Laryngology Fellowship

Dr. Jennifer Anderson

General Description

A one-year clinical (70%) and research (30%) fellowship in laryngology at Unity Health Toronto - St. Michael’s Hospital, a fully-affiliated hospital associated with the University of Toronto. Fellows are exposed to a wide variety of voice, upper airway and endocrine patients and surgeries. State of the art laryngology equipment is available in a modern outpatient clinic where multidisciplinary clinics are run in conjunction with speech language pathologists dedicated to the care and management of voice disorders. Clinical based examination (stroboscopy) and procedures (injection augmentation, Botox treatment) is emphasized. Fellows teach medical students, residents and are active participants in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at St. Michael’s Hospital and the university department.

Fellowship Director(s)

Dr. Jennifer Anderson

Objectives

Clinical: 70% time allocation:

  1. Appropriate approach to voice disorders in outpatient clinical setting
  2. Acquire perceptual ability to diagnose and direct treatment of various types of dysphonia
  3. Collect and interpret clinically stroboscopic data in rigid/flexible indirect endoscopic laryngoscopy regarding a variety of voice disorders
  4. Acquire surgical techniques at fellowship level (i.e. microflap, pitch alteration and thyroplasty)
  5. Acquire technical skills for in office procedures (e.g. Injection laryngoplasty)
  6. Participate in undergraduate and postgraduate education (i.e. undergraduate medical students as well as residents in Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery)


Research: 30% time allocation:

  1. Text and literature review to acquire laryngeal and voice physiology background
  2. Design and participate in a study directed by clinical interest with supervision by Dr. Anderson and clinical research staff
  3. Videostroboscopic data digitization and analysis
  4. Acoustic/aerodynamic data to analyze research project
  5. Preparation of 2-3 peer reviewed articles over fellowship duration

Principal Locations

Unity Health Toronto - St. Michael’s Hospital

Required Prior Residency Training

Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery

Foreign Graduate Eligibility Requirements

All clinical fellows require licensure by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO), the body which regulates the practice of medicine in Ontario. A key requirement for the licensure of clinical fellows by the CPSO is that the candidate must be recognized as a medical specialist in the jurisdiction where the candidate has been practicing medicine prior to the clinical fellowship.

Detailed information about basic application requirements for clinical fellows is accessible through the Post MD Education Office website at http://pg.postmd.utoronto.ca/

Additional Benefits (e.g. meetings, housing)

Fellows will be expected to present a research project at an approved conference where the expenses will be reimbursed for the meeting and travel costs.

On Call Responsibilities

On-call Commitment: as directed by mentor.

Case Mix

A large variety of benign and malignant laryngeal disorders are managed each year. In addition, fellows gain significant exposure to the management of endocrine related neck surgery.

Typical Weekly Timetable

  Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Morning OR Voice Clinic OR Voice Clinic Oto-HNS Clinic
Afternoon OR Oto-HNS Clinci OR Botox Clinic Research

 

Application Deadline 

May 1st the year before the proposed start date (i.e. 13 months before the July 1st start date)

Decision Deadline

July 1st the year before the proposed start date (i.e. 12 months before the July 1st start date)

Additional Features of the Fellowship

As a condition of their medical educational licensure, clinical fellows must register with the University’s Post MD Education Office. An Orientation Handbook can be downloaded from the homepage of the Post MD Education Office’s website at http://pg.postmd.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/OrientationBooklet_WEB.pdf. The Handbook contains useful information for new fellows, including a timeline for the registration process.

How to Apply

Send a letter of interest, updated curriculum vitae and the names and contact information including email addresses of three references to Dr. Anderson at the email address below. Personal interviews are recommended as this is a highly competitive fellowship.

Postgraduate training agreements are currently in place between the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine and sponsoring agencies from a number of countries, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE. Applications for fellowship training from citizens of these countries must reach the PGME Office directly from the sponsoring agency. For details, please consult the Post MD Education Office website at http://pg.postmd.utoronto.ca/

To All Applicants:
If you have also applied to the U.S match through the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP), please be advised that the University of Toronto is a participating institution and adheres to the match policy. The policy states that "Applicants who have matched to a program or have accepted a position during the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP), shall not apply for, discuss, interview for, or accept a concurrent year position in another program prior to the NRMP granting the requested waiver." More information is accessible at https://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-MPA-Institutions-1.pdf.

Contact Information for Applicants

Dr. Jennifer Anderson
Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery
Unity Health Toronto - St. Michael’s Hospital
30 Bond St., 8C-129
Toronto, ON, Canada, M5B 1W8
Assistant Sharan Prewal
Email:  Sharan.prewal@unityhealth.to
Tel: 416 864 5278

Current Fellow

  • 2022-23 Dr. Huixin Hu

Previous Fellows

  • 2021-22 Dr. Zainab Bakhsh
  • 2020-21 Dr. María Isabel Besserer Ochoa
  • 2019-20 Dr. Paul Douglas-Jones
  • 2018-19 Dr. Mohamed Al-Ali
  • 2017-18 Dr. Tanya Banerjee
  • 2016-17 Dr. Richard Townsley
  • 2015-16 Dr. Dulani Mendis
  • 2014-15 Dr. Tulika Shinghal
  • 2013-14 Dr. Maria Brake
  • 2012-13 Dr. Premsuda Sumbuntham
  • 2011-12 Dr. Theresa Holler
  • 2010-11 Dr. Lega Natto
  • 2010-11 Dr. Emer Lang
  • 2009-10 Dr Griet Laureyns
  • 2008-09 Dr. Griet Laureyns
  • 2007-08 Dr. Esam AlBawardi
  • 2006-07 Dr. Ali Hilal, Dr. Gehua Zhang
  • 2005-06 Dr. Molly Zirkle
  • 2004-05 Dr. Mark Rafferty
  • 2002-04 Dr. Mindy Black