Education

Otology Fellowship

The Section of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery is proud to direct Otology Fellowship Program.

Terence Imbery, MD

Terence Imbery, MD

Program Director

The program strives to train well-rounded ear and temporal bone surgeons who wish to enhance their training with exposure to the following clinical areas, but not limited to:

  • Microsurgical and endoscopic middle ear surgery
  • Major tympanomastoid ablative and reconstructive surgery for chronic ear disease
  • Stapes surgery including advanced techniques such as revision surgery and malleostapedotomy  
  • Cochlear and other hearing implants in adults and children
  • Major lateral skull base surgery not limited to acoustic neuroma approaches and resection
  • Otologic care of craniofacial disease including surgery for congenital aural atresia
  • Evaluation and management of vestibular disorders
  • Endoscopic balloon Eustachian tuboplasty

In addition to a robust clinical training, our fellow is also expected to be engaged in scholarly pursuits. Completion of a major research project during the fellowship is mandatory for graduation. In addition to participation in ongoing otologic research and clinical trials, the program offers potential opportunities in temporal bone histopathology, vestibular hair cell physiology, the psychology of hearing, and socioeconomic aspects of pediatric hearing loss.

In addition to working with our OHNS faculty, fellows will also work closely with colleagues in the department of neurosurgery, head and neck surgical oncologists, clinical audiologists, and speech/language pathologists, among others.

The fellow will be expected to be busy in the clinical setting, to include participation in outpatient clinics and surgical cases of the primary faculty. There is considerable flexibility to tailor clinic and surgical experience based on fellows’ interests and goals. The fellow will be expected to have on average four and a half clinical days per week, averaging two and a half days per week in surgery and two days per week in outpatient clinics. The remainder of time can be utilized for research or other administrative tasks. At the conclusion of the fellowship, the fellow is expected to have completed a major research project leading to publication and/or presentation at a national meeting.

This fellowship is not accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Fellows who successfully complete the training program will receive a diploma and certificate documenting their advanced training.

Our comprehensive training program is set on an expanding clinical campus that starts right across the street from the main quadrangle of the University of Chicago. Indeed, we are one of the only academic medical centers in the nation that shares a campus with our home institution. Our residents can therefore take advantage of all that the University of Chicago has to offer, from lectures to food trucks to a gym and more.

The University of Chicago Medicine began providing adult trauma care on May 1, 2018; the adult trauma program adds to UChicago Medicine's pediatric trauma and burn services, providing the community with a comprehensive system of care to treat the full range of trauma injuries in patients of all ages.

In November 2019, UChicago Medicine announced that it earned its 16th sequential "A" rating in patient safety from the industry watchdog Leapfrog Group; immediately following, it achieved Magnet Recognition status, the gold standard for nursing excellence and high-quality patient care, from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

The jewel of our medical center campus is the Center for Care and Discovery (CCD), our main hospital building, which opened in 2013. The CCD is one of the most advanced clinical and surgical centers in the country dedicated to specialty care, including cancer, gastrointestinal disease, neuroscience, advanced surgery and high-tech medical imaging. The new hospital was designed by world-renown architect, Rafael Viñoly, who created the acclaimed Charles M. Harper Center at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. This innovative hospital contains ten floors and over 1.2 million square feet for clinical activity. The CCD is an exceptional place to be a patient and creates an enhanced health experience that is focused on quality and safety. We believe that this inspiring atmosphere provides our trainees with a modern environment to learn surgery and conduct world-class research at the forefront of medicine. Our residents have access to state-of-the art simulation training at both the University of Chicago Center for Simulation and Safety and the Northshore Center for Simulation and Innovation.

The program is not currently accepting/recruiting applications at this time 

All applicants must have completed residency training (or equivalent) in Otolaryngology – head and neck surgery. Graduates from institutions outside the United States or Canada must hold a current, valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) prior to appointment. They must also be able to obtain educational license to practice medicine in the State of Illinois. Candidates will be selected based on their clinical performance during medical school and residency training, relevant scholarly achievements, letters of recommendation from supervising faculty mentors, and career interest plans in the field of otology. Fluency in English is also required. The program is intended for surgeons pursuing a career as an ear surgeon and is best suited for those with ambitions to practice at major tertiary care centers where surgical education and research are undertaken. Clinical competency managing ear disease and performing basic ear and temporal bone surgery at the level of a general Otolaryngologist is expected for incoming fellows.

 

Serving a patient population on the South Side of Chicago that is disproportionately affected by structural racism, poverty, and disparities in care, we are determined to recruit fellows and future contributors to the field who understand the sociocultural nature of some of our conditions with which patients present.

Our core faculty attend annual implicit bias training workshops before interview season, adopt fair practices in recruitment and retention, and encourage our fellows engage with our Department’s and Division’s programming and wellness support in the realms of diversity and inclusion. Our DEI Steering Committee hosts a number of events for faculty and trainees throughout the year to promote examination of implicit bias and conversation surrounding structural racism; these efforts include a monthly Cultural Competencies discussion, promotion of events for specific identity groups, and sponsored lectures that bring topics in health justice to our department.