Trainee experience

The Otolaryngology Physician Assistant Fellowship is a comprehensive 12-month program built to develop clinical excellence. Fellows are challenged to build a foundation in the full spectrum of head and neck disorders through focused, hands-on experience and academic rigor.

Fellows are immersed in comprehensive clinical training that demands critical thinking, precision, and leadership. Through direct patient care, procedural experience, and evidence-based decision-making, they cultivate the confidence and competence required to thrive in a high-acuity ENT setting.

This fellowship empowers PA's to lead with clarity, practice with precision, and contribute meaningfully to patient outcomes.

Clinical training and rotations

The Otolaryngology Physician Assistant Fellowship delivers a competency-based curriculum grounded in hands-on training. Fellows will build deep expertise in head and neck anatomy, refine their ability to conduct focused ENT evaluations, and develop the clinical judgment needed to formulate and execute treatment plans. Through immersive surgical exposure, they gain proficiency in first-assist techniques and performance of key procedures. Emphasis is placed on managing complex cases, interpreting diagnostic studies, and delivering comprehensive, patient-centered care across both outpatient and inpatient settings.

Clinical rotations

• General ENT
• Head & Neck Surgical Oncology
• Otology
• Rhinology
• Laryngology
• Facial Plastics
• Pediatric ENT
• Sleep Surgery
• Introductions to Allergy/Immunology, Audiology, OT/PT Vestibular rehabilitation, Speech Language Pathology, and Radiation Oncology.

Clinical skills

• Flexible laryngoscopy and stroboscopy
• Rigid endoscopy and debridement 
• Epistaxis control
• Oral and Cutaneous biopsy
• FNA biopsy
• Myringotomy and tympanostomy tube placement
• Intratympanic membrane injections
• Tracheostomy management
• Transesophageal prosthesis placement and maintenance
• Wound care
• Airway management
• Surgical assist
• Head and neck imaging interpretation

Curriculum enhancements

Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences is committed to developing and maintaining the best education programs. The curriculum and other aspects of this program are routinely assessed and changed as necessary to ensure the highest quality training.

Schedule and hours

For the majority of the fellowship, your learning schedule includes 10-hour days, five days a week. All hours worked are in accordance with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) medical resident hour restrictions. You will take shared ENT call an average of five times a month, including overnight call and occasional weekend coverage.

Department and faculty

The Physician Assistant Fellowship in Otolaryngology is coordinated and taught by the clinical, scientific, and technical staff of Mayo Clinic's Department of Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery

Visiting professors and lecturers

A hallmark of higher education excellence is the breadth and depth of information and experience provided to you by faculty and visiting experts. Each year, many prominent professors visit Mayo Clinic to lecture in their areas of medical and scientific expertise.

As a Fellow of Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences, you are encouraged to learn from these valuable resources by attending all relevant conferences, lectures, and seminars prepared for students, residents, fellows, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and consulting staff.

Facilities

Mayo Clinic's Arizona campus has two main locations. Mayo Clinic’s location in Phoenix is home to the state-of-the-art Mayo Clinic Hospital, the first hospital entirely designed and built by Mayo Clinic. It has been recognized several times by Phoenix magazine as the "Best Hospital in Phoenix." Services in numerous medical and surgical disciplines are provided, including outstanding programs in cancer treatment and organ transplantation.

Mayo Clinic’s location in Scottsdale is centered around a beautiful, five-story outpatient clinic. This modern facility contains extensive exam rooms, an outpatient surgery center equipped for general anesthesia, a full-service laboratory, pharmacy, patient education library, endoscopy suite, and a 188-seat auditorium for patient, staff, and student education programs.

During the fellowship, the majority of your time is spent at the Phoenix location.

Evaluation

Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences uses evaluative tools that include:

• Written examination
• Demonstration of skills
• Self-assessment exercises
• Faculty reviews

Specifically, Fellows are evaluated using these assessment tools:

• End-of-rotation evaluations
• Midyear and end-year formal comprehensive evaluations
• Intradepartmental CME Presentation(s)
• Journal submission
• Competency checklist components completed by end of Fellowship training
• End-year Summative Portfolio

Graduation and certification

After successfully completing this fellowship, you receive a certificate of completion from Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences.