The Department of Otorhinolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery at Mayo Clinic is one of the oldest and largest otorhinolaryngology specialty groups in the world. Each year, the department handles more than 80,000 patient visits and performs approximately:

• 2,000 head and neck surgical procedures
• 1,000 otologic and neurotologic surgical procedures
• 1,500 rhinologic and sinus procedures
• 900 outpatient operative procedures

The department has a long-standing strong collaboration with neurosurgery. More than 200 new patients with vestibular schwannoma are evaluated each year by both a neurotologist and neurosurgeon.

Department members collaborate with other specialists in neurosurgery, neurology, neuroradiology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, neuro-oncology, neuro-ophthalmology, oculoplastics, neuropathology, rheumatology, and medical genetics. Through this collaboration, the department offers comprehensive care for pediatric and adult patients with disorders involving the temporal bone and skull base.

Faculty

In addition to caring for patients in clinical practice, Mayo Clinic's faculty is committed to teaching and facilitating the growth of medical knowledge. Many of our faculty members have published and lectured extensively and are highly regarded in their fields. 

You work closely with the neurotology faculty in both the inpatient and outpatient setting. In addition, you frequently collaborate with the other associated faculty in neurosurgery, head and neck surgical oncology, and radiation oncology.

Visiting professors

The Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery invites two or three prominent professors to visit Mayo Clinic each year. In addition, six to eight invited outside guest faculty participate in the three regularly scheduled annual otology/neurotology courses each year. Invited faculty present their work during lectures, participate in hospital rounds, and have informal discussions with trainees. You are encouraged to take full advantage of these opportunities.

Program faculty

From the director

Great surgeons are trained, not born. The three key constituents of a strong surgical training program are high case volume, exposure to a wide breadth of pathology, and graduated autonomy – subtracting any one of these three will significantly compromise the fellowship experience.

At our program, the fellow is immersed in a high-volume otologic and neurotologic practice. While complex lateral skull base training is the focus of the fellowship program, fellows also regularly participate in otologic surgeries including stapes surgery, chronic ear surgery, and cochlear implantation. We believe this is important because middle ear and mastoid surgery comprises a substantial volume of a neurotologist’s practice and many of the skills acquired during middle ear surgery transfer to skull base microsurgery.

Collectively, we evaluate approximately 200 new patients with vestibular schwannoma each year, perform 200 cochlear implant surgeries, and have a busy chronic ear practice. In addition to these principal cases, the expansive medical practice at the Mayo Clinic results in frequent surgical management of many rare systemic conditions that may affect the temporal bone and lateral skull base. 

Finally, we provide graduated autonomy throughout the course of training. I ask our fellows maintain a detailed surgical log that catalogues case volume, case type, and level of involvement. During your interview, you will be given the opportunity to review these training case logs with the current fellows.

We are excited to recruit trainees who have a passion for neurotology and desire to contribute to the health and well-being of patients in both tertiary and community care settings. The fellowship program faculty and I are deeply invested in the success of each fellow and we continually strive to make this the best training program possible.  

Thank you for visiting our website. I am excited you are interested in our program and encourage you to contact Ms. Sue Bisco, our fellowship program coordinator, or myself, if you have any questions pertaining to this fellowship opportunity.

Matthew Carlson, M.D.
Neurotology Fellowship Program Director
Professor of Otolaryngology and Professor of Neurologic Surgery