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UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA - VANCOUVER GENERAL HOSPITAL
ADVANCED RHINOLOGY & ENDOSCOPIC SKULL BASE SURGERY FELLOWSHIP

INSTITUTION & ADDRESS

University of British Columbia
Division of Otolaryngology
Vancouver General Hospital
Gordon & Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre
ENT Clinic - 4th Floor
2775 Laurel Street
Vancouver, BC
V5Z 1M9
Tel: 604-875-8296
Fax: 604-875-8297

SF MATCH PROGRAM ID#

5691

FELLOWSHIP DIRECTOR

Arif Janjua, MD

FELLOWSHIP CO-DIRECTOR

Peter Gooderham, MD (Neurosurgery)

OVERVIEW OF FELLOWSHIP

The VGH Rhinology, Endoscopic Sinus and Skull Base Surgery Fellowship Program at the University of British Columbia (UBC) offers a one-year clinical experience in the comprehensive medical and surgical care of patients with all types of Rhinologic, Sino-nasal and Skull Base disorders.

The Rhinology & Skull Base Surgery unit at the Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) receives tertiary referrals for and manages a large array of nasal, sinus and skull base pathologies. Dr Janjua performs a significant volume of nasal, sinus and skull base surgeries annually (see below). The skull base procedures are done in conjunction with the Neurosurgeons at VGH.  A wide range of endoscopic, and selected open procedures, are performed for the management of chronic rhinosinusitis, benign & malignant sino-nasal tumours, anterior cranial base pathologies (i.e. CSF leak repairs, meningoencephaloceles), as well as a variety of skull base tumours. The majority of the endoscopic skull base cases are Pittsburgh classification level 1-3 in difficulty, with some level 4 cases. The fellow will also have some opportunity for exposure to endoscopic-assisted and/or open skull base resections and reconstructions. The fellow will be actively involved in: the supervision and teaching of residents within the UBC Division of Otolaryngology, medical students rotating in Otolaryngology, the management of Rhinology and Skull Base Surgery in-patients on the hospital wards (in conjunction with Otolaryngology residents) and coverage of emergency room and in-patient consultations for patients with Rhinology disorders.

FELLOWSHIP DESCRIPTION

Weekly Schedule:

The course structure will vary from week to week, depending on Dr Janjua’s operating room allocations (which are set in three month blocks). Generally, the fellowship will include:

  • Approximately 2-3 days per week in the operating room, assisting Dr Janjua
  • 1-2 days per week with Dr Janjua in the VGH ENT Rhinology ambulatory clinic
  • Approximately 1 independent ‘fellow clinic’ day per week in the VGH ENT clinic
  • During the academic year, participation in:
    • Monthly UBC Rhinology Rounds
    • Weekly Otolaryngology Grand Rounds, including presenting one session during the academic year
    • Bi-weekly research meetings

Research Responsibilities:

The fellow is expected to play an active part in clinical rhinology research during their time at UBC. Part of their training will include improvement in skills related to critical appraisal of the literature, research design, manuscript completion and application of evidence-based decision-making to patient management decisions.

Numerous clinical projects are on-going. Fellows will be expected to develop a research plan within the first 2 months of their fellowship. Minimally, it is expected that three research projects will be completed and submitted for publication. Basic science research is additionally possible. The program is affiliated with a basic science laboratory conducting rhinology-related cytokine research. A second dedicated research year is possible as part of the fellowship – arrangements may be made on a case by case basis.

Diversity of Cases:

The residents have priority on surgical cases that are not designated as ‘sub-specialty’ in nature. The fellow has priority on surgical cases that are beyond the scope of a General Otolaryngologist. Owing to Dr. Janjua’s operative volume, the fellow is expected to have significant opportunity for hands-on surgical exposure. The level of practical involvement will be commensurate with initial level of training and skill progression during fellowship training. The impact on and by resident trainees is intended to be additive to the training experience, via the creation of a positive environment centred on teaching and learning for both parties. Fellow supervision of residents is expected, and mutually beneficial, as it is integral to fulfilling the training goals for a future surgical educator.
Case Mix:

Call Schedule:

The fellow is not expected to formally take any weekend or evening call during the fellowship. They are expected to be involved in the care of urgent patients with tertiary rhinology problems, as directed by Dr. Janjua

Additional Information:

No formal university funding exists for the fellowship position. If applicants do not have funding from another source, they are still encouraged to apply. Some ad hoc funding (i.e. through on-call stipends and/or remuneration for educational clinic supervision) has been successfully obtained for previous fellows. If available, this ‘soft’ support should not be expected to exceed $2000 CDN per month and would require 0.5 days of additional educational clinic supervision, on top of the baseline fellowship workload.

Download the full fellowship description and additional information

CURRENT AND PAST FELLOWS

  • Dr. Maria Manuela Chemas-Velez (Colombia) 2022-2023
  • Dr. Karan Jolly (UK) 2021-2022
  • Dr. Saleh Okhovat (UK) 2020-2021
  • Dr. Gustavo Coy (Brazil) 2019-2020
  • Dr. Rishi Sharma (UK) 2018-2019
  • Dr. Vinay Varadarajan (UK) 2017-2018
  • Dr. Jaime Viera (Spain) 2016-2017
  • Dr. Javier Ospina (Colombia) 2015-2016
  • Dr. Bassem Hanna (Canada) 2014-2015
  • Dr. Eli Akbari (Canada) 2013-2014

REQUIREMENTS FOR APPOINTMENT

The eligible candidate must have sufficient knowledge and technical skills to manage routine Otolaryngology patients without supervision. The fellowship position requires the applicant to have completed residency training in Otolaryngology and to have successfully passed (or at minimum, be eligible to write) licensing examinations in their country of origin. The fellowship is open to Canadian Otolaryngologists, as well as non-Canadian trained Otolaryngologists who are able to obtain an educational Visa for Canada and an educational medical license for the province of British Columbia.

APPLICATION INFORMATION

Applications should be submitted via the SF match (www.sfmatch.org) or to Dr. Janjua, and include the following:

  • An updated curriculum vitae.
  • A personal letter outlining the candidates interest in the fellowship, as well as future plans upon completion of the fellowship
  • Surgical Case Log – preferably identifying case volumes and the level of involvement of the fellow (i.e. primary surgeon vs assistant). Logs signed off by a training supervisor are preferred.
  • Three references (with their contact information) – please arrange for letters to be sent directly to Dr. Janjua (mailing address and email below). One letter must be from a current or recent training supervisor. A letter from a prospective division/department head interested in hiring the candidate as a tertiary Rhinologist, after successful completion of fellowship, is additionally encouraged.
  • A copy of any relevant rhinology publications, of which the applicant was the first author (i.e. was responsible for writing the majority of the manuscript).

Rolling interviews will be conducted throughout the year (including interviews by web teleconference, where required). Applicants are encouraged to visit Vancouver and tour the Rhinology unit at any time during the year. Applicants can contact Dr. Janjua about suitable timings. Completion of elective resident rotations are also encouraged and can be organized via the UBC residency training program administrative assistant. Visiting physicians must apply to the BC College of Physicians and Surgeons (www.cpsbc.ca) for privileges in order to observe/assist Dr. Janjua in the ambulatory clinics and operating rooms (in any capacity). For those physicians who hold medical degrees from a country in which the first and native language (as well as the language of instruction and patient contact) is not English, completion of the TOEFL examination is mandatory for elective/observership licensing. The licensing process takes at least 6-8 weeks. Although not mandatory, in person visits provide an improved opportunity for discussion about the applicant’s interest and suitability for the fellowship position. As an alternative, arrangements for an in-person meeting can be arranged at the Canadian Society of Otolaryngology Annual Meeting and/or international Rhinology/Skull Base Surgery meeting that Dr. Janjua is attending throughout the year (i.e. ARS, NASBS)

CONTACT INFORMATION

Dr. Arif Janjua, MD FRCS(C)
Division of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery
Diamond Health Care Centre
Vancouver General Hospital
2775 Laurel St - 4th floor, ENT clinic
Vancouver, B.C. CANADA V5Z 1M9
Phone: 604-875-8296
Fax: 604-875-8297
Email: [email protected]