Rhinology, Sinus and Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery Fellowship

FELLOWSHIP DIRECTORS

Jean Anderson Eloy, MD, FACS, FARS
Distinguished Professor and Vice Chairman
Director, Rhinology and Sinus Surgery
Director, Otolaryngology Research
Co-Director, Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery Program
Chairman and Chief of Service – Saint Barnabas Medical Center/RWJBarnabas Health
eloyje@njms.rutgers.edu

James K. Liu, MD, FACS, FAANS
Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery
Director, Cerebrovascular/Skull Base & Pituitary Surgery
Co-Director, Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery Program
Director, Surgical Neuro-Oncology and Brain Tumor
james.liu.md@rutgers.edu

Wayne D. Hsueh, MD
Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery
Rhinology, Sinus, and Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery
Co-Director, Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery Program
wayne.hsueh@rutgers.edu

OVERVIEW OF FELLOWSHIP

The Fellowship in Rhinology, Sinus, and Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (NJMS) is a one-year training program designed to provide general otolaryngologists with advanced training in the medical and surgical management of a broad range of disorders affecting the nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, and cranial base.

FELLOWSHIP DESCRIPTION

Goals and Objectives for Training

• To further develop the fellow’s surgical skills required for the performance of advanced endoscopic surgical procedures in the nose and adjacent paranasal sinuses, orbit, and skull base.
• To develop the fellow’s expertise in the multidisciplinary treatment of common ailments afflicting the upper and lower respiratory system (asthma, chronic rhinosinusitis, allergies, vocal disorders, and other common airway disorders), with an emphasis on neoplastic and chronic inflammatory diseases of the nose and paranasal sinuses.
• To develop the fellow’s expertise in the diagnosis and management of allergies and immunologic disorders affecting the upper airway.
• To enhance the fellow’s understanding about the appropriate workup, indications, and potential adverse side-effects of pharmacotherapy versus immunotherapy for patients with allergies.
• To enhance the fellow’s existing surgical ability to perform common general otolaryngologic procedures.

Faculty

• Dr. Jean Anderson Eloy(rhinologist with special interest in advanced sinonasal procedures and endoscopic skull base surgery)
• Dr. Wayne D. Hsueh (rhinologist with special interest in advanced sinonasal procedures, endoscopic skull base surgery, and otolaryngic allergy)
• Dr. James K. Liu(neurosurgeon with special interest in endoscopic skull base surgery)
• Dr. Diego Saporta(otolaryngologist/allergist)
• Dr. Paul D. Langer(ophthalmic plastic & reconstructive surgeon with special interest in Graves orbitopathy and facial trauma)
• Dr. Roger E. Turbin(ophthalmic plastic & reconstructive surgeon and neuro-ophthalmologist with special interest in Graves orbitopathy and facial trauma)
• Dr. Giant Lin(rhinologist with special interest in advanced sinonasal procedures)

Clinical Rotations: Clinical rotations in the operating room are primarily with Drs. Eloy, Hsueh, and Liu (see weekly schedule below). However, additional opportunities to perform rhinology cases with Dr. Lin during the course of the year are available. A 3 month once weekly allergy rotation with Dr. Saporta is also available. Otherwise, all clinic rotations are solely with Drs. Eloy and Hsueh, at the Doctors Office Center. The fellow also has a half day general otolaryngology clinic of his/her own every other week at the Ambulatory Care Clinic (ACC) of University Hospital. The opportunity to attend ophthalmologic clinic with Drs. Langer and Turbin also exists. A mixture of issues which include the appropriate radiographic and afferent/efferent evaluation of the ocular, visual, adnexal, and oculomotor system, as well as adequate perioperative evaluation of shared cases of Graves orbitopathy, skull base tumors, orbital/paranasal sinus lesions, and management of ophthalmologic complications of rhinologic, endoscopic skull base, and trauma cases can be pursued.

Weekly Schedule:

Research Responsibilities: The Division of Rhinology, Sinus, and Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery is among the most academically dynamic in the nation. Since 2009, the division has been responsible for more than 400 publications in peer-reviewed journals. Fellows will be provided with ample opportunities for research and publication. They will be able to actively participate in study design and lead teams of highly motivated medical students and residents. One academic day will be protected weekly for academic and research activities. Research projects, appropriate for presentation at one of several national otolaryngologic meetings and suitable for publication in peer reviewed journals, are mandated. A variety of anatomic and clinical research projects are available under faculty supervision. There will be a yearly travel stipend for meetings at which the fellow is presenting a manuscript. Opportunities for publication in book chapters, monographs, and other forms of media, will also be available.

Surgical Training: Fellows will benefit from a high-volume rhinology and endoscopic skull base practice. Fellows are expected to complete their training with more than 300 cases per year. Typically, the division performs on average more than 500 endoscopic sinus and skull base cases per year. Fellows gain hands-on experience in all aspects of surgical rhinology, including:

• Basic ESS
• Advanced ESS(e.g., complex frontal sinus disease, Lothrop procedures and variations)
• Endoscopic endonasal surgery for benign sinonasal neoplasms(e.g., JNA, inverting papilloma, fibro-osseus lesions)
• Endoscopic endonasal surgery for sinonasal malignancies
• Endoscopic endonasal surgery for skull base defect/CSF leak repair
• Endoscopic endonasal resection of anterior skull base neoplasms
• Basic endoscopic transsphenoidal approaches
• Advanced endoscopic transsphenoidal approaches(e.g., clivus, craniocervical junction)
• Comprehensive management of nasal obstruction(e.g., septoplasty, functional rhinoplasty)
• Endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy(DCR)
• Endoscopic medial orbital wall decompression
• Office-based sinonasal procedures(e.g., balloon sinuplasty)

Medical Management of Rhinologic Disorders: Fellows will participate in outpatient care in both a private office and clinic setting. Fellows will participate in the medical management of rhinologic disorders, in addition to participating in the preoperative evaluation and postoperative care of patients undergoing surgery. Training in office-based procedures, such as balloon sinuplasty, will be provided. Fellows will participate in clinical rotations with Dr. Saporta and the Rutgers NJMS Division of Allergy/Immunology in order to gain exposure to the field of rhinologic allergy.

Supervisory and Patient Care Responsibilities: The degree of faculty supervision is dependent on the fellow’s previous surgical experience as a resident. It is expected that the fellow has completed the minimum requirements for practicing Otolaryngology in the U.S. This includes having a fundamental grasp of basic endoscopic endonasal surgical skills to perform uncomplicated endoscopic ethmoidectomies, maxillary, sphenoid, and frontal sinusotomies. To this end, the fellow is required to assist the faculty in the training of residents on basic sinus cases and other general otolaryngology procedures. Patient care is restricted to the hospital and outpatient clinics at University Hospital and Saint Barnabas Medical Center. The fellow will assist the faculty on their private rhinology and endoscopic skull base cases, and actively participate in the care of University Hospital otolaryngologic patients that are seen in the ACC general ENT Clinic or operated on in the University Hospital operating rooms.

Resident Education: Fellows are expected to participate in resident education in the clinic, operating room, and lecture hall setting. In addition to giving one formal grand rounds presentation, fellows will be responsible for delivering three lectures geared toward resident education. The fellow will also proctor two journal clubs in rhinology/skull base surgery.

SALARY AND FRINGE BENEFITS
The fellow’s salary and benefits commensurate with the Rutgers NJMS/University Hospital PGY-6 level. Fellows are allowed 4 weeks of vacation per year. Housing and transportation are not provided.

REQUIREMENTS FOR APPOINTMENT

• Board-eligible/Board-certified otolaryngologist
• Valid New Jersey state medical license or eligibility for licensure in New Jersey
• Interest in rhinology and rhinologic research, as demonstrated by prior experience
  

APPLICATION INFORMATION

Applications are reviewed in the winter for a position beginning July 1 of the subsequent year. Selected applicants are invited to travel to New Jersey for an individual interview with the faculty, and spend time with our current fellow, observing his/her surgical skills and interactions with the faculty, staff, and residents. The interview is a 1 day commitment with the opportunity to spend an additional day in the OR if desired.

APPLICATION DEADLINE

February 1