Head & Neck Surgical Oncology Fellowship

The MD Anderson Head and Neck Surgical Oncology Fellowship aspires to train individuals in state of the art multidisciplinary care for patients with head and neck cancer, develop leaders in the field of head and neck oncologic surgery, and provide a rigorous academic experience in which fellows can participate in clinical, outcomes, translational, and/or basic science research under the guidance of a suitable mentor(s); with the ultimate goal of attaining support for future research endeavors upon the completion of training.

Positions Offered

The Head and Neck Surgical Oncology fellowship programs are one, two, or three years long. All three programs are accredited by the Joint Council for Approval of Advanced Teaching in Head and Neck Surgical Oncology.

The one-year fellowship is a pure clinical position which emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach to the management of head and neck cancer. Surgical experience involves all aspects of head and neck surgical oncology, including skull base surgery, robotics, and other microinvasive techniques.

The two-year fellowship provides one year of dedicated clinical, outcomes, basic science, and/or translational research and one year of clinical training.

The three-year fellowship provides two years of research and one year of clinical training.

The research years are under the direct guidance of an appropriate mentor in the area of interest within MD Anderson. Additionally, there are research tracts which allow for the pursuit of additional education such as a Master’s in Public Health.

Selection Process

To be considered for a position, the candidate for the head and neck fellowship must have completed a residency program in Otolaryngology, General Surgery or Plastic Surgery. The time frame must be equivalent to the requirement to become, at minimum, chief resident; and preferable, should have attained board eligibility. Candidates must have completed at least PGY V level of surgical education. Candidates are selected through a process that involves the review of a written application, including letters of reference from past mentors and program directors, followed by a personal interview.

Final selections are made during the American Head and Neck Society (AHNS) Match process, and in the following two to three months in order to fill all of the open positions. All interested U.S. and Canadian fellowship applicants must be registered with the Match Program of the Advanced Training Council for Approval of Training in Head and Neck Oncology Surgery (sponsored by the American Head and Neck Society) to be considered for a position.

MD Anderson does accept applications from foreign medical graduates who are not eligible for the Match Program. Applicants are required to undergo the same application process by submitting the AHNS application with the required references to the AHNS administrator. The AHNS administrator should forward all applications directly to the Department of Head & Neck Surgery at MD Anderson, c/o Kelley Mikeska. 

All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

MD Anderson does not support the H1B visa for fellows.  The institutional preferred visa is the J1.