Rhinology-Skull Base/Sinus Surgery Fellowship

History

The Medical College of Georgia (MCG) Department of Otolaryngology at Augusta University (AU) has a great history and tradition in Rhinology. Under the direction of Dr. Frederick Kuhn in the early 1990s, the Rhinology fellowship achieved national and international recognition. It was during this time that the diagnostic criteria for Allergic Fungal Sinusitis were formulated and published. Since its inception in 1992, and until Dr. Kuhn left GRU (now AU) for private practice in 1996, four fellows were trained in the program. One of them, Dr. Martin Cidarti, is Professor and Chair in the Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

The program became quiescent after Dr. Kuhn’s departure until Dr. Stil Kountakis was recruited in 2003 to revive the division of Rhinology and the Rhinology Fellowship. Dr. Kountakis was an Associate Professor and Director of Rhinology at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. With his arrival as Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology and the Director of Rhinology at Wellstar MCG Health, the Rhinology division and fellowship program were revived. Dr. Kountakis was promoted in 2014 to Professor and Chair of the department and serves as the Director of the Division of Rhinology and Sinus/Skull Base Surgery.

We now feel that the surgical experience of our fellows is second to none and is accomplished in an ideal atmosphere with primary fellow involvement under faculty supervision. The great Rhinology tradition at Augusta University is thriving again.

Fellowship Faculty

Departmental Mission Statement

The objective of this one-year fellowship is to provide a broad experience in the clinical and basic science aspects of Rhinology and Skull Base Surgery to interested and qualified applicants. Through our fellowship training we will help establish leaders in the field who will help to improve current standards of patient care, educate others, and perform research.

Overview of Fellowship

Our program consists of 3 fellowship trained faculty members who practice all aspects of rhinology, neurorhinology and skull bases surgery techniques. The fellowship is designed to provide excellent training in chronic rhinosinusitis, functional endoscopic sinus surgery, revision endoscopic sinus surgery, frontal sinus surgery including the endoscopic modified Lothrop procedure, image guided sinus surgery, endoscopic transsphenoidal hypophysectomy, allergic fungal rhinosinusitis, ostial balloon dilation, and endoscopic management of skull base defects and tumors. Our skull base surgery training includes all aspects of endoscopic neurorhinology and skull base surgery techniques. Fellows are appointed as junior faculty when appropriate with full hospital privileges.

Fellowship Description

Clinical Rotations: The fellow receives clinical training during 3 rhinology half-day clinics per week and in the operating room twice per week. Skull base cases are prioritized and the fellow is given time to participate in these surgeries. The fellow partners with 2 rhinologists-skull base surgeons, one Pittsburgh trained skull based surgeon and pediatric otolaryngologists and is given the leverage and the time to manage his/her own schedule to maximize exposure to critical patient encounters and surgeries.  Additional clinical teaching takes place during hospital rounds, clinical activities of the Skull Base Center, and pediatric rhinology cases. The fellow may see rhinology patients and staff sinus surgery procedures at the VA hospital.

Weekly Schedule*: 

• Monday: OR in the mornings or academic time (every other week), academic time Monday afternoon.
• Tuesday: Rhinology clinic in the morning and afternoon. Operating room if skull base cases scheduled.
• Wednesday: OR for Rhinology and/or Skull base cases.
• Thursday: Rhinology clinic in the morning, VA clinic or surgery in the afternoon.
• Friday: Academic time or skull base cases when scheduled.

*Subject to change.

Fellow is free to choose and participate in skull base surgery anytime it is scheduled.

Research Responsibilities: Fellows are encouraged to develop research proposals under the direction of the fellowship directors with full Department funding available to support travel to present work at the major meetings of the American Rhinologic Society, the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and the Triological Society.

Diversity of Cases: The fellow may spend time in 3 hospitals: Wellstar MCG Health, VA, and the Children's Hospital of Georgia in addition to working at the Augusta State Medical Prison. The fellows obtains experience in all aspects of approaches for skull base surgery, resection of sinonasal tumors, skull base reconstruction and advanced Rhinologic surgery.

Call Schedule: The fellow is appointed as a fully credentialed attending physician and will take faculty call, approximately 1 week every 2 months.

Patient Care Responsibilities:

1. See and evaluate rhinology patients in the rhinology clinics.
2. Supervise the preparation process for patients requiring rhinologic surgery.
3. Participate in rhinology and skull base cases in the operating room.
4. Round on in-hospital rhinology patients twice daily.
5. Supervise otolaryngology residents on the rhinology-skull base surgery rotation.
6. Participate in the care of emergency rhinology-skull base surgery patients.
7. Participate in the care of skull base surgery patients.
8. Fellows appointed as junior faculty have patient responsibilities as delineated in their hospital privileges.

Didactic Components:

1. Attend all department conference pertaining to Rhinology-skull base surgery.
2. Assist in implementation of annual CME program.
3. Give 2 department otolaryngology resident lectures/year.
4. Serve as a peer reviewer of a minimum of 4 journal articles per year.
5. Attend otolaryngology journal club every month and proctor rhinology papers being discussed. 
6. Supervise resident cadaver training dissection.
7. Attend all otolaryngology grand rounds.
8. Attend department surgical planning conference.

Current and Past Fellows

2022-2023	Kareem Haroun	Houston ENT, Houston, TX
2020-2021	Lindsey Ryan	USF Health Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Tampa, Florida
2019-2020	Chadi Makary	West Virgina University, Morgantown, West Virginia
2018-2019	Ike Unsal	Jefferson Otolaryngology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2017-2018	Mingsi Li	Cleveland Clinic Foundation
2016-2017	Chris Ito	University of Massachusetts
2015-2016	Camilo Reyes	Medical College of Georgia - Augusta University
2014-2015	Joshua Yelverton	Private practice, Charlotte, North Carolina
2013-2014	Jose Gurrola	University of Virgina
2012-2013	David Jang	Duke University
2011-2012	Brett Comer	University of Kentucky
2010-2011	Eyad Khabbaz	University of Pittsburgh
2009-2010	Jastin Antisdel	Saint Luis University
2008-2009	Troy Woodard	Cleveland Clinic Foundation
2007-2008	Patricia Maeso	University of Texas - Galveston
2006-2007	Subinoy Das	Ohio State University
2005-2006	Francis Ling	University of Windsor, Windsor, Canada
2004-2005	Christopher McMains	Uniformed Forces University, San Antonio, Texas
2003-2004	Firas Farhat	Clemenceau Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon

---

Requirements for appointment

Applicants with one of the following qualifications are eligible for appointment to the Medical College of Georgia- Augusta University Rhinology Fellowship:

1. Board eligible/Board certified Otolaryngologists in the United States.
2. Graduates of Otolaryngology Residency Programs outside the United States and Canada who have received a current valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. USA Licensed otolaryngologists are prioritized.
3. Fellows will be selected based on their ability and knowledge within the field of Otolaryngology and Rhinology. MCG – Augusta University particularly encourages applications from individuals with an interest and a proven track record of excellence in scholarly pursuits.
   
   

   Application Information

All applications received by MCG-Augusta University are independently reviewed by at least two faculty members, and decisions regarding interviews are made by consensus.

Application Deadline

May 1

Contact Information

Stil Kountakis, MD, PhD
email: skountakis@augusta.edu
Porubsky Distinguished Professor and Chairman
Director, Rhinology-Skull Base Surgery Fellowship
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Medical College of Georgia – Augusta University
1120 Fifteenth Street, BP-4109
Augusta, Georgia 30912-4060
Phone: (706) 721-6100
Fax: (706) 721-0112