Rhinology Fellowship
Faculty
Martin J. Citardi, MD
Amber Luong, MD, PhD
William Yao, MD
Departmental Mission Statement
UTHealth Otorhinolaryngology will deliver world-class, patient-centered otorhinolaryngology-head & neck surgery care in a clinically-integrated academic medical center.
Overview of Fellowship
Our goal is to offer the highest quality 1-year rhinology training program. Through our fellowship training, we will help establish leaders who will provide state-of-the-art clinical care, improve patient care standards, educate others, and perform research. The fellowship provides an intensive rhinologic experience in a tertiary-care academic environment. Emphasis is placed upon management of paranasal sinus inflammatory disorders, allergic fungal rhinosinusitis, revision sinus surgery, inhalant allergy, complex frontal sinus disease, revision sinus surgery, cerebrospinal fluid leaks, encephaloceles, minimally invasive approaches to the paranasal sinuses and skull base for resection of benign and malignant sinonasal neoplasms. The fellowship features a robust clinical experience (3 attending rhinologists) and research experiences (translational science program, postdoc and research coordinator). In addition, fellowship directors will provide mentorship to help define and achieve career goals.
Important Update: We have received provisional recognition as a Neurorhinology-Advanced Rhinology Fellowship from the American Rhinologic Society.
Fellowship Description
Clinical Rotations
The fellow works closely with all 3 attending rhinologists in the clinic and operating room. There are no set clinical rotations; however, set assignments assure that the fellow’s time is shared among all 3 rhinologists. The fellow assignments are prioritized for participation in more complex revision and skull base cases. Moreover, the assignments will be dynamic to allow fulfillment of the fellow’s clinical interests.
Weekly Schedule
The weekly schedule mirrors the schedule of the attending rhinologists. On average, there are 1.5-2.5 days of OR and approximately 2.0 days of clinic. The remainder of the time is devoted to administration and research.
Research Responsibilities
The fellow participates in the monthly rhinology administrative meeting. In that meeting, research projects, and other administrative issues are actively managed. It is expected that the fellow will develop at least one clinical project and complete most of the work during the course of the fellowship year. Prior fellows have typically developed multiple projects, some which are completed after the fellowship year concludes. Opportunities for bench-top research are present, but the short fellowship precludes active participation at the benchtop.
Diversity of Cases
The fellowship is based in a clinically-integrated academic medical center, and as such, the case complexity is mostly at the tertiary-quaternary level (revision sinus surgery, frontal sinus surgery, allergic fungal rhinosinusitis, CSF leak, benign and malignant tumors). The patients are primarily from the greater Houston area and southeast Texas; patients from other states and countries also seek treatment at TSI/TSBP. Exposure to general ENT and primary/secondary level rhinology is relatively limited.
Call Schedule
The fellow participates in the faculty call schedule; currently, the call requirement is approximately 3 days per month. A senior resident and a junior resident are always on call as well. The faculty covers call at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center and Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospital.
Administrative Responsibilities
The fellow is an active participant in the monthly rhinology planning meeting, which coordinates efforts of the faculty members, the fellow and residents in research and educational endeavors as well as practice administration (including reimbursement, marketing, reimbursement, et al.).
Additional Information
The fellow participates in the routine academic activities of the department, including grand rounds, teaching conferences, CME courses, etc. All department members attend grand rounds; participation in the other activities is more selective.
Past Fellows
| Fellowship Year | Fellow | Current Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2022-2023 | Ali Jafar, MD | Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (Houston, TX) |
| 2021-2022 | Andy Chua, MD | Assistant Professor, Sengkang General Hospital, SingHealth (Singapore) |
| 2020-2021 | J. Paul Radabaugh, MD | Private practice (Jacksonville, FL) |
| 2019-2020 | Isaac Schmale, MD | Assistant Professor, University of Rochester (Rochester, NY) |
| 2018-2019 | Jason Talmadge, MD | Assistant Professor, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (Houston, TX) |
| 2017-2018 | Alok Saini, MD | Assistant professor, University of Kentucky (Lexington, KY) |
| 2016-2017 | Michael Marino, MD | Mayo Clinic (Phoenix, AZ) |
| 2015-2016 | Kent Lam, MD | Assistant professor, Eastern Virginia Medical School (Norfolk,VA) |
| 2014-2015 | Abib Agbetoba, MD | Private practice (Houston, TX) |
| 2013-2014 | Drew Plonk, MD | Assistant professor, Wake Forest Baptist Health (Winston-Salem, NC) |
| 2012-2013 | Michael Chater, MD | Private practice (Canton, NY) |
| 2011-2012 | Paul Lee, MD | Private practice (Panorama City, CA) |
| 2010-2011 | Li Man, MD | Associate professor, University of Rochester (Rochester, NY) |
| 2009-2010 | Seth Isaacs, MD | Private practice (Cincinnati, OH) |
Dr. Citardi’s prior fellows at Cleveland Clinic include:
| Fellowship Year | Fellow | Current Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2007-2008 | Amber Luong, MD, PhD | Professor & Vice Chair, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (Houston, TX) |
| 2006-2007 | Seth Kanowitz, MD | Private practice (Morristown, NJ |
| 2004-2005 | Jernlin Leong, MD | Private practice (Singapore) |
| 2003-2004 | Samer Fakhri, MD | Professor & Chair, American University in Beirut (Beirut, Lebanon) |
| 2002-2003 | Pete S. Batra, MD | Professor & Chair, Rush University (Chicago, IL) |
| 2001-2002 | Ryan Gallivan, MD | Private practice (Bend, OR) |
Requirements for Appointment
Texas medical license, DEA, Texas DPS registration
Salary & Benefits
Fellows are paid a salary set at the PGY-6 level set by the university.
Fellows will also receive 3 weeks paid vacation and 1 week of educational leave. Health insurance, dental insurance, etc., are also available at little or no cost to the fellow. Benefits details may be viewed at https://med.uth.edu/gme/trainee-resources/faq/.
Application Information
All applications must be submitted through the SF Match; the program participates in the rhinology fellowship match hosted by SF Match under ARS auspices.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. The on-site interview is structured to give the applicant a broad introduction to all aspects of the program.
Application Deadline
February 1
Contact Information
Martin J. Citardi, MD
martin.j.citardi@uth.tmc.edu