Objectives: The h-index is a measure of research output and contribution that shows strong correlation with academic promotion in medicine. The purpose of this paper is to clearly explain how h-index scores are calculated and how otolaryngologists can effectively and advantageously use these scores for their career development. Design: We performed an up-to-date PubMed literature review describing the design of h-index and how to use it effectively along with its role in academic medicine including otolaryngology. Results: H-index scores are used as a metric for scientific output which considers the number of publications and the number of times each paper was cited. Search engines can automatically calculate h-index scores for one’s work. Studies also revealed significant positive impacts h-index has from fellowship involvement which later translates to career advancement in academic medicine. Aspiring academic otolaryngologists should create a research profile to link and calculate h-index for publications, submit to well-read high impact journals for increased viewership and citations, and expand on foundational and personal research topics. Conclusions: Future studies should evaluate faculty and resident awareness of h-indices in the otolaryngology department to see how we can further address any underlying barriers. Otolaryngologists with the knowledge and tools necessary to maximize h-index scores and to produce high quality research in modern day medicine not only provides advantages in career development, but also brings significant contribution to the field of otolaryngology.