’s a dramatic video for a layman to watch—it has a ‘wow’ factor.”

House Ear Institute (youtube.com/user/houseearclinic/videos). The nonprofit House Ear Institute, based in Los Angeles, also features educational videos of various hearing and related surgical procedures via its YouTube channel.

American Head and Neck Society (ahns.info/resources/education/video). The American Head and Neck Society has made available various videos on free and regional flaps for head and neck reconstruction, as well as a few additional related topic videos.

Podcasts

Scope It Out (scopeitoutpodcast.com). This podcast from the International Forum of Allergy and Rhinology focuses on clinical-based and relevant issues for practitioners in the world of rhinology, allergy, and diseases of the cranial base, and is hosted by Tim Smith, MD, MPH, a professor of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, and member of the ENTtoday editorial advisory board.

Over the past two years, Dr. Smith has recorded a monthly podcast with assorted guests. “I wanted educational value, and to respect the science we are trying to advance, but also wanted it to be a casual conversation with some entertainment value as well,” said Smith. “I’m a west coast guy and we approach it that way. For the first time in my life, I’ve been told I have a radio voice. People you know through a meeting hear you talking about some topic they are interested in, and it all kind of simmers into this nice little stew.”

Cheryl Alkon is a freelance writer based in Massachusetts.