Program Overview

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Education

The Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery fellowship is designed to provide comprehensive clinical and surgical education in the field of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. The program aims to establish an environment in which the fellow can develop their skills in both functional and aesthetic facial plastic surgery.

Educational Goals

• To provide the fellow with comprehensive clinical and surgical education in the field of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery
• To establish an environment in which the fellow can develop their skills in both functional and aesthetic facial plastic surgery
• To equip the fellow with the necessary clinical and surgical tools and techniques to establish their own private practice or join an existing academic practice upon completion of fellowship
• To prepare the fellow thoroughly for a career in either academic or private practice facial plastic and reconstructive surgery
• To provide an environment in which the fellow is able to pursue their research interests in basic science or clinical research

Research

As per AAFPRS guidelines, a scholarly project culminating in a formal manuscript that is suitable for publication and presentation at a national meeting is required. The project may be within our department, or the fellow may collaborate with another department at Northwestern University if desired. There is access to a cadaver laboratory for research.

Teaching Responsibilities

The fellow is expected to play an active role in resident education. There are board reviews and journal clubs tailored to facial plastics spaced throughout the year that the fellow will help to coordinate. Additionally, teaching will be done in the clinic and operating room.

Case Load

Each week, the fellow will spend approximately two days with the fellowship director, Dr. Sidle, and two days with Dr. Wang. The fellow will have approximately one full day each week comprised of their own clinic patients and operating room cases. The experience is designed to optimize continuity of care, with the fellow participating in preoperative assessment, surgery, and postoperative care. The fellow will assist with Dr. Sidle and Dr. Wang's cases with increasing autonomy throughout the course of the year as deemed appropriate. The fellow will be primary surgeon on any cases booked for patients seen in their clinic. In total, the fellow will assist and/or perform a total of 300 to 400 surgical procedures over the course of the year.

Call Responsibilities

The fellow will participate in the attending call pool. Call is variable but is generally one week every six to eight weeks, with trauma cases preferentially distributed to the fellow. Additionally, the fellow is expected to be available for any emergencies related to the Dr. Sidle or Dr. Wang's patients.

Operative Experience

The fellow will have a broad exposure to both functional (50 percent) and cosmetic (50 percent) facial plastics. Specifically, operative training includes: repair of Mohs defects with local and regional flaps, facial reconstruction, tissue expansion, autografting, alloplastic implantation, otoplasty, maxillofacial trauma, dermabrasion, facial nerve reanimation, gender affirmation surgery, laser resurfacing, liposuction, lip and malar augmentation, mentoplasty, rhytidectomy, hairline lowering, oculoplastics, brow lift, and primary and revision rhinoplasty. The fellow will have a steady increase in autonomy throughout the year and will have the opportunity to book their own cases from patients seen in the fellow's clinic.

Requirements & Eligibility

To enter the fellowship, trainees must be board-eligible or board-certified in otolaryngology and able to obtain an Illinois Medical License.

How to Apply

All applications for the Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship are processed through the AAFPRS and SF Match. Applications and documents are distributed to specified programs using the online system. The interview process is from March 1 to May 31 for a July start date the following year.

Why Northwestern?

Housestaff training through McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University provides diverse and challenging clinical experiences and world-class education located in the heart of the beautiful city of Chicago.

Physician-Scientist Training & Resources

We offer a wide range of resources, mentorship opportunities, and training to help our residents and fellows excel as physician-scientists. Explore all of the resources and hear from housestaff who are making research a major part of their career development plans.