Skull Base Surgery Fellowships
Clinical Instructorship - Neurosurgery
The neurosurgical skull base fellowship at Stanford is a one- or two-year training program designed to prepare individuals for successful academic careers in cranial neurosurgery.
The Stanford Brain Tumor, Skull Base and Pituitary Centers offer a high-volume tertiary clinical experience covering all aspects of advanced neuro-oncology, skull base and pituitary surgery.
The trainee is exposed to complex transcranial microsurgical approaches, advanced endoscopic endonasal surgery, transorbital surgery, endoscopic and exoscopic brain port surgery, and stereotactic radiosurgical treatment of a wide variety of brain and skull base lesions. At the end of the training, the fellow is expected to be confident using each of these techniques and thus having the advantage of treating brain and skull base pathologies with the technique appropriate for each individual patient.
Pathologies commonly encountered in our program include pituitary adenomas, craniopharyngiomas, chordomas, chondrosarcomas, sinonasal malignancies, schwannomas, meningiomas, and primary brain tumors.
Most cases are managed in multidisciplinary fashion in conjunction with highly experienced colleagues from ENT, oculoplastic surgery, endocrinology, radiation oncology, and medical neuro-oncology. Particularly strong relationships with the ENT subspecialties – neuro-otology, rhinology, and head and neck oncology – enhance the training and mentorship of the fellow.
The fellow participates in pre-operative assessment, decision making, surgery, postoperative care and long-term follow-up. The fellow benefits from and contributes to the teaching, educational activities, and research in the department.
The fellow receives training in Cyberknife radiosurgical procedures and completes a portfolio of cases that earns a certificate of radiosurgical competence.
Fellows receive a faculty appointment at the instructor level and are actively engaged in all aspects of the department’s teaching program, including skull base and tumor board conferences, resident didactics, grand rounds, and teaching in the clinic and operating room. Opportunities for clinical and translational basic science research are plentiful. The fellow is expected to participate in research activities, complete peer reviewed publications, and present at national and international neurosurgical and skull base meetings.
To provide the opportunity for continued management of general neurosurgery conditions and supplementation of income, the fellow may provide night time, weekend and vacation coverage at one of our affiliated hospitals.
Program Director
Juan Fernandez-Miranda, MD, FACS
Professor of Neurosurgery
Stanford University Medical Center
Surgical Director of Brain Tumor, Skull Base, and Pituitary Centers
Director of Surgical Neuroanatomy, Virtual Simulation, and Fiber Tractography Labs
Co-Directors
Robert K. Jackler
Professor, Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery (Neuro-otology) and, by courtesy, Neurosurgery
Peter H. Hwang
Professor, Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery (Rhinology)
Director, Stanford Sinus Center
Contact Information
Juan Fernandez-Miranda, MD, FACS
Professor of Neurosurgery
Stanford University Medical Center
Surgical Director of Brain Tumor, Skull Base, and Pituitary Centers
Director of Surgical Neuroanatomy, Virtual Simulation, and Fiber Tractography Labs
Jennie Visitacion
jenniev@stanford.edu
Center for Academic Medicine
453 Quarry Rd
Palo Alto, CA 94304
Clinical Fellowship – ENT/Rhinology
Clinical Instructorship
Faculty: Zara M. Patel, MD (Director), Jayakar V. Nayak, MD, PhD, Peter H. Hwang, MD
Duration: 1-year program & 2-year program.
1-year Track: The rhinology fellowship at Stanford University is a one-year program designed to prepare individuals for successful academic careers in rhinology. The Stanford Sinus Center offers a high-volume tertiary clinical experience covering all aspects of advanced medical and surgical rhinology. Fellows receive comprehensive surgical training in advanced techniques, including revision sinus surgery; frontal sinus surgery; and endoscopic skull base, orbit, and tumor surgery. Equally emphasized is personal academic mentorship to develop and refine skills in teaching, research, writing, and presentation.
Fellows receive a faculty appointment at the instructor level and are actively engaged in all aspects of the department’s teaching program, including medical student conferences, resident didactics, grand rounds, and teaching in the clinic and operating room. Fellows carry an independent clinic and surgical caseload in addition to other clinical duties. Opportunities for clinical and translational basic science research are plentiful. Protected academic time is provided.
2-year Track: The two-year Rhinology fellowship at Stanford University is an intensive training experience designed to prepare individuals for successful academic careers in rhinology. The fellowship offers a 50% clinical, 50% research experience, with dedicated research time integrated into the weekly schedule throughout the fellowship. The Stanford Sinus Center offers a high-volume tertiary clinical experience covering all aspects of advanced medical and surgical rhinology. Equally emphasized by the fellowship directors is personal academic mentorship to develop and refine skills in teaching, research, manuscript preparation, grant writing, and oral presentation.
The two-year fellowship is available every other year with starting dates of July 2019, 2021, etc. Fellows receive comprehensive surgical training in the full spectrum of advanced techniques, including revision sinus surgery, frontal sinus surgery, office-based surgical procedures, and endoscopic skull base and orbital surgery for benign and malignant disease. Over the course of two years, fellows receive the equivalent clinical training as that of the one-year fellows. Fellows typically finish with >350 cases over the course of their fellowship.
Fellows receive a faculty appointment at the instructor level and are actively engaged in all aspects of the Department’s comprehensive educational program, including medical student conferences, resident didactics, grand rounds, and teaching in the clinic and operating room. Fellows carry an independent clinic and surgical caseload, including tertiary sinus and skull base cases, in addition to other clinical duties. The schedules for the one-year and two-year tracks are complementary with no overlap between clinical duties of the two fellows to ensure individually enriching experiences.
Candidates for the two-year track are keenly interested in pursuing a path in academic rhinology and successfully balancing a research career along with a surgical practice. They typically pursue challenging basic science laboratory projects or clinical projects, both of which have translational applications. Half of each week is protected to advance research pursuits, with the remainder of the week devoted to clinical practice. At the completion of the fellowship, it is anticipated that the two-year fellow will have 1) learned how to design and complete a core body of research; 2) published several manuscripts; 3) presented their work at national and international forums; 4) positioned themselves to be competitive for grant funding as an academic rhinologist.
Application: via San Francisco Matching Program.
Questions: Contact Celina Raine (craine@stanford.edu)
Clinical Fellowship – ENT/Neurotology
ACGME Accredited Fellowship Program
Faculty: Nikolas Blevins, MD (Fellowship Director)
Duration: 2-year program.
Emphasis: Tumors of the IAC, CPA, and posterior cranial base. Cochlear implants.
Application: via San Francisco Matching Program
Observership
The Stanford Skull Base Center offers the possibility of short-term observerships (maximal duration of 3 months) for national and international physicians with the goal of observing state-of-the-art surgical procedures. Visitors will be exposed to complex transcranial microsurgical approaches, advanced endoscopic endonasal surgery, transorbital surgery, endoscopic and exoscopic brain port surgery, and stereotactic radiosurgical treatment of a wide variety of brain and skull base lesions.
Observers can engage in several aspects of the department’s teaching program, including skull base and tumor board conferences, resident didactics, grand rounds, and teaching in the clinic and operating room. However, they are not allowed to have direct hands-on contact with patients and are not involved in hands-on training in the Surgical Neuroanatomy Lab.
How to Apply
Send cover letter, CV, and a letter of recommendation to:
Jennie Visitacion
jenniev@stanford.edu