For the second consecutive year, Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery and Urology residency programs are both ranked No. 1 in the U.S. by reputation, according to the Doximity Residency Navigator.
The top placement for Urology marks its second consecutive year at No. 1 after breaking into the top spot in 2024, and Otolaryngology now has its respective first place ranking in five consecutive years.
Each year, Doximity Residency Navigator publishes residency program rankings by specialty, which are “powered by peer nominations, ratings and hand-written reviews.” Factors considered include culture, clinical diversity, career guidance and overall satisfaction.
A culture of connection and teamwork has been key to establishing their reputations.
Connie Ma, MD, a chief Otolaryngology resident in her fifth year of the program, reflected on how leaders in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery connect with trainees on a personal level.
“Our mentors are really kind, easygoing and thoughtful people and doctors, sometimes to the point you forget how big a deal they are in the ENT world,” said Ma. “They have really been invested in my growth both as a trainee and as a person. We have absolutely world-class faculty and get to train in an approachable and comfortable environment.”
Ma added that her co-residents share that drive to be invested in each other’s success, making for a tight-knit cohort composed of accomplished, caring individuals.
“To be honored at this high level for five years running paints a picture of a residency program that has achieved a reputation of being among the country’s best,” said Priyesh Patel, MD, Otolaryngology residency program director. “This is the result of collaboration and efforts from dedicated faculty, trainees and staff to create a supportive environment that prizes clinical and academic excellence every day. It is a team effort, centered around our dedication to our patients and to each other.”
Bryn Launer, MD, a chief Urology resident also in her fifth year, had similar praise for her program.
“We all think about how to do the right thing for the patient, how to take the best care of people, and how to stay on the cutting edge of medicine,” said Launer. “But we also think about how to be a good team player. Being a good and kind human being is also something we really emphasize. The whole culture is about training to be care providers who others want to work with.”
Launer’s residency began in 2020, meaning she didn’t get the same in-person experience many other medical school graduates do in their search for their next destination. Nevertheless, VUMC ended up being the perfect choice for her.
“I went with my gut, and I felt like I really connected with the people at Vanderbilt,” she said.
Launer further credited the Department of Urology’s nationally renowned attending physicians for bolstering VUMC’s reputation, and she was delighted to find that those same doctors were just as personally invested in their residents’ happiness as they were professionally invested in their academic and professional success.
“We are honored to earn this first place ranking in consecutive years. It is a testament to the truly amazing trainees we are so fortunate to attract, and to our dedicated faculty,” said Kristen Scarpato, MD, MPH, Urology residency program director. “Our program strives for excellence in all facets of training, and we are proud to have developed such a strong reputation.”
A total of five Vanderbilt programs rank in the top 10 of their respective specialties: Med/Peds (5), Surgery (9) and Orthopaedics (9), in addition to top-ranked Urology and Otolaryngology programs.
A total of 11 programs are in the top 20, which includes Anesthesiology (12), Emergency Medicine (15), Internal Medicine (15), Pediatrics (15), Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (16) and Nuclear Medicine (18).
