Training Courses Build Skills, Confidence, and Collaboration

Duke’s Department of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences offers three cornerstone training opportunities at the beginning of the academic year that set the tone for resident education: the Emergency Skills Course, the Cranio-Maxillofacial (CMF) Trauma Course, and the Head and Neck Cadaver Course.

These programs provide a safe, simulation-based environment for residents to practice critical skills, refine techniques, and strengthen professional networks.

• In the OHNS Emergency Skills Course (led by Liana Puscas, MD, MHS), participants from throughout the region work on skills such as intubation, flexible fiberoptic examination, thyroid ultrasound, suturing, and airway evaluation. Senior residents serve as facilitators alongside Duke faculty.

• The Cranomaxillofacial (CMF) Trauma Course (led by Duke plastic surgeon David B. Powers, MD, DMD, FACS, FRCS) is open to all levels of trainees as well as practicing clinicians. This comprehensive program includes didactic lectures and a cadaver lab focused on cranio-maxillofacial trauma. The course features both Duke faculty and invited experts from across the country, bringing a breadth of perspectives and techniques.
• The Head and Neck Cadaver Course (led by David Jang, MD) updates residents on common head and neck surgery procedures, including neck dissection, thyroidectomy, partoidectomy, sinus surgery, and rhinoplasty. Junior residents are paired with senior residents who take them through these operative interventions.

“These courses create a safe environment for residents to learn and practice things they’ll be doing throughout the year,” says Brian Hughley, MD, Associate Program Director for Duke’s Otolaryngology Residency. “They allow time to slow down and figure things out without patient risk.”

The skills learned in the courses are directly transferable to real care. “After the course, I applied the suturing tips from the experts in the operating room,” Madison Hearn, MD, MPH, a PGY-1 in our Otolaryngology Residency Program, says. “It was also helpful to be reminded of the best suture type for different scenarios.”

Collaboration Across Institutions and Specialties

The benefits extend beyond Duke. The Emergency Skills Course is multi-institutional, welcoming junior residents and faculty from UNC, Wake Forest, Emory, and the Medical College of Georgia. Similarly, the CMF Trauma Course draws participants and faculty from multiple programs nationwide.

This exposure gives trainees a broader view of their field. “It’s important for residents to see that other programs face the same challenges,” Dr. Hughley explains. “It also builds professional connections they’ll carry throughout their careers.”

“Working with residents from other institutions allowed me to learn from different experiences and approaches,” Dr. Hearn says. “And I made friends in the specialty who I will continue to run into at future conferences and courses.”

The trauma course also reflects the strong interdepartmental partnership between Duke’s Otolaryngology and Plastic Surgery teams. Both specialties treat craniomaxillofacial trauma, and their collaboration—shared clinical coverage, co-teaching, and cross-service rotations—offers residents a richer training experience. “Not all institutions have such a collaborative relationship,” Dr. Hughley notes. “Here, it’s a real strength.”

Continuing Opportunities

The courses occur annually, maintaining their place as a highlight of Duke’s academic calendar. Additional opportunities, including the Temporal Bone Course and the Sinus and Skull Base Dissection Course—a cadaver-based training involving both ENT and neurosurgery—highlight the department’s course offerings.

For Dr. Hughley, the impact of these programs is clear. “They sharpen skills, build confidence, and foster connections—both within Duke and across the specialty. That’s what makes them so valuable.”