MD Anderson Cancer CenterDepartment of Head and Neck Surgery1515 Holcombe Blvd., Unit 1445Houston, TX 77030(713) 792-6924Ryan Goepfert, MD – Fellowship Director Kelley Mikeska – Coordinator
Program Website |
Number of Fellowships: 3
Duration (in years) / Type: (1) 1-year clinical HNS, (1) 2-year research and clinical HNS, (1) 2-year HNS & PRS year / Clinical |
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Overview: Our fellowship program is either one, two, or three years long. All of these programs are accredited by the Joint Council for Approval of Advanced Teaching in Head and Neck Surgical Oncology. The one-year fellowship is a pure clinical position that emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach to the management of head and neck cancer. Surgical experience involves all aspects of head and neck surgical oncology, including skull base surgery, robotics, and other micro-invasive techniques.
The two-year position provides one year of dedicated clinical, outcomes, basic science, and/or translational research and one year of clinical training. The research years are under the direct guidance of an appropriate mentor in the area of interest within the MDACC institution. In addition, there are research tracts which include 2 years of research and allow for the pursuit of additional education such as a Master’s in Public Health.
There is a two-year fellowship in Head and Neck Surgical Oncology and Microvascular Reconstructive
Surgery which is a unique fellowship offering intensive training in each discipline. The first year is a pure HNS clinical year as described above. The second year is a pure reconstructive experience directed and supervised by the Department of Reconstructive and Plastic Surgery.
The positions available at the UT MDACC Department of Head & Neck Surgery will vary from year to year depending on which positions are held by the current fellows. Please e-mail Dr. Amy Hessel (ahessel@mdanderson.org) or Kelley Mikeska (klmikesk@mdanderson.org) for further information regarding which positions are open for the upcoming fellowship year.
Objectives:The goals and objectives of the MD Anderson Head and Neck Surgical Oncologic Fellowship are to train individuals to provide state of the art multidisciplinary care for patients with head and neck cancer, develop leaders in the field of head and neck oncologic surgery, and provide a rigorous academic experience in which fellows can participate in clinical, outcomes, translational, and/or basic science research under the guidance of a suitable mentor(s) with the ultimate goal of attaining support for future research endeavors upon the completion of training.
Strengths:
- Broad exposure to all head and neck cancer subsites with a wide variety of HNS faculty
- Strong focus on multidisciplinary evaluation, treatment and and follow up
- Exposure and education related to ancillary services such as speech pathology, nutrition, dental oncology and rehabilitation.
- Extensive exposure to surgical management of advanced upper aerodigestive, salivary gland, thyroid, skull base, skin and neck malignancies
- Full year of microvascular reconstructive surgical exposure with the 2 year combined HNS-PRS fellowship tract
- Classroom, cadaver and simulator education as well as surgical exposure to Transrobotic surgery
- Teaching and leadership opportunities with otolaryngology residents
- Comprehensive head and neck cancer Core and Didactic curriculum
Eligibility:
To be considered for a position, the candidate for the head and neck fellowship must have completed a residency program in Otolaryngology, General Surgery or Plastic Surgery. The time frame must be equivalent to the requirement to become, at minimum, chief resident; and preferable, should have attained Board eligibility. Candidates must have completed at least PGY V level of surgical education. The candidates are selected through a process that involves review of a written application, including letters of reference from past mentors and program directors, followed by a personal interview.
Final selections are made at the time of the AHNS Match process and in the following 2-3 months in order to fill all of the open positions. All interested US and Canadian fellowship 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. Those applicants who are not eligible for the Match Program are required to undergo the same application process by filling out the AHNS application with the references and forwarding them directly to the Department of Head & Neck Surgery at MDACC, c/o Kelley Mikeska.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap, sexual orientation, or veteran status.
Fellows’ Duties/Responsibilities: For those fellows doing a 2 or 3 year fellowship, the first 12 to 24 months of non-clinical training are under the mentorship and supervision of research faculty within the institution and associated with the Department of Head and Neck Surgery. During the clinical year, a HNS faculty mentor is assigned to every fellow for counseling and review of progress. In addition, there are research tracts which allow for the pursuit of additional education such as a Master’s in Public Heath which would be obtained through the available graduate education facilities in the Houston area.
During the clinical year, the fellows’ primary responsibilities are in the field of patient care. The Department of Head and Neck surgery faculty are divided into 5 clinical teams; each comprising of 3-5 surgeons. The fellows rotate through each of the teams twice throughout the year, and have exposure to all faculty members equally during the 12 months of clinical fellowship. The fellows will be the leaders of the team, and are expected to supervise residents as well as see new and follow-up patients in the clinic, manage as the inpatient service as well as the consultations for the clinical team. While on each service, the fellow will have hands-on operative experience with each faculty in their areas of specialty or expertise. They will serve as first assistants or primary surgeons in the operating room under the constant supervision of the faculty surgeon.
In addition to the hands-on experience in the operating room, clinic, and inpatient floor, the trainees are required to attend the educational activities of the week which include a Wednesday lecture day of Didactic lectures, Core Curriculum lectures and Friday morning Chairman teaching rounds. The subjects of the lectures and rounds are related to Head and Neck Oncology and related subspecialties and are meant to complement the practical learning. The theoretical instruction of the lecture series is well defined. The Didactic lectures are trainee-run grand round style lectures as well as literature reviews, clinic-radiologic-pathologic correlates and morbidity/mortality conferences. The Core Curriculum lectures are given by faculty either from the MDACC staff or from guest lectures. The topics include a rotating two year schedule for important topics for the Head and Neck oncology education.
In addition, the fellow will be expected to participate in the clinic research activities of the department. They will be asked to choose a supervising mentor and a clinical research project which can be completed during the year. They will be expected to participate in the IRB process, data collection, analysis and paper writing. In order to receive a Certificate of Completion from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, the will have to submit a written paper suitable for peer-reviewed. “Moonlighting” is not allowed.
Research Opportunities: The two-year position provides a one year of dedicated clinical, outcomes, basic science, and/or translational research and one year of clinical training. The research years are under the direct guidance of an appropriate mentor in the area of interest within the MDACC institution. In addition, there are research tracts which allow for the pursuit of additional education such as a Master’s in Public Health.
Supervision, Teaching & Call: Each of the fellows will be exposed to and participate in the care of approximately 350-400 newly referred patients annually. The fellow will participate with the senior staff in all decisions relative to the prescribed treatment. The fellow’s operative responsibility will be assigned commensurate with ability. Residents and medical students are also assigned to the team, giving the Head and Neck fellow the opportunity to demonstrate leadership and educational skills.
PAST FELLOWS
1997-2000 Erich M. Sturgis, MD – Department of Head and Neck Surgery, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
1998-2000 Paul M. Spring, MD – Otolaryngology-HNS, Metairie, LA
1999-2000 Amy C. Hessel, MD – Department of Head and Neck Surgery, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
1998-2001 Amy Y. Chen, MD – Department of Otolaryngology-HNS, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
1999-2001 Mike Yao, MD – Department of Otolaryngology-HNS, Mount Sinai, Scarsdale, NY
1999-2001 Eric J. Lentsch, MD – Department of Otolaryngology-HNS, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
2001-2003 Christopher Holsinger, MD – Department of Otolaryngology-HNS, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA
2001-2003 Bryan Potter, MD – Department of General Surgery, Island Hospital, Anacortes, WA
2001-2003 Hernan E. Gonzalez, MD, PhD – Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago Chile
2001-2003 Christian Simon, MD – Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
2002-2004 Kristen B. Pytynia, MD – Department of Head and Neck Surgery, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
2002-2004 Bradley A. Schiff, MD – Department of Otolaryngology-H&N Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY
2003-2005 Brian A. Moore, MD – Department of Otolaryngology-HNS, Oschner Medical Center, New Orleans, LA
2004-2005 Kenneth A. Newkirk, MD – Department of Otolaryngology-H&N Surgery, Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC
2004-2005 William J. Harb, MD – Cumberland Surgical Associates, Nashville, TN
2004-2006 Christopher Klem, MD – Department of Otolaryngology, The Queen’s Medical Center, Honolulu, HI
2003-2006 Seungwon Kim, MD – Department of Otolaryngology-H&N Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
2003-2016 Thomas D. Shellenberger, MD – Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Banner Hospital, Phoenix, AZ
2004-2006 Michael E. Kupferman, MD – Department of Head and Neck Surgery, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
2006-2007 Allison D. Lupinetti, MD – Otolaryngology-HNS, Albany, NY
2005-2008 Andrew Sikora, MD, PhD – Department of Otolaryngology-HNS, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
2006-2009 Chad E. Galer, MD – Department of Otolaryngology-HNS, VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN
2006-2009 Mauricio A. Moreno, MD – Department of Otolaryngology-HNS, University of Arkansas Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR
2007-2008 Gabriel Calzada, MD – Department of Otolaryngology-HNS, Kaiser Permanente, Downey, CA
2007-2008 Umamaheswar Duvvuri, MD – Department of Otolaryngology-HNS, University of Pittsburg Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA
2007-2010 Zvonimir Milas, MD – Department of General Surgery, Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte, NC
2008-2009 Yitzchak E. Weinstock, MD – Department of Otolaryngology-HNS, Kelsey-Seybold, Houston, TX
2008-2010 Genevieve A. Andrews, MD – Department of Otolaryngology-HNS, Temple University, Pittsburg, PA
2008-2010 Carol M. Lewis, MD – Department of Head and Neck Surgery, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
2009-2010 David Grant, MD – Department of Otolaryngology-HNS, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL
2009-2011 Mihir K. Bhayani, MD – Department of Otolaryngology-HNS, North Shore Medical Center, Chicago, IL
2010-2011 Charley E. Coffey, MD – Department of Otolaryngology-HNS, University of California – San Diego, San Diego, CA
2010-2011 Rafael O. Toro-Serra, MD – Department of Surgical Oncology, University of Florida at Orlando, Orlando, FL
2010-2011 Mark E. Zafereo, MD – Department of Head and Neck Surgery, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
2009-2012 Thomas J. Ow, MD – Department of Otolaryngology – HNS, Albert Einstein University, Bronx, NY
2011-2012 Shirley Y. Su, MD – Department of Head and Neck Surgery, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
2012-2013 Steve S. Chang, MD – Department of Otolaryngology-HNS, Henry Ford University, Detroit, MI
2012-2013 Constance Teo, MD – Department of Otolaryngology – HNS, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
2011-2014 David M. Neskey, MD – Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Medical Univ. of South Carolina, Charleston
2013-2014 Jonathan R. George, MD – Department of Head and Neck Surgery, University of California – San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco, CA
2012-2014 Marcus M. Monroe, MD – Department of Head and Neck Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
2012-2015 Andrew T. Huang, MD – Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
2013-2015 Rami Saad, MD – Department of Head & Neck Surgery, American University Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
2014-2015 Wojech K. Mydlarz, MD – Department of Head & Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD
2014-2016 Steven B. Chinn, MD – Department of Head & Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
2014-2016 Natalie L. Silver, MD – Department of Otolaryngology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
2015-2016 Vlad C. Sandaluche, MD, PhD – Department of Head & Neck Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
2015-2016 Harold Heah, MD – Department of Otolaryngology-HNS, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
2016-2017 Ryan P. Goepfert, MD – Department of Head and Neck Surgery, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
2016-2017 Jamie A. Ku, MD – Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
2016-2017 Marietta Tan, MD – Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD
2016-2018 Ashley Mays, MS – Department of Otolaryngology-HNS, LSU Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge, LA
2016-2018 Moran Amit, MD – Department of Head and Neck Surgery (research), MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
2017-2018 Karen Choi, MD – Department of Otolaryngology-HNS, Penn State University, Hershey PA
2017-2018 Rui (Jennifer) Wang, MD – Department of Head and Neck Surgery, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
2017-2019 Faisal Ahmad, MD – Department of Head and Neck Surgery, MD Anderson Jascksonville, Jacksonville, FL
2016-2019 Samantha Tam, MD – Department of Otolaryngology-HNS, Henry Ford Cancer Center, Detriot, MI
2018-2019 Eugene Sansoni, MD – Department of Otolaryngology –HNS, University of Tennessee-Memphis, Memphis, TN