The Neurotology Fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, aims to provide exemplary training in all aspects of neurotologic care including diagnostic, medical, surgical, and rehabilitative management of disorders affecting the auditory and vestibular system, facial nerve, and cranial base. These primary pursuits are reinforced by teaching activities and training in basic and clinical research, in order to support the development of proficient surgeons, educators, and researchers who will contribute significantly to the future of the specialty and serve as ambassadors of the field.

Fellowship training takes place in a high-volume quaternary health care facility and encompasses, but is not limited to:

• Microsurgery for lateral skull base tumors including:
• Vestibular schwannoma
• Facial nerve schwannoma
• Petroclival, cerebellopontine angle, and jugular foramen meningioma
• Temporal bone paraganglioma
• Chondrosarcoma
• Endolymphatic sac tumors
• Lateral skull base malignancy
• Stereotactic radiosurgery for lateral skull base tumors including vestibular schwannoma and jugular paraganglioma
• Comprehensive care of neurofibromatosis type 2 through an integrated multidisciplinary NF2 Clinic
  • Systemic diagnostic evaluation
  • Molecular genetic testing
  • Medical therapy
  • Surgical treatment
  • Cochlear implantation and auditory brainstem implantation
• Cochlear implantation for routine and complex conditions including:
  • Children less than 12 months of age
  • Temporal bone and labyrinthine malformations
  • Auditory neuropathy
  • Intralabyrinthine schwannoma, vestibular schwannoma
  • Asymmetrical hearing loss
  • Single-sided deafness
  • Intraoperative use of advanced electrophysiological monitoring including electrocochleography
• Auditory brainstem implantation
• Complex disorders of the facial nerve

Mirroring the Mayo Clinic otolaryngology residency experience, we pride ourselves on the mentorship model for fellowship training. This model pairs one neurotology faculty member with one fellow for 12 weeks at a time. We find that working alongside one staff member for an extended period of time accelerates the surgical training, enhances educational opportunities through greater continuity of care, and builds more meaningful relationships between the fellow and mentoring faculty.

During the second year of training, the fellow is given the opportunity to serve as an associate staff, running their own clinic under the supervision of the consulting staff. An optional 12-week rotation at Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale Arizona, under the supervision of Dr. Peter Weisskopf, is available to those who are interested.

Fellows are given the opportunity to attend gamma knife radiosurgery training for certification. In addition to the clinical experience, trainees in the Neurotology Fellows regularly participate in basic science and clinical research.