UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

INSTITUTION & ADDRESS

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Department of Otolaryngology
Rhinology and Cranial Base Surgery Fellowship Program
200 Lothrop Street
The Eye & Ear Institute, Suite 500
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

SF MATCH PROGRAM ID#

2879

FELLOWSHIP DIRECTOR

Eric Wang, MD, FARS
Professor
UPMC Department of Otolaryngology
The Eye & Ear Institute, Suite 500
200 Lothrop Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
[email protected]

FACULTY

Carl Snyderman, MD, MBA
Professor
UPMC Department of Otolaryngology
[email protected]

Garret Choby, MD, FARS
Associate Professor
UPMC Department of Otolaryngology
[email protected]

ASSOCIATED FACULTY

Paul Gardner, MD
Professor and Peter J. Jannetta Endowed Chair
UPMC Department of Neurological Surgery
[email protected]

Georgios Zenonos, MD
Associate Professor
UPMC Department of Neurological Surgery
[email protected]

S. Tonya Stefko, MD
Professor
UPMC Department of Ophthalmology
[email protected]

DEPARTMENTAL MISSION STATEMENT

The goal of the Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is to continue to be a center of excellence for otolaryngology by providing high quality, state-of-the-art patient care, education, and research.

OVERVIEW OF FELLOWSHIP

The Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center offers a one-year fellowship program in advanced rhinology and skull base surgery. This training provides a comprehensive experience in the management of complex sinonasal disorders, sinonasal malignancy, and skull base/orbital pathology. The faculty at our high-volume center routinely perform more than 850 surgical cases per year. The surgical experience during this year focuses on primary and revision endoscopic sinus surgery, nasal airway surgery, advanced endoscopic and open frontal sinus surgery, CSF leak repair, endoscopic sinonasal tumor resections, endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery for basic and complex skull base lesions, advanced reconstruction techniques, and management of orbital pathology. This fellowship program is designed to prepare an individual for an academic career in rhinology and cranial base surgery.

The fellow will be actively involved in the rhinology and skull base educational curriculum. Teaching opportunities include didactic lectures, direct resident training, and mentoring other trainees on research projects. The fellow will also benefit from a structured curriculum including weekly Skull Base Film Conference, monthly Interesting Case Conference, and quarterly Journal Club. The fellow will also serve as an integral member of the skull base team by participating as a lab instructor in the Endoscopic Endonasal Surgery of the Skull Base CME Course which provides the fellow with an opportunity to interface with leaders in the field of rhinology and skull base surgery.

The fellowship benefits from multidisciplinary collaborations with neurosurgery, oculoplastics, neuroradiology, head and neck pathology and head and neck oncology.

FELLOWSHIP DESCRIPTION

Weekly Schedule:

  • 1 protected academic day (every other week)
  • 1 day of clinic
  • 3-4 operating room days

Research Responsibilities:

Clinical research is expected and mentored to allow the fellow to formulate independent research study. The availability of several prospective clinical databases allows for diversity of research projects. The fellow is also expected to produce a peer reviewed manuscript and presentation as well as contribute to a review paper or chapter. Instruction in clinical trial design and participation is facilitated by ongoing multi-institutional clinical trials. There is a full-time research manager dedicated to rhinology and cranial base that helps facilitate research productivity during the year.

Diversity of Cases:

The faculty at our high-volume center routinely perform more than 850 surgical cases per year including 200-250 endoscopic skull base cases, as well as open skull base cases. The fellow’s surgical experience is geared towards more challenging endoscopic cases, such as revision and frontal sinus surgery and skull base, orbital, and intracranial pathology. Ablation of both benign and malignant sinonasal neoplasms is also a robust area of the fellow’s surgical experience.

If the fellow has interest, they can become proficient in advanced nasal airway surgery including open septorhinoplasty and open approaches to the paranasal sinuses and neck.

2023-2024 Case Log

Call Schedule:

The fellow will participate in the department’s general and maxillofacial trauma call schedule approximately four weeks a year and be available to cover postoperative sinus and skull base patients if needed.

CURRENT AND PAST FELLOWS

2024-Present
Jason R. Crossley, MD

2023-2024
Brandon R. Rosvall, MD, Assistant Professor, Dalhousie University

2022-2023
Andrey Filimonov, MD, PharmD, Assistant Professor, Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ
Lauren M. North, MD, Assistant Professor, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI

2021-2022
Derek K. Kong, MD, Bridgeport Hospital, Bridgeport, CT
Kent S. Tadokoro, MD, Kaiser Permanente, Los Angeles, CA

2020-2021
Vijay Patel, MD, Assistant Professor, UC San Diego, San Diego, CA
Uma Ramaswamy, MD, Assistant Professor, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX

2019-2020
Joel Franco, MD, Nevada Ear + Sinus Institute, Las Vegas, NV
Nadeem Kolia, MD, Assistant Professor, Cooper University, Camden, NJ

2018-2019
Omar Ahmed, MD, Penn Medicine Becker ENT & Allergy, Robbinsville, NJ

2017-2019
Philippe Lavigne, MD, Assistant Professor, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada

2017-2018
Daniel Faden, MD, Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

2016-2017
Mathew Geltzeiler, MD, Associate Professor, Oregon Health & Sciences University
Andrea Hebert, MD, MPH, Associate Professor, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD
Meghan Turner, MD, Assistant Professor, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV

2015-2016
Aron Pollack, MD, Assistant Professor, Hofstra/Northwell, New York, NY
Thomas Willson, MD, Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, TX

2014-2015
Brian Lee, DO, Maine Health, Biddeford, ME
Chirag Patel, MD, Associate Professor, Loyola University
Amanda Stapleton, MD, Associate Professor, University of Pittsburgh

2013-2014
Timothy DeKlotz, MD, Associate Professor, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
J. Kenneth Byrd, MD, Professor, Medical College of Georgia Augusta University, Augusta, GA

2012-2013
John de Almeida, MD, MSc, Professor, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Shirley Su, MBBS, Associate Professor, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

2010-2012
Carlos Pinheiro-Neto, MD, PhD, Professor, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

2010
Alec Vaezi, MD, PhD, Clinical Associate Professor, New York University, Mineola, NY

2009-2010
Steve C. Lee, MD, PhD, Associate Professor and Vice Chair, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA
Yew Kwang Ong, MBBCh, Senior Consultant, National University Hospital, Singapore

2009
C. Arturo Solares, MD, Professor, Emory University, Atlanta, GA

2008-2009
Amol Bhatki, MD, Clinical Associate Professor, Texas A&M, Dallas, TX
Emiro Caicedo Granados, MD, Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
Harshita Pant, BMBS, Senior Lecturer, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia

2007-2008
Adam Zanation, MD, Carolina Ear, Nose & Throat-Sinus and Allergy Center, Hickory, NC

2006-2007
Allan Vescan, MD, MSc, Assistant Professor, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

2004-2005
Lee Zimmer, MD, PhD, Director of Otolaryngology, Mercy Health, Cincinnati, OH

REQUIREMENTS FOR APPOINTMENT

Applicants must be American Board of Otolaryngology eligible/American Board of Otolaryngology certified and satisfy requirements for appointment to the active medical staff which requires completion of an ACGME-approved residency training program (https://apps.acgme.org/ads/Public/Programs/Search).

APPLICATION INFORMATION

We offer 2 fellowship positions. To apply, please visit the Rhinology Match program at: www.SFmatch.org.  Interviews will be conducted in the Spring in accordance with the Rhinology Match.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Mary Jo Tutchko
UPMC Department of Otolaryngology
200 Lothrop Street
The Eye & Ear Institute, Suite 500
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
[email protected]
412-647-8186 (T)
412-647-2080 (F)