NASBS

North American Skull Base Society

Neurosurgery Skull-Base fellowship, Stanford

Neurosurgery Skull-Base fellowship, Stanford

The neurosurgical skull-base fellowship at Stanford is a one or two year training program focused on skull base tumors and other skull-base pathology.
The trainee is exposed to open microsurgical, endoscopic, and stereotactic radiosurgical treatment of a wide variety of skull base lesions. At the end of the training, the fellow is expected to be confident using each of these three techniques and thus having the advantage of treating skull base pathologies with the technique appropriate foe the individual patient.
The fellow will be exposed to skull-base tumors arising anywhere along the skull base from the crista galli to the foramen magnum. Pathologies commonly encountered in our program include schwannomas, meningioma, pituitary adenomas, craniopharyngioma, sinonasal malignancies, primary brain tumors, metastases, and CSF fistulae.
Most cases are managed in multidisciplinary fashion in conjunction with highly experienced colleagues form otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, radiation-oncology, ophthalmology, medical-oncology, plastic surgery and endocrinology. Particularly strong relationships with the ENT subspecialties – neuro-otology, rhinology, and head and neck oncology – enhance the training and mentorship of the fellow.
The fellow participates in pre-operative assessment, decision making, surgery, postoperative care and long term follow-up. The fellow benefits from and contributes to the teaching, educational activities, and research in the department.
The fellow receives training in Cyberknife radio-surgical procedures and completes a portfolio of cases that earns a certificate of radiosurgical competence.
To provide the opportunity for continued management of general neurosurgery conditions and supplementation of income, the fellow may provide night time, weekend and vacation coverage at one of our affiliated hospitals.
Two months of elective or research time is allowed in a one year program and 4 months in two years. The fellow is expected to present at national and international neurosurgical and skull-base meetings. Clinical and basic-sciences research and peer reviewed publication are encouraged.

Program Director
Juan Fernandez-Miranda, MD, FACS
Professor of Neurosurgery
Stanford University Medical Center
Surgical Director of Brain Tumor, Skull Base, and Pituitary Centers
Director of Surgical Neuroanatomy, Virtual Simulation, and Fiber Tractography Labs

Co-Directors:
Robert K. Jackler
Professor, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (Neuro-otology) and, by courtesy, Neurosurgery
Chair, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery

Peter H. Hwang
Professor, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (Rhinology)
Director, Stanford Sinus Center

Michael J. Kaplan
Professor, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (Head and Neck Oncology) and, by courtesy, Neurosurgery

Contact information:
Juan Fernandez-Miranda, MD, FACS
Professor of Neurosurgery
Stanford University Medical Center
Surgical Director of Brain Tumor, Skull Base, and Pituitary Centers
Director of Surgical Neuroanatomy, Virtual Simulation, and Fiber Tractography Labs

Co-Directors:
Robert K. Jackler
Professor, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (Neuro-otology) and, by courtesy, Neurosurgery
Chair, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Peter H. Hwang
Professor, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (Rhinology)
Director, Stanford Sinus Center
Michael J. Kaplan
Professor, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (Head and Neck Oncology) and, by courtesy, Neurosurgery
Contact information:
[email protected]
Stanford Cancer Center
300 Pasteur Dr., R211
Stanford, CA 94305-5327
Tel: (650)725-0701

Title of Fellowship
Neurosurgery Skull-Base fellowship, Stanford

Contact Name for Applications
Jennie Vistacion

Fellowship Type
Neurosurgical

Location
Stanford

Year Fellowship Established
2011

Fellowship Director
Juan Fernandez-Miranda, MD, FACS

Duration
One or two year training program

Encounter Year Fellowship

Required Prior Training Program
Neurosurgery

Required Prior Training Program Other

Accept Foreign Medical Graduates
Yes

Foreign Medical Graduates Eligibility Requirements

– Neurosurgical training (completed residency training or in the final year)
– Eligible for California Medical license

Percentage of Fellow Workload that is Skull Base
95%

Number of Fellows Accepted Per Year
One

Annual Stipend

Night and Weekend Call
Yes

Estimated Nights Per Month
7

Estimated Weekends Per Month
1

Clinical Work

Total potential operative skull base cases per year
150 cases

Open Cranial Base

Anterior
0

Anterolateral/ Infratemporal
0

Lateral (temporal bone)
0

Posterior
0

Endonasal Cranial Base

Pituitary/Sella
0

Sagittal Plane (excluding pituitary)
0

Transpterygoid/ Coronal Plane
0

Temporal Bone

Transtemporal/ Transcochlear
0

Middle fossa
0

Retrosigmoid
0

Craniofacial Anomalies/ Reconstructive

Craniofacial Anomalies/ Reconstructive
0

Trauma

Trauma
0

Craniocervical

Transcervical
0

Transoral
0

Endonasal
0

Reconstruction

Cranioplasty
0

Regional, Pedicled Flap Repair
0

Free Flap Repair
0

Stereotactic Radiosurgery

Gammaknife
0

Cyberknife
0

Other
0

Cerebral Vascular Surgery

Transcranial
0

Endovascular
0

Additional Information

Anatomical Dissection Laboratory

Laboratory Research Opportunities

Prerequisite Training Required

US Residency Required:
No

US Residency Required In:

USMLE
Step 1, Step 2, Step 3

Application Deadline
July 1

Decision Deadline
October 1

Fellowship Institution Web Site

Previous Fellows

1- Abdulrazag Ajlan (2011-2013)
2- Dawn Waters (2013-2014)
3- Francisco Vas (2014-2015)
4- Margaret Riordan (2015-2016)
5- Justin Moore (2016-2017)
6- Kevin Chow (2017-2018)

Participating Faculty

Program Director
Juan Fernandez-Miranda, MD, FACS
Professor of Neurosurgery
Stanford University Medical Center
Surgical Director of Brain Tumor, Skull Base, and Pituitary Centers
Director of Surgical Neuroanatomy, Virtual Simulation, and Fiber Tractography Labs

Co-Directors:
Robert K. Jackler
Professor, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (Neuro-otology) and, by courtesy, Neurosurgery
Chair, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Peter H. Hwang
Professor, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (Rhinology)
Director, Stanford Sinus Center
Michael J. Kaplan
Professor, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (Head and Neck Oncology) and, by courtesy, Neurosurgery

Additional Features of the Fellowship

Neurosurgery Skull-Base fellowship, Stanford

The neurosurgical skull-base fellowship at Stanford is a one or two year training program focused on skull base tumors and other skull-base pathology.
The trainee is exposed to open microsurgical, endoscopic, and stereotactic radiosurgical treatment of a wide variety of skull base lesions. At the end of the training, the fellow is expected to be confident using each of these three techniques and thus having the advantage of treating skull base pathologies with the technique appropriate foe the individual patient.
The fellow will be exposed to skull-base tumors arising anywhere along the skull base from the crista galli to the foramen magnum. Pathologies commonly encountered in our program include schwannomas, meningioma, pituitary adenomas, craniopharyngioma, sinonasal malignancies, primary brain tumors, metastases, and CSF fistulae.
Most cases are managed in multidisciplinary fashion in conjunction with highly experienced colleagues form otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, radiation-oncology, ophthalmology, medical-oncology, plastic surgery and endocrinology. Particularly strong relationships with the ENT subspecialties – neuro-otology, rhinology, and head and neck oncology – enhance the training and mentorship of the fellow.
The fellow participates in pre-operative assessment, decision making, surgery, postoperative care and long term follow-up. The fellow benefits from and contributes to the teaching, educational activities, and research in the department.
The fellow receives training in Cyberknife radio-surgical procedures and completes a portfolio of cases that earns a certificate of radiosurgical competence.
To provide the opportunity for continued management of general neurosurgery conditions and supplementation of income, the fellow may provide night time, weekend and vacation coverage at one of our affiliated hospitals.
Two months of elective or research time is allowed in a one year program and 4 months in two years. The fellow is expected to present at national and international neurosurgical and skull-base meetings. Clinical and basic-sciences research and peer reviewed publication are encouraged.

Program Director
Juan Fernandez-Miranda, MD, FACS
Professor of Neurosurgery
Stanford University Medical Center
Surgical Director of Brain Tumor, Skull Base, and Pituitary Centers
Director of Surgical Neuroanatomy, Virtual Simulation, and Fiber Tractography Labs

Co-Directors:
Robert K. Jackler
Professor, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (Neuro-otology) and, by courtesy, Neurosurgery
Chair, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery

Peter H. Hwang
Professor, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (Rhinology)
Director, Stanford Sinus Center

Michael J. Kaplan
Professor, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (Head and Neck Oncology) and, by courtesy, Neurosurgery

Contact information:
Juan Fernandez-Miranda, MD, FACS
Professor of Neurosurgery
Stanford University Medical Center
Surgical Director of Brain Tumor, Skull Base, and Pituitary Centers
Director of Surgical Neuroanatomy, Virtual Simulation, and Fiber Tractography Labs

Co-Directors:
Robert K. Jackler
Professor, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (Neuro-otology) and, by courtesy, Neurosurgery
Chair, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Peter H. Hwang
Professor, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (Rhinology)
Director, Stanford Sinus Center
Michael J. Kaplan
Professor, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (Head and Neck Oncology) and, by courtesy, Neurosurgery
Contact information:
[email protected]
300 Pasteur Dr., R209
Stanford, CA 94305-5327
Tel: (650)725-4715

How to Apply

Send cover letter, CV, and two letters of recommendation to:
[email protected]
300 Pasteur Dr., R209
Stanford, CA 94305-5327
Tel: (650)725-4715