Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai-Head and Neck Oncology-Microvascular Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 1 Gustave Levy Place Box 1189 New York, NY  10029   Eric Genden, MD – Fellowship Director (212) 241-3943 Mark Urken, MD – Fellowship Co-Director (212) 241-3943 Raymond Chai, MD – Fellowship Co-Director  Kerry Feeney – Coordinator Amanda Mercado – Coordinator  (212) 241-3943

Number of Fellowships: 2 Duration (in years) / Type: 1 year / ClinicalDepartment Chair:  Eric Genden, MD Faculty: Head and Neck Surgery Michael H. Berger, MD Raymond Chai, MD Eric Genden, MD Nazir Khan, MD Scott A. Roof, MD Marita Teng, MD Mark Urken, MD Oral Maxillofacial Surgery Daniel Buchbinder, DMD, MD Devin Okay, DDS Medical Oncology Bruce Culliney, MD Marshall Posner, MD Azita Khorsandi, MD Krzysztof J Misiukiewicz, MD Radiation Oncology Jerry Liu, MD Richard Bakst, MD Pathology William H. Westra, MD Margaret Brandwein-Weber, MD Research Maaike van Gerwen, MD, PhD Ya-Wen Chen, PhD Alison May, PhD Program Website

 PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Overview:
The Head and Neck Oncology-Microvascular Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship Program at The Mount Sinai Health System provides a comprehensive 12-month experience in management and reconstruction patients with malignant and advanced benign diseases. This intensive program encompasses all facets of surgical care, including diagnosis, treatment planning, ablative and reconstructive surgery, and post- operative surveillance. The surgical faculty offers diverse expertise in ablative and reconstructive surgery, with unique opportunities for involvement in active trials on tracheal and parathyroid transplantation, as well as trans-oral robotic microvascular free flap reconstruction.

Strengths: 
The Head and Neck Fellow actively participates in major head and neck surgical cases, covering head and neck ablative surgery, microvascular reconstruction, transoral robotic surgery, endocrine surgery, skull base surgery, and airway surgery. The fellowship experience is divided between two sites: Six contiguous months at The Mount Sinai Hospital and six contiguous months at Mount Sinai West. At Mount Sinai Hospital, fellows staff the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Oncology Clinic one half day per week, where they evaluate and manage head and neck oncology patients. The fellow oversees operative cases generated from the clinic with supervision from division faculty.

Scope of Surgical Experience:
Fellows are trained in ablative head and neck oncologic surgery, encompassing mucosal disease, paranasal-skull base surgery, salivary tumors, sialendoscopy, and cutaneous malignancies.
Reconstructive surgery training includes local, regional, and free tissue transfer for complex ablative defects of the head and neck. Fellows also receive training in transoral robotic and laser surgery, extensive endocrine experience, including the management of thyroid and parathyroid malignancies, and the management of advanced benign lesions of the head and neck, such as salivary and neurogenic tumors. The fellowship offers a robust experience in comprehensive surgical management of airway disease, including reconstruction and voice restoration.

Eligibility:
To be considered for a position, candidates for the head and neck fellowship must have completed a residency program in Otolaryngology, General Surgery, or Plastic Surgery. Candidates must be ABOTO board eligible for New York State Medical Licensure. Applications will be reviewed, and interviews offered prior to the AHNS Match. Final selections are made at the time of the AHNS Match. All interested US applicants must be registered with the Match Program of the Advanced Training Council for Approval of Training in Head and Neck Oncology Surgery (sponsored by The American Head and Neck Society) to be considered for a position. All qualified applications will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or handicap that does not prevent performing the duties expected of the position.

Fellows’ Duties/Responsibilities:
Fellows actively participate in and present at various conferences, including the multidisciplinary tumor board, Grand Rounds, educational rounds, and research conferences. They rotate with the medical and radiation oncology divisions to gain an appreciation for multidisciplinary care. Call responsibilities include 1 day per week of daytime consult coverage at Mount Sinai Hospital or Mount Sinai West and 4- 5 weeks of weekday evening and weekend call at Elmhurst Hospital Center per year.

Research Opportunities: 

Airway Science: Ya-Wen Chen, PhD, Black Family Stem Cell Institute, and Institute for Airway Science. Dr. Chen leads a program in lung and tracheal organoids as a model to study airway development and diseases, as well as novel approaches to transplantation and airway reconstruction.
Tracheal Transplantation: Eric Genden, MD and Benjamin Laitman MD, PhD. Airway Immunology and Transplantation Program. This laboratory focuses on the immunobiology of tracheal transplantation.
Causative Mechanisms of Upper Airway Disease: Alison May, PhD. This laboratory focuses on the causative mechanisms of upper airway disease, including cystic fibrosis and chronic rhinosinusitis, through defining alterations in the structure and function of epithelial tissues.
Thyroid Cancer Environmental Research Program: Maaike Vangerwen, MD, PhD. This laboratory is dedicated to research on the environmental causes of thyroid disease.
Functional Outcomes Research: Mark Urken, MD lab: This is a clinical research program dedicated to functional outcomes.

Supervision, Teaching & Call:
Clinical/surgical responsibilities of fellows and residents are shared experiences at the discretion of the head and neck faculty. Major ablative head and neck surgery and microvascular reconstruction cases involve attending staff, the head and neck fellow, and residents in a graded, experience-based approach. In general, fellows have the opportunity to select cases most appropriate to their training goals if multiple major head and neck cases are occurring simultaneously. Fellows are also responsible for resident supervision and surgical training in a capacity commensurate with their abilities.