The Skull Base Fellowship of the University of Cincinnati Department of Neurosurgery has been in existence since 1990 and has trained 12 fellows since its inception. The fellowship focuses attention on the training of neurosurgeons in the care of patients with pathology/neoplasma in the skull base region. The training is a minimum of 12 months, with the opportunity to extend the training an additional 12 months to include participation in on-going laboratory investigations. This fellowship is available to neurosurgeons who have completed their residency training and would like to pursue specialized training in this area. Neurosurgeons with a goal of pursuing an academic career are preferred.

The fellowship will consist of concurrent clinical and laboratory assignments. Laboratory activities will be directed by Dr. Jeffrey Keller, Director of the Goodyear Microsurgery Laboratory. Activities in the laboratory will include a teaching role in the on-going series of skull base and vascular neurosurgery courses offered to a national and international audience. The laboratory rotation will include independent cadaveric dissection for the purpose of education and for development of new neurosurgical techniques. The fellow will work closely with Dr. Keller from the Division of Research as well as Drs. Theodosopoulos, Dr. Tew and Dr. Zuccarello from the Divisions of Skull Base and Cerebrovascular Surgery respectively.

 

It is expected that at least two publications will be completed during the fellowship. The fellow will assume a major role in directing and participating in the skull base team. The fellow will evaluate patients in an outpatient setting, participate in decision making, surgery, and perioperative hospital care in collaboration with Dr. Theodosopoulos, Director of the Skull Base Service, and the Chief Resident.

 

Assets of the skull base service at University of Cincinnati,
The University Hospital and Mayfield Clinic are as follows:

• Regional referral source for complicated skull base neurosurgical procedures.
  
  
• Fully operational laboratory for laser, microvascular neurosurgery, and skull base surgery.
  
  
• Active multi-disciplinary skull base and vascular teams.
  
  
• Interventional neuroradiology team with a national referral base.
  
  
• Cadaveric teaching laboratory with national and international participation in teaching courses.
  
  
• Active radiosurgery unit for treatment of vascular malformations and skull base tumors.
  
  
• A skull base service that is performing clinical investigational studies.
  
  
• Medical illustrator and photographic division.

Objectives of the fellowship:

• To provide sufficient clinical experience in complicated skull base neurosurgery.
  
  
• To support the clinical experience with applied research suitable for promoting an academic career.
  
  
• To provide an opportunity to publish and establish expertise in a subspecialty area.
  
  
• To gain experience in teaching students and residents in diagnostic and operative techniques.
  
  
• To gain experience as a member of an integrated skull base team.
  
  
• To gain experience in clinical skull base research.

Evaluation Process
The Fellow will be evaluated semiannually by the Director of the Skull Base Fellowship program and members of the neurosurgical faculty team participating in the care of patients on the skull base service.

Teaching Staff

Philip Theodosopoulos, MD, Director, Division of Skull Base Surgery
John M. Tew, MD, Medical Director, The Neuroscience Institute
Mario Zuccarello, MD, Director, Division of Cerebrovascular Surgery
Jeffrey T. Keller, PhD, Director, Division of Education
Andrew J. Ringer, MD
Ronald E. Warnick, MD
Hwa-shain Yeh, MD

University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Department of Neurosurgery
231 Albert Sabin Way
PO Box 670515

phone 513-558-5387
fax 513-558-4878

Director: Philip Theodosopoulos, MD
Alternate Program Contact: Jeffrey T. Keller, PhD

Skull Base Fellows
1990 Magdy El-Kalliny, MD
1991 Patricia Fernandez, MD
1992 Murali Guthikonda, MD
1993 Alain Bouthillier, MD
1994 Michael O'Sullivan, MD
1995 Shih Sing Liu, MD
1996 Michael Tauber, MD
1997 Michael Chicoine, MD
1998 Abhay Sanan, MD
1999 Khaled Aziz, MD
2000 Walter Jean, MD
2001 Samy Youssef, MD
2004 Hirofumi Nakatomi, MD
2005 Sebastien Froelich, MD
2006 Bharat Guthikonda, MD
2007 Robert Kerr, MD

To apply for any of our fellowships, please complete the application and forward it along with a current CV and 3 letters of recommendation to:

Penny Schwab
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Department of Neurosurgery
231 Albert Sabin Way
PO Box 670515
Cincinnati, Ohio 45267-0515

Phone: (513)558-3903
FAX: (513)558-4878
E-mail: pschwab@mayfieldclinic.com