Our Fellowship Programs

Otology/Neurotology

The Michigan Ear Institute Fellowship in Neurotology/Skull Base surgery has produced some of the finest neurotologic surgeons in the country. A combination of the excellence of the program of study, the caseload available, and the subsequent success of our high quality graduates has made the reputation of the fellowship exceptional. Our fellow graduates hold leadership positions in both private practice and academic practice groups as well as many national organizations including the American Otological Society, the American Neurotological Society, and the American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, among others. They also serve as chairman of several otology programs across the country.

This ACGME-accredited fellowship program is well positioned to maintain its excellence in patient care, research, and education training producing well-trained candidates for the certificate of added qualifications (CAQ) examination in neurotology administered by the American Board of Otolaryngology (ABO).

The fellowship in Otology, Neurotology and Skull Base Surgery involves two years of training. Candidates with a demonstrated experience in otology/skull base surgery will further their training after completion of this fellowship.

Specific Duties of the Fellow

Operating Room Experience:

The fellow will participate in caring for all otologic surgical patients in the clinic, inpatient, outpatient, and operative settings. The fellow's hands-on operative experience will be focused toward all surgical procedures performed by the staff physicians including assisting in chronic ear surgery and stapes procedures. The majority of the skull base cases consist of acoustic neuroma operations, cochlear implants, vestibular nerve sections and labyrinthectomy, and an assortment of complex facial nerve and lateral skull base surgery procedures. Translabyrinthine, retrosigmoid, and middle cranial fossa approaches are used. Newer advances are also utilized, such as stereotactic radiotherapy and endoscopic approaches.

Clinical Patient Care:

Applicants must be eligible for the American Board of Otolaryngology examination or already board-certified. A training license to practice medicine in the state of Michigan is required for duties related to the training program. The fellow is appointed as a house officer due to ACGME regulations. The fellow will undertake the following duties related to clinical patient care:

Assist faculty in evaluation of outpatients with otologic complaints, approximately two days per week.
Become sophisticated in audiologic and vestibular diagnosis, including the interpretation of audiograms, ENG and oculomotor testing, rotational chair testing, dynamic posturography, and other testing.
Help MEI clinic staff/nurses/medical assistants triage otologic consultations and patients.

Temporal Bone Laboratory:

The Temporal Bone Dissection Laboratory has 10 stations with otologic drills, binocular operating microscopes and monitors for instruction. Fellows are encouraged to spend extended blocks of time in the Temporal Bone Lab perfecting surgical skills, particularly those related to transtemporal approaches to the internal auditory canal and other advanced techniques required for neurotologic surgery. Several courses will be performed by staff members from Neuroscience for otologic fellows, craniofacial fellows, and neurosurgical residents.

Teaching:

There are monthly journal club conferences, as well as didactic sessions and supervised temporal bone dissection for residents and fellows on service and this is organized by the fellows.

Research:

A research project must be completed by the second year of training. This project may be the continuation of a prior research interest, a clinical research undertaking, or a basic science research project. Protected time is made in order to accomplish this research task.

Download the Fellowship Application