Throughout the year, fellows participate in major surgical cases across head and neck oncology, including ablative surgery, microvascular reconstruction, transoral robotic surgery, endocrine surgery, skull base surgery, and airway surgery.

Our fellowship experience is divided between two sites.  At The Mount Sinai Hospital, fellows staff the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Oncology Clinic one half-day per week, where they evaluate and manage head and neck oncology patients. Operative cases generated from the clinic are then performed under the supervision of faculty.

In ablative oncologic surgery, fellows gain experience with mucosal disease, paranasal-skull base procedures, salivary tumors, sialendoscopy, and cutaneous malignancies. Our reconstructive training includes local, regional, and free tissue transfer techniques for complex ablative defects of the head and neck. Fellows additionally perform transoral robotic and laser surgery for head and neck malignancies affecting the oropharynx, tongue, and larynx, while building extensive endocrine surgery experience through management of thyroid and parathyroid malignancies.

Beyond oncologic cases, our fellows also manage advanced benign lesions of the head and neck, including salivary and neurogenic tumors. They develop skills in comprehensive surgical approaches for functional enhancement, including airway reconstruction, voice restoration, and facial nerve reanimation—critical techniques that significantly improve quality of life for our patients.

To ensure an understanding of multidisciplinary care, our fellows also rotate through the medical and radiation oncology divisions. Call responsibilities include one day per week of daytime consult coverage at The Mount Sinai Hospital, and overnight consult coverage at both sites within the attending call pool.

Our fellows participate in weekly grand rounds, tumor boards, and clinical rounds, among other didactic responsibilities. Structured educational opportunities include teaching residents during surgical cases and daily consultations, serving as primary supervising faculty for the Head and Neck Journal Club, and teaching in our annual 10-week head and neck anatomy course, as well as bimonthly microvascular laboratory sessions. Our fellows also assist with undergraduate medical education in gross anatomy.

Our program supports fellows in pursuing clinical and basic research in their area of interest, with the expectation that they prepare two projects annually for publication and presentation at national meetings. The program provides financial support for conference attendance, with each fellow receiving annual funding for travel to a regional or national meeting of their choice.

At the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, our faculty play an active role in job placement advisement, counseling, and mentorship for fellows. We also host regular meetings to explore job opportunities, contract negotiations, and building a practice. Since the inception of the program in 1990, our fellows have earned leadership positions at institutions such as the University of Washington, the University of Toronto, UCLA, and the University of Pittsburgh. Other fellows have risen to leadership positions within the Mount Sinai Health System.

Candidates applying for the Head and Neck Oncology and Microvascular Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship must have completed a residency program in otolaryngology, general surgery, or plastic surgery. Additionally, they must be eligible for the American Board of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery and for New York State Medical Licensure. Finally, they must be registered with the match program of the Advanced Training Council for Approval of Training in Head and Neck Oncology Surgery, which is sponsored by The American Head and Neck Society. All applications are submitted through https://www.ahns.info/residentfellow/fellowships/.