Head & Neck Surgical Oncology Fellowship

University Health Network (Toronto General Hospital/Princess Margaret Hospital), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center, and Sinai Health and are the teaching hospitals within the University of Toronto health sciences complex. Over the past 30 years, the Department of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery at the University of Toronto has developed a highly integrated multidisciplinary Head and Neck Fellowship Program incorporating these three campuses. The Toronto Western Hospital, where neurosurgical expertise is concentrated serves as the site for any surgery involving the skull base.
 
This program is recognized internationally for patient care, research, and education, principally involving the disciplines of radiation, medical and surgical oncology; the program interfaces with medical imaging, pathology, dentistry, prosthodontics, speech and language pathology, nutrition sciences, nursing, social work, psychiatry, and research scientists.
 
The program provides well-balanced exposure to all areas including microvascular surgery, complex ablative head and neck surgery, robotic surgery, endocrine surgery, skull base surgery, and innovative head and neck research. Rotations and educational schedule is overseen by Dr. Antoine (Tony) Eskander which includes developing rotation goals as well as the administration of a fellowship education curriculum (journal clubs, monthly education evenings and special topic lectures). The program adheres to all of the Curriculum Development & Maintenance Service (CDMS) fellowship requirements but further bolsters these through an in-house curriculum (including hands on educational sessions) for all faculty and fellows at the University of Toronto.

Head and neck cancer services in the Province of Ontario provide services to 16.5 million people.  There are 7 head and neck designated surgical centres in the province, of which 3 are within the University of Toronto program.  From a clinical care perspective, the 3 head and neck centres under the University of Toronto umbrella are large volume centres by any measure. The University of Toronto Fellowship program volumes provide a significant experience in the entire breadth of head and neck surgical oncology and reconstruction.  

4 Combined Ablative/Reconstructive Fellowships with 3 Rotations of 4 months at the three different participating sites (University Health Network, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center, Sinai Health)
1 Ablative only fellowship – 1 year (University Health Network)

Dr. Antoine Eskander 

University Health Network
John R. de Almeida, MD, MSc (Hospital Department Chief, University Health Network)
Patrick J. Gullane, MD
Dale Brown, MD
Jonathan Irish, MD, MSc (Division Head)
Ralph W. Gilbert, MD
David Goldstein, MD, MSc
Christopher Yao, MD (Fellowship Site Director)
Sharon Tzelnick, MD, MPH
Christopher Noel, MD, PhD
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center
Danny Enepekidis, MD, MPH (Hospital Department Chief)
Kevin Higgins, MD, MSc
Antoine (Tony) Eskander, MD, ScM (Program Director)
Sinai Health
Eric Monteiro, MD, MSc (Hospital Department Chief)
Ian Witterick, MD, MSc
Joel Davies, MD, MSc (Fellowship Site Director)

1. To train a well rounded head and neck oncological surgeon versed in patient care, teaching skills, and research appreciation in the arena of head and neck oncology.
2. To train the fellow in the technical aspects of ablation, reconstruction and endocrine surgical skills according to the current concepts in all of these disciplines
3. To teach the fellow the multidisciplinary aspects of management of the head and neck oncological patient including radiation oncology, medical oncology, and clinical trials.
4. To imbue the fellow with the highest core values and ethical behavior in his/her interaction with patients, colleagues, medical personnel, students and administrative co-workers.

1997

Sinai Health, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University Health Network.

One year in duration with the option for a two-year program.

Six clinical positions (4 of these under the auspices of the Advanced Training Council of the American Head and Neck Society by way of its matching program; 2 candidates are accepted outside of the match)

One research position

Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, General Surgery, Plastic Surgery

Yes

AHNS Advanced Training Council fellowships are available to all candidates who have completed ACGME accredited Otolaryngology, General Surgery or Plastic Surgery residency programs and whom are currently board eligible in those specialties. Any successful graduate of a Canadian Otolaryngology, General Surgery, Plastic Surgery.

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 Fellowship Training | Postgraduate Medical Education

At the University of Toronto, compensation for clinical fellows is equal to or greater than the salary of a PGY3 resident.

• Endowments that allow attendance at various local, national and international meetings. Departmental support will nurture fellows’ attendance at these forums.
• Availability of clinical research opportunities
• The large program comprising 4 ablative/reconstructive fellows and 1 ablative fellow allows for a level of wonderful camaraderie and establishment of lifelong friendships

The fellow is expected to act as a junior faculty member and provide backup call for the residents approximately one night or weekend in seven.

There is a prodigious volume of head and neck oncological surgery done at the University Health Network, Sinai Health and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre where it is expected that the fellow will participate in many of these procedures. In addition, there are numerous academic rounds in which the fellow is expected to participate and present. There are a number of outpatient clinics specializing in oncological patients and again the fellow is expected to attend in these.

Variable according to assigned campus.

The program broadly encompasses a wide variety of neoplastic head and neck diagnoses. The major subsites include all head and neck mucosal malignancies. Other subsites include salivary glands, thyroid, carotid body tumors, complex head and neck skin malignancies, and head and neck sarcoma that are managed by the head and neck surgical group in collaboration with the respective radiation oncology and medical oncology site group members. During the one-year fellowship program, the clinical rotations include the Sinai Health, University Health Network (UHN), or Sunnybrook. There are four ablative/reconstructive and one ablative fellowship positions available per year.
 
The duties of the Head and Neck Oncology Fellow are as follows within the respective institutions:
1. Participate in outpatient clinics pertaining to the head and neck.
2. Participate in surgical procedures pertaining to the head and neck.
3. Prepare a topic for the fellows’ monthly Education Seminar that takes place on the first Monday of each month.
4. Completion of at least one clinical-oriented research projects that results in peer-reviewed publications. Support is available for presentation of the fellow’s work at scholarly meetings.
5. Attend weekly interdisciplinary Tumor Board Rounds.

May 1st of application year

June 15 of application year

Many of our fellows are sponsored by academic institutions and have gone on to important academic portfolios.

As a condition of their medical educational licensure, clinical fellows must register with the University of Toronto’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.

Fellows are chosen through the matching system of the American Head and Neck Society (check the Society’s website for eligibility criteria at:

http://www.ahns.info/residentfellow/fellowships/

After the match some fellows are chosen from applicants from those countries ineligible for the match.

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 Post MD Education Office directly from the sponsoring agency. For details, please consult the Post MD Education Office website at http://pg.postmd.utoronto.ca/applicants/apply-for-fellowship-training/.

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

Laura Tomassetti

laura.tomassetti@uhn.ca

2026-2027 Drs. Samuel Bellavance, Casper De Vriese, Nuwan Dharmawardana, Susanne Flach, Christopher Kopp, Jason Toppi

• 2025-26 Drs. Nadim Saydy, Lernik Sarkissian, Keyon Mohebzad
• 2024-25 Drs. Robert Calvisi, Gia Gill, Alon Pener-Tessler, Alessandra Ruaro, Michael Xie
• 2023-24 Drs. Elliot Yuk-Gai Koo, Tiziana Mondello (Research), Esmat Najjar, Alon Pener Tessler, Leba Michael Sarkis, Joaquin Ignacio Ulloa Suarez, Alon Pener Tessler, Sharon Tzelnick
• 2022-23 Drs. Abdulrahman Alenazi, Michael Hajek, Shayanne Lajud Guerrero, Mohammed Mamdani, Esmat Najjar, Sharon Tzelnick, Joaquin Ignacio Ulloa Suarez, Dr. Alessandra Ruaro (Research),Tiziana Mondello (Research)
• 2021-22 Drs. Abdulrahman Alenazi, Timothy Eviston, Leonardo Franz (Research), Shayanne Lajud Guerrero, Mohammed Mamdani, Mirko Manojlovic Kolarski, Susannah Orzell, Axel Sahovaler, Sharon Tzelnick
• 2020-21 Drs. Michael Au, Ilyes Berania, Michael Blasco, Donovan Eu, Wael Hasan (Research), Tommaso Gualtieri (Research), Mirko Manojlovic Kolarski, Susannah Orzell, Axel Sahovaler
• 2019-20 Drs. Michael Au, Ilyes Berania, Michael Blasco, Donovan Eu, Wael Hasan, Ashok Jethwa, Andrew Sewell, Konrado Deutsch, Stefano Taboni (Research)
• 2018-19 Drs. Marco Ferrari (Research), Mohemmed Khan, Axel Sahovaler, Carissa Thomas, Felipe Cardemil, Catriona Douglas, Wael Hasan, Ashok Jethwa, Konrado Deutsch, Andrew Sewell
• 2017-18 Drs. Gian-Marco Busato, Felipe Cardemil, Sam Flatman, Ryan McSpadden, Wael Hassan, Peter Vosler
• 2016-17 Drs. Jeffrey Blumberg, Mohammed Bu Abbas, Caitlin McMullen, Matthew Mifsud, Lenka Stankova, Han Zhang
• 2015-16 Drs. Jonathan Berstein, Gilad Horowitz, Nidal Muhanna
• 2014-15 Drs. Eric Arruda, Jon Chan, Daniel Rocke
• 2013-14  Drs. Luk Czerwonka, Jonathan Bernstein, Andrew Foreman, Hussain Alsaffar, Samip Patel, Nidal Muhanna, Paul Walker
• 2012–13 Drs. Mathew Magarey, Dev Kamdar, Bradley Johnson
• 2011–12 Drs. Teresa Kroeker, Stephen Haerle, Ben Dixon, Jason Rich, Stephanie Johnson, Babak Givi
• 2010–11 Drs. Raefe Gundelach, Eric Bissada, Mark Smith, Yves Jacquet, Bret Miles, Marc Cohen
• 2009–10 Drs. Manish Shah, Ramez Nassif, Dae Kim, Bret Miles, Boban Erovic, Kevin Wong
• 2008–09 Drs. Sendia Kim, Perminder Parmer, Dan Novakovic
• 2007-08 Drs. Kristen Otto, Nitin Pagedar and Raj Patel
• 2006–07 Drs. Mark Shrime, Peter Walshe and Moshe Yehuda
• 2005–06 Drs. Rick Payne, Dietmar Thurnher, Jonathan Clark
• 2004–05  Drs. Jonathan Clark, Jason Franklin, Michael Odell, Roy Cheung

• Drs. Christopher Yao (UHN), Joel Davies (Sinai Health)