Endocrine Surgery Fellowship Program

University of Toronto Endocrine Surgery Fellowship Program

The University of Toronto offers a 1-year academic clinical fellowship in Endocrine Surgery. This program, centered within the Division of General Surgery at the University Health Network, encompasses a large academic program with a very high volume and varied case-load in Thyroid, Parathyroid, Adrenal and Neuroendocrine GI procedures. Significant opportunities for research exist in many areas with impactful surgical researchers.

Objectives

To train the future leaders in the field of Endocrine Surgery. Fellows will graduate with the skills needed to become master clinicians, impactful investigators and collaborative health advocates in the field of Endocrine Surgery and Oncology.

Faculty

Dr Jesse Pasternak, Program Director, MD MPH FRCSC (UCSF Endocrine Surgery Fellowship)
Dr Lorne Rotstein, MD FRCSC (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Fellowship)
Dr Karen Devon, MD MSc FRCSC (University of Chicago Endocrine Surgery Fellowship)
Dr Amin Madani, MD PhD FRCSC (Columbia University Endocrine Surgery Fellowship)
Dr Chaya Shwaartz, MD FRCSC (University of Toronto HPB/Surgical Oncology Fellowship)

Highlights of the Program:

The UofT Endocrine Surgery fellowship has multiple facets including clinical and a non-clinical protected curriculum to ensure we train the next generation of Endocrine Surgery Leaders. These include:

1) High Volume Endocrine Surgery

The Fellow will be involved with planning the trainee surgical schedule each week and getting involved with those which interest them. The unit has on average 4-6 rooms per week amongst the faculty. Our surgeons operate at 4 affiliated hospitals located in the downtown core in the City of Toronto including Toronto General Hospital, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto Western Hospital and Women’s College Hospital. We expect fellows to complete between 300 and 350 cases per year including thyroidectomy (with central and lateral neck dissections), parathyroidectomy, adrenalectomy (including laparoscopic transabdominal, retroperitoneoscopic, and open approaches), as well as resection of GI/pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Within the OR, we use routine nerve monitoring and are currently initiating a transoral thyroidectomy (TOETVA) program.

The predicted minimum case mix for each fellow includes:

Thyroid 130-150
Parathyroid 130-150
Neck Dissection: 20
Adrenal (retro,lap,open): 50
Pancreas/NET: 5-10

TOETVA – 15

Thyroid RFA – 50

2) Research Opportunities

The fellow will be expected to participate in at least 1 research project throughout their fellowship which will ideally be submitted to the AAES for presentation. Multiple research trainees which work in the lab may also be collaborators with the clinical fellow. Depending on the career plans of the fellow blocked time away from clinical work or longitudinal protected time will be instituted for the learning plan. The UofT Endocrine Surgery Program has faculty with varied research interests. These include

Surgical Outcomes/Health Services
Surgical Education and Simulation
Surgical Ethics
Surgical Trials
Basic Science Collaboration

3) Collaborative and Non-operative Clinical Skills Exposure

The endocrine surgery fellowship program will have a either 1 or 2 days per week dedicated to the outpatient multidisciplinary clinic, where patients are seen as initial consultations, and as postoperative and long-term follow-up. We perform routine ultrasound in all thyroid/parathyroid consultations and routine voice evaluation either through ultrasound or flexible laryngoscopy. We have a high volume of FNA procedures. Opportunities for histology and cytology one-on-one teaching with our endocrine pathologists has been a highlight for our trainees in the past and this will be available. Finally, the fellow will also have an opportunity to spend time with the endocrine oncology diagnostic team which includes a joint group of nuclear medicine (PET/Scintigraphy) and radiology (cross section and ultrasound) sub-specialists.

4) Educational Opportunities both for Teaching and Learning

The Endocrine Fellow will:

Prepare and present thyroid (and sometimes parathyroid) cases at the twice monthly (Monday afternoon) thyroid tumor boards at princess Margaret Hospital attended by endocrine surgery, ENT, radiology, nuclear medicine, endocrinology, endocrine oncology, pathology, and other members.
Prepare and present adrenal cases at the once monthly Adrenal Tumor Board
Weekly Quality Improvement Rounds – The fellow will present cases
Weekly Endocrine Surgery Teaching Rounds – The fellow will organize and lead this conference for all trainees on the endocrine surgery service including research fellows, residents and medical students.
The fellow will participate in all University of Toronto (UofT) Departmental Rounds and Conferences
Depending on the interest of the Fellow they may want to attend and present patients at
- GI NET UofT rounds
- Provincial Wide NET rounds
- GI/HPB UofT rounds
The fellow will also be actively engaged in the clinical instruction of the general surgery residents (largest program in Canada with over 50 residents) as well as medical students.

Application Process

See endocrinesurgery.org website for more information

Administrative Contact

Ilhaan at pasternakoffice@uhn.ca

Phone: 4163404792