Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery

Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Fellowships

The Division of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery offers six fellowships

1) Advanced Head and Neck Onology and Microvascular Reconstruction

This fellowship is accredited by the American Head and Neck Society and the Canadian Association of Head and Neck Surgical Oncologists.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Overview: The Fundamental Components of the Fellowship are as follows:

The fellow will participate in the evaluation, management and care of a minimum of 400 head and neck neoplasm cases (benign or malignant, including endocrine and salivary gland).
Participation in a minimum of 300 surgical procedures, representing the full scope of head and neck surgical oncology.
Participation in approximately 30-40 transoral robotic surgical (TORS) procedures on oropharyngeal malignancies.
Intensive exposure to the interdisciplinary management of head and neck oncologic patients (regular tumor board participation).
Participation in the development and implementation of head and neck oncologic research.

Objectives: The goal of this Fellowship is to provide comprehensive, multidisciplinary training to individuals who are committed to a career in head and neck surgical oncology. The fellowship training will provide a broad exposure to the full range of clinical problems encountered in a tertiary head and neck oncology practice. Upon completion of a one-year fellowship, the surgeon will possess the following characteristics:

Expertise in the multidisciplinary management of patients with head and neck cancer.
Knowledge and skills in skull base surgery.
Knowledge and skills in microvascular free flap reconstruction.
Board-based knowledge and comprehension of principles of: radiation oncology, medical oncology, maxillofacial prosthetics, oncologic nutrition, head and neck pathology, diagnostic radiology/nuclear medicine and rehabilitation of speech and swallowing.
Expertise in conservation and surgical procedures.
Judgment and ability to perform complex tumor resections and an understanding of the technical limitations of the procedures.
Comprehension of head and neck cancer biology.
Appreciation of scientific methodology, study design, clinical trials and data analysis.
Ability to practice effectively in an academic, tertiary care setting and to participate in medical education and translational research.

Strengths: The Advanced Head and Neck Oncology and Microvascular Reconstruction Fellowship at the University of Alberta provides a high volume experience in the treatment of patients. In addition to resections, the fellow can expect to perform a minimum of 150 microvascular reconstructions in their one-year fellowship. The fellow will also be exposed to a wide variety of transoral surgical approaches to oropharyngeal cancers including transoral robotics (TORS). Research opportunities are available and encouraged. Involvement in our prospective functional outcomes lab is expected and will provide an excellent opportunity to learn an appropriate and comprehensive approach to treating patients in a manner to provide optimal function and survival.

Fellows’ Duties/Responsibilities: Completion of an Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, General Surgery, or General Plastic Surgery residency training program. Documented experience and ability in the management of head and neck cancer patients, through letters of reference and the applicants’ personal statement, are required. Successful completion of an interview with the Fellowship Director is also required. Ideally, this will include a one or two week elective at the University of Alberta hospital. This will allow the candidate an opportunity to evaluate the program as well as allowing the faculty an opportunity to evaluate the candidate.

Research Opportunities: It is expected that all fellows will be involved in clinical research projects and participate in the presentation/publication of the results. It is recommended that fellows in 24-month programs should have dedicated (protected or block) time available for laboratory research.

There is a strong expectation for research productivity from the Head and Neck Oncology Fellow. At the very least, we expect publication of one paper and a presentation at our Canadian Society of Otolaryngology meeting. Our preference is to have multiple publications as well as several presentations over the course of the year. There is dedicated research time for the fellow, giving them a minimum ½ day a week available for academic and research activities.

PAST FELLOWS

The Advanced Head and Neck Oncology and Microvascular Reconstruction Fellowship’s goal is to train surgeons for academic careers in Head and Neck Oncology. All of our fellows have gone on to careers in academic medicine. Contact information for prior fellows is available through the program director and we encourage candidates to contact our fellows to discuss the fellowship experience.

For further information, contact:

Dr. Dan O'Connell,
1E4.31 WC Mackenzie Centre,
8440 - 112th Street,
EDMONTON, AB T6G 2B7
Tel: 780-407-7250
Email: dan.o'connell@albertahealthservices.ca

2) International Head & Neck Surgery Outreach Program – Visiting Scholar:

This fellowship is supported and funded through the Alberta Head and Neck Center for Cancer and Reconstruction (AHNCOR). This fellowship is open to all International candidates with fellowship and/or board certification (or national equivalent) in Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery; General Surgery; Plastic Surgery, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery or other related discipline and who are eligible for teaching license through the University of Alberta. Preference will be given to candidates currently practicing in and planning on returning to regions or countries currently under-serviced in the area of Head & Neck Surgery.

Goals and Objectives:
1. Provide an excellent academic opportunity to foster and develop specialized skills in Head & Neck Surgery and reconstruction.
2. Develop trained sub-specialists who will contribute to the ongoing development of head and neck surgery in their home country.
3. Foster and develop surgical educators in head & neck, and reconstructive surgery programs, with special priority given to people returning to academic programs.
4. Encourage and develop new skills in head & neck / reconstructive surgery through participation in basic science, clinical trials, and clinical research ventures.

For further information, contact:

Dr. Dan O'Connell,
1E4.31 WC Mackenzie Centre,
8440 - 112th Street,
EDMONTON, AB T6G 2B7
Tel: 780-407-7250
Email: dan.o'connell@albertahealthservices.ca

3) Rhinology / Endoscopic Sinus and Skull Base Surgery

This fellowship will provide a broad experience in Rhinology with focus on complex and revision endoscopic sinus surgery as well as the extended applications of endoscopic techniques including minimally invasive approaches to the skull base, management of neoplasms, endoscopic pituitary surgery, and orbital decompression. Academic activities will include clinical or basic science research as well as teaching responsibilities for trainees in otolaryngology.

Application deadline is Feb 1 of the year prior to beginning the fellowship. Applications are accepted via the SF Match.

For further information contact:

Dr. Erin D. Wright
1E4 Walter MacKenzie Centre
8440 - 112 Street
Edmonton, AB T6G 2B7
Tel: 780-407-7656
Email: erin.wright@ualberta.ca

4) International Fellowship in Maxillofacial Prosthodontics

Established in 2014, the International Fellowship in Maxillofacial Prosthodontics is run through the Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, at the University of Alberta. Our first candidate was accepted in January 2014. We currently accept one new fellow per year.

Dr. Suresh Nayar

1W-02, 16940–87 avenue
Edmonton, AB Canada T5R 4H5
http://irsmyeg.ca/

Tel: 780-735-2660
Email: snayar@ualberta.ca

5) Clinical Fellowship in Pediatric Otolaryngology

The Pediatric Otolaryngology Clinical Fellowship at the Stollery Children’s Hospital, University of Alberta in Alberta, Canada was founded in 2004 to enhance our educational role nationally and internationally.

Eligibility:

The fellowship position requires the applicant to have completed residency training in Otolaryngology and to have successfully passed licensing examinations in their country of origin. The fellowship is open to Canadian, as well as non-Canadian trained Otolaryngologists. Foreign medical graduates must be able to obtain a training visa for Canada and an educational license for Alberta. It is important to note that as per The College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta, unless exempt, candidates are required to have completed the academic version of an English Language Proficiency (ELP) test within 24 months before submitting your CPSA application as noted on their website.

The Stollery Children's Hospital
The Stollery Children's Hospital, located within the University of Alberta Hospital, is home to a mosaic of highly skilled child health professionals from many countries around the world. They have made this "hospital within a hospital" into a well-recognized centre for complex and specialized services. We care for children from Northern Alberta, including Edmonton and the metropolitan area, as well as Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut. For Pediatric Otolaryngology the population served is arguably in excess of two million. Please click on the link above for complete details regarding the Stollery Children’s Hospital.

Description of Services
The service is a busy subspecialty in the Stollery Children’s Hospital under the jurisdiction of the Division of Pediatric Surgery and closely tied to the division of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery (OHNS). The vast majority of the services are delivered in the Stollery, we cover all city hospitals and visits may be made to the other neonatal intensive care units.

A broad range of surgical repertoire is offered; open and endoscopic structural and functional airway procedures, cochlear implantation, mastoidectomies and tympanoplasties, saliva control procedures, sleep nasopharyngoscopy guided surgery, endoscopic nasal procedures, and developmental and oncological neck surgery. Multidisciplinary cases with other Pediatric surgeons, adult Skull-base surgeons and OHN surgeons are often undertaken. Joint endoscopic assessments along with pediatric Pulmonologists and Gastroenterologists are commonly undertaken for swallowing disorders and complex children with respiratory multi-factorial disease.

There are many multidisciplinary collaborations and clinics:

Complex Pediatric Airway reconstruction team (Dr. El-Hakim and Dr. AlAklabi – Cardiovascular Surgeon)

Aerodigestive & Aspiration Clinics

Cleft Lip and Palate Clinic

Tracheostomy Clinic

Voice Clinic

Vascular Malformations clinic

Research Scope and Activity
Despite the overriding clinical nature of the training program, clinical research is desirable and encouraged. Dr. El-Hakim, guides and supervises the process; from the inception, planning and allocation stages to the execution and analysis. Monthly meetings for monitoring research progress are expected. The critical appraisal journal club serves as a hunt for ideas with structured literature searches and evaluations directed at clinical problems seen on a regular basis in the center.

Academic Meetings / Journal Clubs

Pediatric Otolaryngology Journal Club – monthly meetings. A critical appraisal of selected articles and Dr. El-Hakim leads the meetings. This is a forum for structured teaching of research methodology and evidence based medicine, in addition to core subjects.
OHNS Journal Club - monthly meetings. Discussion of 3-4 articles from otolaryngology literature.
OHNS divisional grand rounds (weekly)
Pediatric Surgery grand rounds (monthly)
Department of Surgery Grand Rounds (monthly)
Department of Pediatrics Grand Round (weekly)
OHNS Residents Research Day (annual – first Friday of May)
Attend and participate in at least one of the major otolaryngology meetings in North America (AAO-HNS , SENTAC & ASPO), or an alternative in Europe if agreed upon with the director.

Allied Services
Audiology service. All modern investigative techniques are available and provide a health of experience to the fellows. Another rehabilitation center (The Glenrose Hospital) houses advanced Speech and Audiology services; their scope is mainly children with multiple disabilities.

Speech & Language Pathology. The team covers out-patient and inpatient consults with bedside, functional endoscopic evaluation of swallowing and video-fluoroscopic assessments.

General Duties and Responsibilities of Fellows
This is a one-year duration which is primarily clinical in nature. Specific clinical responsibilities for the fellow are as follows:

Help maintain the consultative service for otolaryngology.

Provide direct and daily input to the neonatal and pediatric intensive care units with respect to airway management.

Attend all surgical or endoscopic operative cases that evolve out of the above activities.

Attend major surgical cases unique to the practice of pediatric otolaryngology.

Attend daily ward rounds.

Maintain a collegial and collaborative working relationship with the resident(s) and other staff.

Provide on call cover, under supervision of staff pediatric Otolaryngologists. The fellow takes part in a 1:3 on-call roster; this is complemented by the rotating otolaryngology resident and the pool of otolaryngology residents attached to the adult service. The fellow does not cover the adult on call.

Objectives and Expectations of Fellows
The aim is to train a professional, clinically and academically competent candidate:

Professional
Compliance with the structure of the program, leadership of the director.
Respectful interaction with peers, other specialists & allied health workers.
Compliance with the prescribed study (2 weeks), statutory leave, and holidays (4 weeks) and disclosure of any reason that may hinder meeting these obligations.
Reporting feedback appropriately through the mid-term and final evaluation processes, and provision of final report on activity and experience at the end of training.

Clinical
Timely and completely meeting daily clinical assignments.
Documenting prospectively an operative log book and producing it (or at least a summary) to the director at mid- and end of term evaluations.
Timely and appropriate response to feedback on clinical performance and progress.
Sharing an equitable on call and daily clinical roster with the residents and reporting to the fellowship director on proposed arrangement or changes prior to implementation.
Responsible use of allocated clinical resources (equipment, computers, instruments, records, etc.)

Academic:
Working on under guidance of the program director to enhance research methodology skills, practice of critical appraisal, and allocation of appropriate research projects.
Working towards producing two manuscripts during the year.
Presentation at local, national or international venues as committed and agreed upon with the primary investigators and the fellowship director.

Timetable:
There are two teams (composed of two staff surgeons). The fellow alternates with the resident to work on these teams.

Funding:
Specific inquiry is encouraged through the program director. The Stollery Hospital Foundation has graciously supported the fellows financially throughout the years with very few exceptions.

Accreditation:
The fellowship is not accredited, given the lack of an accreditation body and process for accreditation in Canada for Pediatric Otolaryngology fellowships.

Application Process:

The completed application should be emailed to Cynna Reyes at cynna@ualberta.ca and include:

Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Three letters of reference with contact information for each
A personal covering letter outlining the candidates interest in the fellowship, as well as future career plans upon completion of the fellowship
A copy of any recent and relevant publications

If granted, an interview will occur in Edmonton giving the applicant an opportunity to see the facilities available for the fellowship for one week. Customarily, within two months from the interview date, the successful candidate will be informed once the committee has taken the decision and the funding for that particular year has been secured.

For application or inquiries, please contact:

Cynna Reyes, Assistant to

Dr. Hamdy El-Hakim, FRCS (Ed), FRCS (ORL) Pediatric Otolaryngology Fellowship Program Director Research Director for the Division of Otolaryngology 2C3.58 WMC, 8440 – 112 Street NW Edmonton AB T6G 2B7

Phone: 780-407-8629 Fax 780-407-2004

Email: cynna@ualberta.ca