Curriculum

The two-year fellowship in head and neck oncologic and microvascular reconstructive surgery involves clinical training that emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach to the management of head and neck cancer. Surgical instruction in the first year involves all aspects of head and neck surgical oncology, including:

• Full scope ablative head and neck oncology experience including, mucosal, paranasal/skull base, salivary, thyroid and cutaneous disease
• Transoral robotic and laser surgery for head and neck malignancies including oropharyngeal, tongue, larynx
• Endocrine experience including management of thyroid and parathyroid malignancies
• Management of advanced benign lesions of the head and neck including salivary, schwannoma, paraganglioma, odontogenic tumors, etc.
• Comprehensive surgical management of the head and neck oncology patient including ancillary procedures such as airway reconstruction, voice restoration, and facial nerve re-animation.
• Rotations with medical oncology, radiation oncology and laryngology.

The two-year fellowship provides an additional year of head and neck surgical experience in addition to a concentrated year dedicated to reconstructive microvascular surgery.

• Reconstructive experience including local, regional, and free tissue transfer for ablative defects of the head and neck
• Protected research time

Research

The Earle A Chiles Research Institute at Providence Cancer Institute provides ample opportunities for optional research projects in Head and Neck Oncology and Immuno-oncology. Our world class faculty are experts in clinical trial design, grant writing and exploring novel therapies to treat Head and Neck Cancer. We offer a rich environment of translational research bridging surgical oncology and immuno-oncology pertaining to head and neck cancer.

Research training may serve as the basis to seek grant funding in order to facilitate the initiation of an academic career and is particularly attractive to those candidates seeking a career as a clinician scientist. Fellows may set up an individual research training experience in consultation with the fellowship program director.