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Departmental Fellowships
The Medical College of Georgia Department of Otolaryngology/ Head and Neck Surgery currently offers three fellowship training opportunities. The Program Director for our Rhinology Fellowship is Stil Kountakis, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.S. The Program Director for our Endocrine- Head and Neck Surgery Fellowship is David J. Terris, M.D., F.A.C.S., Porubsky Professor and Chairman. We have added a Laryngology Fellowship for AY2007 under the direction of Gregory N. Postma, M.D., Director, MCG Center for Voice and Swallowing Disorders.
Interested applicants should contact the appropriate Program Director at:.
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Medical College of Georgia
1120 Fifteenth Street
Augusta, Georgia 30912-4060
Phone: (706) 721-6100
Fax: (706) 721-0112
Rhinology Fellowship Program Director:
Stilianos E. Kountakis, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.S
Department Chairman:
David J. Terris, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Introduction
1. History
The Medical College of Georgia (MCG) Department of Otolaryngology has a great history and tradition in Rhinology. Under the direction of Dr. Frederick Kuhn in the early 1990s, the Rhinology fellowship achieved national and international recognition. It was during this time that the diagnostic criteria for Allergic Fungal Sinusitis were formulated and published. Since its inception in 1992 and until Dr. Kuhn left MCG for private practice in 1996, 4 fellows were trained in the program. One of them, Dr. Michael Sillers, is currently an associate professor and director of Rhinology at the University of Alabama – Birmingham. Another, Dr. Martin Cidarti, is faculty rhinologist at the Cleveland clinic.
The program became quiescent after Dr. Kuhn’s departure until Dr. Stil Kountakis was recruited in 2003 to revive the division of Rhinology and the Rhinology Fellowship. Dr. Kountakis was an associate professor and director of Rhinology at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. With his arrival as a professor, vice chair of the department of Otolaryngology and the director of Rhinology at MCG, the Rhinology division and fellowship program were revived. We are now positioned to provide a surgical experience to our fellows that is second to none and is accomplished in an ideal atmosphere with primary fellow involvement under faculty supervision. The great Rhinology tradition at the Medical College of Georgia is thriving again.
2. Duration
The Rhinology fellowship is a one year fellowship with a tentative start date of July 1st each year.
3. Prerequisite Training/Selection criteria
Applicants with one of the following qualifications are eligible for appointment to the Medical College of Georgia Rhinology Fellowship:
1. Board eligible/Board certified Otolaryngologists in the United States.
2. Graduates of Otolaryngology Residency Programs outside the United States and Canada who meet the following qualification: Have received a current valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates.
Fellows will be selected based on their ability and knowledge within the field of Otolaryngology and Rhinology. There is specifically no discrimination on the basis of age, sex, ethnic background, religious beliefs, or sexual orientation. Recognizing the superb academic opportunities available within the department, and the institution at large, MCG particularly encourages applications from individuals with an interest and a proven track record of excellence in scholarly pursuits. All applications received by MCG are independently reviewed by at least two faculty members, and decisions regarding interviews are made by consensus.
Interested applicants should contact:
Stil Kountakis, MD, PhD
Professor and Vice Chair
Director, Rhinology
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Medical College of Georgia
1120 Fifteenth St.
Augusta, Georgia 30912-4060
Phone: (706) 721-6100
Fax: (706) 721-0112
4. Goals and Objective of Training
The objective of this one-year fellowship is to provide a broad experience in the clinical and basic science aspects of Rhinology to interested and qualified applicants. Through our fellowship training we will help establish leaders in the field who will help to improve current standards of patient care, educate others, and perform research. This program is to be carried out in such a way so as not to adversely affect the current resident training experience. The fellowship is designed to provide excellent training in chronic rhinosinusitis, functional endoscopic sinus surgery, revision endoscopic sinus surgery, frontal sinus surgery including the endoscopic modified Lothrop procedure, image guided sinus surgery, allergic fungal rhinosinusitis and endoscopic management of anterior skull base defects and tumors.
5. Program Certifications
This Rhinology Fellowship is a non-accredited program affiliated with the Department of Otolaryngology at the Medical College of Georgia and its accredited residency program. As of today, there are no ACGME accredited Rhinology fellowship programs in the United States.
6. Resources
Teaching staff
a. Stil Kountakis, MD, PhD, Director, Division of Rhinology and Rhinology fellowship, Professor and Vice Chair, Department of Otolaryngology, Medical College of Georgia.
b. David Terris, MD, Professor and Chairman, Department of Otolaryngology, Medical College of Georgia.
c. Bill Dolen, MD, Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, Director of Allergy and Immunology, Medical College of Georgia
Facilities
The fellow spends time in three hospitals:
a. Medical College of Georgia Hospital and Clinics
As the teaching hospital of the Medical College of Georgia, the MCG Hospitals and Clinics include a 520-bed hospital, Ambulatory Care Center with over 80 outpatient clinics in one convenient setting, Specialized Care Center housing a 13-county regional trauma center, Comprehensive Cancer Program, Emergency and Express Care Services.
b. Children’s Medical Center
The Children's Medical Center has 149-beds, including one of five Neonatal Intensive Care Units in the state. Please see the CMC Orientation for Surgeons at: http://cmc.mcg.edu/cmcos/surgeon_orientation/
c. Veterans Administration Medical Center
The Augusta VAMC primary service area includes 17 counties in Georgia and seven counties in South Carolina; but as a member of the Atlanta Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN7), veterans who live as far away as Alabama may be cared for in the Augusta VAMC. The Downtown Division adjacent to the Medical College of Georgia has 155 beds (52 medicine, 37 surgery, six neurology, and 60 spinal cord injury).
7. Educational Program – Basic Curriculum
1. Clinical and Research Components
a. Clinical
The fellow participates “hands on” in all rhinology clinics and in the operating room. The Fellow’s clinical schedule mirrors that of Dr. Kountakis. Specifically, the fellow receives clinical training during 4 rhinology half-day clinics per week and in the operating room twice per week. Additional clinical teaching takes place during hospital rounds on rhinology patients and during the care of emergency rhinology cases. The fellow is clinically involved in call from home in the rotation of Dr. Kountakis taking call (approximately 1 week in 7).
b. Research
The fellowship provides numerous opportunities for clinical and basic science research in the areas of allergic fungal rhinosinusitis, hyperplastic sinusitis-nasal polyposis, microbiology of sinus infections and clinical/surgical outcomes. Fellows are encouraged to develop research proposals under the direction of the fellowship director with full Department funding available to support travel to present work at the major meetings of the American Rhinologic Society, the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and the Triologic Society.
2. Fellow Supervision and Patient Care Responsibilities
Fellows are closely supervised during the first quarter of the Fellowship. As the fellow matures, patient care independence is allowed, still under the supervision of the fellowship director. At the completion of fellowship, the fellow is able to evaluate and manage all medical disease related to the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses.
Fellow patient care responsibilities:
1. See and evaluate rhinology patients in the rhinology clinics.
2. Supervise the preparation process for patients requiring rhinologic surgery.
3. Participate in rhinology cases in the operating room.
4. Round on in-hospital rhinology patients twice daily.
5. Supervise otolaryngology residents on the rhinology rotation.
6. Participate in the care of emergency rhinology patients.
3. Procedural Requirements
The following procedures are performed during the fellowship:
Endoscopic ethmoidectomies: 100
Endoscopic middle meatal antrostomies: 100
Frontal sinusotomies: 50
Sphenoidotomies: 50
Nasal polypectomies: 25
Benign tumors of the anterior skull base: 5
Cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea repair: at least 3
Image guided sinus surgery: 25
Other endoscopic procedures
4. Didactic Components
a. Attend all department conference pertaining to Rhinology.
b. Assist in implementation of annual CME program.
c. Give 2 department grand rounds /year.
d. Give 2 department otolaryngology resident lectures/year. Lecture topics include: Allergic Fungal Sinusitis, Nasal polyposis, Frontal Sinus disease and Chronic Sinusitis: Evaluation, Management and Treatment Outcomes.
e. Serve as a peer reviewer of a minimum of 4 journal articles per year.
f. Attend otolaryngology journal club every month and proctor rhinology papers being discussed.
g. Supervise resident cadaver training dissection.
h. Supervise all use of Rhinology laboratory dissection materials
i. Attend all otolaryngology grand rounds.
j. Attend all tumor board conferences where lesions of the nose sinuses and anterior skullbase are presented
Evaluation
1. Fellow Evaluation.
The fellow will be evaluated on the follow items using a scale from zero to 5, 1 being the lowest or very poor performance and 5 being the highest or excellent performance:
Patient care - compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the treatment of health problems and the promotion of health
Medical knowledge - established and evolving biomedical, clinical, and cognate (e.g., epidemiological and social-behavioral) sciences and the application of this knowledge to patient care
Practice-based learning and improvement - involves investigation and evaluation of their own patient care, appraisal and assimilation of scientific evidence, and improvements in patient care
Interpersonal and communication skills - that result in effective information exchange and teaming with patients, their families, and other health professionals
Professionalism - as manifested through a commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities, adherence to ethical principles, and sensitivity to a diverse patient population
Systems-based practice - as manifested by actions that demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and system of health care and the ability to effectively call on system resources to provide care that is of optimal value
2. Faculty Evaluation
The fellow provides verbal and/or written meaningful feedback to the director of fellowship regarding ways of improving the quality and effectiveness of the fellowship.
Endocrine-Head and Neck Surgery Fellowship
Fellowship Program Director:
David J. Terris, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Fellowship Associate Director:
Christine G. Gourin, M.D., F.A.C.S.
1. History
The Medical College of Georgia has a rich tradition of robust thyroid surgery, dating back to the era of Arlie Mansberger. The Thyroid program was revitalized in 2004 with the inauguration of the Georgia Thyroid Center, which is a collaborative effort between Otolaryngology, Endocrinology, and Nuclear Medicine.
The past two years have seen the advent of intra-operative laryngeal nerve monitoring, endoscopic thyroid and parathyroid surgery, outpatient thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy, and introduction of novel technologies like the Harmonic scalpel. The Medical College of Georgia has quickly moved to the forefront of academic health centers in pioneering new surgical techniques and perfecting old ones.
Coincident with the development of a first-class endocrine surgery program, the comprehensive Head and Neck Tumor Board took shape (starting in the fall of 2002), and has become an acknowledged leader in the Southeast for the treatment of head and neck cancers. The Tumor Board is now directed by Christine Gourin, and between 250 and 300 patients are prospectively evaluated each year. This is done in a multidisciplinary fashion with involvement of plastic surgery, oral surgery, radiation oncology, medical oncology, pathology, radiology, and speech-language pathology. With the emergence of chemoradiotherapy treatments, the surgical emphasis is on salvage surgery, endoscopic surgical techniques, conservation laryngeal surgery, and salivary gland surgery. State-of-the-art techniques are practiced, and a robust clinical research program has been developed.
With the amalgamation of the medical and surgical experiences in endocrine and head and neck surgery, it was natural that an advanced fellowship in endocrine-head and neck surgery should be developed, and the first fellow has been accepted for July of 2006.
2. Duration
The Endocrine-Head and Neck Surgery fellowship is a one-year fellowship with a tentative start date of July 1st each year.
3. Prerequisite Training/Selection Criteria
Applicants with one of the following qualifications are eligible for appointment to the Medical College of Georgia Endocrine-Head and Neck Surgery Fellowship:
1. Board eligible/Board certified Otolaryngologists in the United States.
2. Graduates of Otolaryngology Residency Programs outside the United States and Canada who meet the following qualification: Have received a current valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates.
Fellows will be selected based on their ability and knowledge within the field of Otolaryngology and Thyroid Diseases. There is specifically no discrimination on the basis of age, gender, ethnic background, religious beliefs, or sexual orientation. Recognizing the superb academic opportunities available within the department, and the institution at large, MCG particularly encourages applications from individuals with an interest and a proven track record of excellence in scholarly pursuits. All applications received by MCG are independently reviewed by at least two faculty members, and decisions regarding interviews are made by consensus.
Interested applicants should contact:
David J. Terris, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Porubsky Professor and Chairman
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Medical College of Georgia
1120 Fifteenth Street
Augusta, Georgia 30912-4060
Phone: (706) 721-6100
Fax: (706) 721-0112
Email: dterris@mcg.edu
4. Goals and Objectives of Training
The objective of this one-year fellowship is to provide a broad experience in the clinical and basic science aspects of thyroid and parathyroid diseases as well as head and neck cancers to interested and qualified applicants. Through our fellowship training we will help establish leaders in the field who will help to improve current standards of patient care, educate others, and conduct cutting-edge research. This program is carried out in such a way as not to adversely affect the current resident training experience.
The fellowship is designed to provide excellent training in the recognition, diagnosis, and medical and surgical management of thyroid and parathyroid diseases, salivary gland diseases, and head and neck cancers, with particular emphasis on minimally invasive and function-sparing techniques. Fellows will have exposure to ultrasound techniques and fine needle aspiration biopsies. The specific surgical techniques that will be included in the program are conventional thyroidectomy, minimally invasive thyroidectomy, endoscopic thyroidectomy, conventional and endoscopic parathyroidectomy, parotid surgery (including use of the facelift incision), use of intra-operative laryngeal nerve monitoring and Harmonic technology, and performance of composite resections and neck dissections. The Fellows will also have exposure to in-office transnasal esophagoscopy with training by Gregory Postma, one of the pioneers of this technique.
5. Program Certifications
The Endocrine-Head and Neck Surgery Fellowship is a non-accredited program affiliated with the Department of Otolaryngology at the Medical College of Georgia and its accredited residency program. As of today, there are no ACGME-accredited Endocrine-Head and Neck Surgery fellowship programs in the United States.
6. Resources
1. Teaching Staff
a. David Terris, MD, Porubsky Distinguished Professor and Chairman, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical College of Georgia.
b. Christine G. Gourin, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical College of Georgia.
c. Gregory N. Postma, MD, Professor, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical College of Georgia.
d. Edward Chin, MD, Associate Professor, Division of Endocrine and Nutrition, Medical College of Georgia.
e. Anthony Mulloy, DO, Section Chief, Division of Endocrine and Nutrition, Medical College of Georgia.
f. Laura Mulloy, MD, Section Chief, Division of Nephrology, Medical College of Georgia.
g. W. Chris Shiels, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Radiology, Medical College of Georgia.
h. William Paulson, MD, Professor, Division of Nephrology, Medical College of Georgia.
i. Jennifer White, MD, Assistant Professor, Division of Endocrine and Nutrition, Medical College of Georgia.
j. Jason White, MD, Assistant Professor, Division of Nephrology, Medical College of Georgia.
2. Facilities
The fellow spends time in three hospitals:
a. Medical College of Georgia Medical Center
As the teaching hospital of the Medical College of Georgia, the MCG Medical Center includes a 520-bed hospital, Ambulatory Care Center with over 80 outpatient clinics in one convenient setting, Specialized Care Center housing a 13-county regional trauma center, Comprehensive Cancer Program, Emergency and Express Care Services.
b. Children’s Medical Center
The Children's Medical Center has 149-beds, including one of five Neonatal Intensive Care Units in the state. Please see the CMC Orientation for Surgeons at: http://cmc.mcg.edu/cmcos/surgeon_orientation/
c. Veterans Administration Medical Center
The Augusta VAMC primary service area includes 17 counties in Georgia and seven counties in South Carolina; but as a member of the Atlanta Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN7), veterans who live as far away as Alabama may be cared for in the Augusta VAMC. The Downtown Division adjacent to the Medical College of Georgia has 155 beds (52 medicine, 37 surgery, six neurology, and 60 spinal cord injury).
7. Educational Program – Basic Curriculum
1. Clinical and Research Components
a. Clinical
The fellow participates “hands on” in all endocrine surgery clinics, Head and Neck Tumor Board, and in the operating room. The Fellow’s clinical schedule mirrors those of Drs. Terris and Gourin. Specifically, the fellow receives clinical training during two endocrine surgery half-day clinics per week, in the half-day Head and Neck Tumor Board once per week, and in the operating room twice per week. Additional clinical teaching takes place during hospital rounds on endocrine and head and neck surgery patients, and during the care of emergency endocrine surgery cases. Time will be allocated approximately one half-day per week to work with the Endocrinology Team in their offices. The fellow is clinically involved in call from home in the rotation of the faculty call (approximately 1 week in 11).
b. Research
The fellowship provides numerous opportunities for clinical research in the areas of minimally invasive thyroid surgical techniques, endoscopic and robotic thyroid surgery, thyroid and parathyroid proteomics, outpatient thyroid and parathyroid surgery, management of thyroid cancer, and novel techniques for the diagnosis and management of patients with thyroid and parathyroid diseases. Fellows are encouraged to develop research proposals under the direction of the Fellowship Director with full department funding available to support travel to present work at the major meetings of the American Thyroid Association, the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and the Triological Society.
2. Fellow Supervision and Patient Care Responsibilities
Fellows are closely supervised during the first quarter of the Fellowship. As the Fellow matures, patient care independence is allowed, still under the supervision of the Fellowship Director. At the completion of the Fellowship, the Fellow is able to independently evaluate and diagnose patients with thyroid and parathyroid diseases and head and neck cancer.
Fellow patient care responsibilities:
a. See and evaluate endocrine surgery patients in the endocrine surgery clinics.
b. See and evaluate head and neck cancer patients in the Head and Neck Tumor Board.
c. Supervise the preparation process for patients requiring endocrine or head and neck surgery.
d. Participate in endocrine and head and neck surgery cases in the operating room.
e. Round on in-hospital endocrine and head and neck surgery patients twice daily.
f. Supervise otolaryngology residents on the endocrine and head and neck surgery rotation.
g. Participate in the care of emergency endocrine and head and neck surgery patients.
3. Procedural Requirements
The following procedures are performed during the fellowship:
a. Thyroidectomy: 175
b. Parathyroidectomy: 75
c. Neck Dissection: 25
d. Composite Resection: 20
e. Endoscopies: 100
4. Didactic Components
a. Attend all department conferences pertaining to Endocrine and Head and Neck Surgery.
b. Assist in implementation of annual CME programs.
c. Give two department grand rounds per year.
d. Give two otolaryngology resident lectures per year. Lecture topics may include: Introduction to Thyroid and Parathyroid Disorders, Thyroid Surgical Techniques, and Parathyroid Surgical Techniques.
e. Serve as a peer reviewer of a minimum of four journal articles per year.
f. Attend otolaryngology journal club every month and proctor endocrine and head and neck surgery papers being discussed.
g. Supervise resident cadaver training dissection.
h. Attend all otolaryngology grand rounds.
8. Evaluations
1. Fellow Evaluation
The Fellow will be evaluated on the following items using a scale from 1 to 5, 1 being the lowest or very poor performance and 5 being the highest or excellent performance (PDF available as a link):
Patient care - compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the treatment of health problems and the promotion of health
Medical knowledge - established and evolving biomedical, clinical, and cognate (e.g., epidemiological and social-behavioral) sciences and the application of this knowledge to patient care
Practice-based learning and improvement - involves investigation and evaluation of their own patient care, appraisal and assimilation of scientific evidence, and improvements in patient care
Interpersonal and communication skills - that result in effective information exchange and teaming with patients, their families, and other health professionals
Professionalism - as manifested through a commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities, adherence to ethical principles, and sensitivity to a diverse patient population
Systems-based practice - as manifested by actions that demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and system of health care and the ability to effectively call on system resources to provide care that is of optimal value
2. Faculty Evaluation
The Fellow provides verbal and/or written meaningful feedback to the Director of the Fellowship regarding ways of improving the quality and effectiveness of the Fellowship (PDF available as a link).
Laryngology Fellowship
Program Director:
Gregory N. Postma, M.D.
Associate Director:
Lori M. Burkhead, PhD, CCC-SLP
1. History
The growth of the department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck surgery at the Medical College of Georgia has been extraordinary over the past few years. As part of that subspecialty growth, the Center for Voice and Swallowing disorders was established in 2006 with the recruitment of Dr. Gregory Postma and Dr. Lori Burkhead. The Center works in a multidisciplinary fashion, utilizing the expertise of otolaryngologists, speech and language pathologists, gastroenterologists, neurologists, pulmonologists, and gastrointestinal surgeons. The use of cutting edge technology such as transnasal esophagoscopy and unsedated in office laser surgery has resulted in an ever-increasing patient volume and a natural extension of this was to establish a laryngology fellowship.
2. Duration
The laryngology fellowship is a one-year fellowship with a tentative start date of July 1, each year.
3. Prerequisite Training/Selection Criteria
Applicants with one of the following qualifications are eligible for appointment to the Medical College of Georgia Laryngology Fellowship:
1.
Board eligible/Board certified Otolaryngologists in the United States.
2. Graduates of Otolaryngology residency programs outside the United States and Canada who have received a current, valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates.
Fellows will be selected based on their aptitude, knowledge, and academic interests within the field of Laryngology. There is specifically no discrimination on the basis of age, gender, ethnic background, religious beliefs, or sexual orientation. Because of the unique and challenging academic opportunities available at MCG, individuals with a proven track record of excellence in scholarly pursuits are particularly encouraged to apply. All applications received by MCG are independently reviewed by at least two faculty members, and decisions regarding interviews are made by consensus.
Interested applicants should contact:
Gregory Postma, MD
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Medical College of Georgia
1120 Fifteenth Street
Augusta, Georgia 30912-4060
Phone: (706) 721-6100
Fax: (706) 721-0112
Email: gpostma@mcg.edu
4. Goals and Objectives of Training
The objective of this one-year fellowship is to provide a broad experience in all clinical and research aspects within the field of Laryngology. This will include professional voice, routine voice care, evaluation and treatment of dysphagia and aspiration, laryngeal dystonia treatment, in office surgical procedures, as well as the full spectrum of surgical laryngology. This includes endoscopic microflap surgery, laryngoplasty and arytenoid adduction, endoscopic and open treatment of airway stenosis, endoscopic cancer surgery and sophisticated dysphagia procedures. The diagnosis and treatment of laryngopharyngeal reflux as well as laryngeal electromyography, specifically, will be emphasized. It is the intent of the fellowship program to enable the fellows to establish and build a sophisticated laryngology center of their own in the academic or private practice arenas.
5. Program Certifications
The Laryngology Fellowship is a non-accredited program affiliated with the Department of Otolaryngology at the Medical College of Georgia and its accredited residency program. As of today, there are no ACGME-accredited Laryngology fellowship programs in the United States.
6. Resources
1. Teaching Staff
a. Gregory Postma, MD, Professor, Center for Voice and Swallowing Disorders, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical College of Georgia.
b. Lori Burkheard, PhD, CCC-SLP, Assistant Professor, Center for Voice and Swallowing Disorders, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical College of Georgia.
c. Christine Gourin, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical College of Georgia
d. Michael Rivner, MD, Professor, Department of Neurology, Medical College of Georgia.
e. Robert Schade, MD, Professor and Chairman, Department of Gastroenterology, Medical College of Georgia.
f. Ayaz Chaudhary, MD, Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, Medical College of Georgia.
g. Bruce MacFadyen, MD, Professor and Chairman, Department of General Surgery, Medical College of Georgia.
2. Facilities
The fellow will spend time in three hospitals:
a. Medical College of Georgia Medical Center
As the teaching hospital of the Medical College of Georgia, the MCG Medical Center includes a 520-bed hospital, Ambulatory Care Center with over 80 outpatient clinics in one convenient setting, Specialized Care Center housing a 13-county regional trauma center, Comprehensive Cancer Program, Emergency and Express Care Services.
b. Children’s Medical Center
The Children's Medical Center has 149-beds, including one of five Neonatal Intensive Care Units in the state. Please see the CMC Orientation for Surgeons at: http://cmc.mcg.edu/cmcos/surgeon_orientation/
c. Veterans Administration Medical Center
The Augusta VAMC primary service area includes 17 counties in Georgia and seven counties in South Carolina; but as a member of the Atlanta Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN7), veterans who live as far away as Alabama may be cared for in the Augusta VAMC. The Downtown Division adjacent to the Medical College of Georgia has 155 beds (52 medicine, 37 surgery, six neurology, and 60 spinal cord injury).
7. Educational Program – Basic Curriculum
1. Clinical and Research Components
a. Clinical
The fellow will participate in all Laryngology office hours and surgery. For the first three months the Fellow’s clinical schedule will mirror that of Dr. Postma’s. This will involve two and a half days of clinic and one to one and a half days of surgery in the main operating room. Following the initial three months the Fellow will also run a concurrent Laryngology office hours along with Drs. Postma and Burkhead. The fellows are clinically involved in call from home in the standard faculty call rotation (approximately one weekend in eleven).
b. Research
The fellowship provides a number of opportunities for both clinical and basic science research. Fellows are encouraged to develop research proposals under the direction of the Faculty with full department funding available to support travel to all the major academic meetings. In addition, the Fellow will participate in various didactic and hands on CME courses.
2. Fellow Supervision and Patient Care Responsibilities
Close supervision will be provided during the first quarter of the Fellowship. As the Fellow’s skills develop, independence in patient care will be expanded but, still remain under the supervision of the Fellowship Director. Upon the completion of the Fellowship, the Fellow will be able to independently evaluate, diagnose and treat patients with laryngology disorders and diseases.
Fellow patient care responsibilities:
a. See and evaluate laryngology patients in the office.
b. Supervise the preparation process for patients requiring laryngologic surgery.
c. Participate in laryngology cases in the operating room.
d. Supervise otolaryngology residents on the laryngology rotation.
e. Participate in the care of laryngologic emergencies.
8. Evaluations
1. Fellow Evaluation
The Fellow will be evaluated on the following items using a scale from 1 to 5, 1 being the lowest or very poor performance and 5 being the highest or excellent performance (PDF available as a link):
Patient care - compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the treatment of health problems and the promotion of health
Medical knowledge - established and evolving biomedical, clinical, and cognate (e.g., epidemiological and social-behavioral) sciences and the application of this knowledge to patient care
Practice-based learning and improvement - involves investigation and evaluation of their own patient care, appraisal and assimilation of scientific evidence, and improvements in patient care
Interpersonal and communication skills - that result in effective information exchange and teaming with patients, their families, and other health professionals
Professionalism - as manifested through a commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities, adherence to ethical principles, and sensitivity to a diverse patient population
Systems-based practice - as manifested by actions that demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and system of health care and the ability to effectively call on system resources to provide care that is of optimal value
2. Faculty Evaluation
The Fellow will provide verbal and/or written meaningful feedback to the Director of the Fellowship regarding ways of improving the quality and effectiveness of the Fellowship.