Ear, Nose and Throat - Otolaryngology Head Neck Skull Base Surgery
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital's Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) service, also as Otolaryngology Head Neck Skull Base Surgery, is a major centre of excellence in ear, nose and throat disorders and provides expertise in these specialist areas. It also provides the state service for Skull Base Surgery.
The Ear and Skull Base unit has an international reputation in the management of ear, acoustic tumour and skull base disorders. The Head and Neck Oncology Unit provides the complete spectrum of treatment for patients with cancer in the head and neck region. The specialist otolaryngologists at the University Department of Otolaryngology are trained in Australia and have undertaken major international postgraduate training in the various subspecialty areas involving Otolaryngology, Head and Neck, and Skull Base Surgery.
The department has been awarded a research Foundation Grant for Narrow Band Imaging cancer research. In addition three new cancer research trials in collaboration with medical and radiation oncology are being conducted.
The department has implemented a new cochlear implant patient file information, updated patient information board in clinic, introduced a new working channel voice scope for outpatient procedures and fully electronic WA Health record SHaRE system for MDT notes and cancer patient management.
Fellowship in Otology and Skull Based Surgery
Fellowship Overview
The Fellowship in Otology and Skull Base Surgery at the Department of Otolaryngology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, provides a broad experience for surgeons who will assume independent practice and leadership positions in academic centres and hospitals throughout the world.
The Fellowship is administered by Clinical Associate Professor Jafri Kuthubutheen from the University of Western Australia and Dr Steve Rodrigues, Otology and Skull Base Surgeon at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.
The fellowship has both clinical components as well as a dedicated research component. The Fellow's responsibilities include junior surgeon education, clinical responsibilities, administration, managerial tasks as well as local hospital on-call. A high level of academic scholarships is expected through familiarity with relevant literature. The Fellowship includes working with the State wide Adult Hearing Implant Program as well as the State wide Neurosurgical service. Some of the cases managed include acoustic neuromas, neurofibromatosis, skull base tumours, otosclerosis, cholesteatoma, chronic middle ear disease, CSF otorrhea, and complex hearing loss. The Fellowship includes involvement in the annual Perth Otology and Temporal Bone Course as well as an outreach clinical visit with the Western Australian Country Health Service to the Kimberley Region.
Fellowship Details
The clinical component concentrates on specialised surgery involving the ear, skull base, vestibular system and cerebellopontine angle as well as hearing implant surgery.
The major hospitals involved in clinical care are Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and Osborne Park Hospital. Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital is a large teaching hospital and is accredited with the Royal Australian College of Surgeons. The Hospital deals with all sub-specialities in adult otolaryngology surgery. Complicated acoustic tumour, skull-base and ear surgery is regularly performed at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.
The Fellowship experience is gained primarily through hands-on clinics and operating theatres. Clinics are run at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and operating theatres are at Sir Charles Gairdner and Osborne Park Hospital. Fellows will be involved, where suitable, as surgical assistants in private hospitals including Hollywood Private Hospital, South Perth Hospital, and St of God Murdoch Hospital. Once a-fortnight, the fellow will be the 1st on call for the Emergency Department at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.
The Fellow will be expected to attend regular Continuous Medical Education programmes including meetings with diagnostic radiology, pathology and be involved in administrative matters. The Fellow will be expected to work with the team in booking their clinics and surgical lists.
The Fellow will be expected to be involved in undergraduate medical teaching and in otolaryngology trainee education on a regular basis. The most up to date implantable hearing devices are being utilised and regular multidisciplinary implant meetings are held monthly at Fiona Stanley Hospital (FSH) to discuss patient candidacy. The Fellow is expected to familiarise themselves with this unit, attend implant meetings, as well as be involved in education to a University-based medical student programme. The Fellow is expected to participate actively at MDT meetings including case discussion, documentation of medical records and review of patient case notes. These meetings are often done via videoconferencing into the Statewide meeting at FSH.
The research component includes one day a week of dedicated unpaid (or where possible but not guaranteed, paid) research time with clinical research projects as well as collaborative research at the University of Western Australia. The Fellow will be expected to be involved in the following research activites:
- Lead at least one clinical research project of their own
- Participate in ethics applications (via RGS) and audits
- Submit at least one peer reviewed research paper for publication
- Submit at least one abstract to a local or international scientific meeting of their choice.
Duration and Funding
Application for July 2026 will be opened in July 2024 until the end of September 2024 for the July 2026 fellowship position. Successful candidates will be shortlisted and expected to be interviewed in November / December 2024.
The Fellowship is of 12 month's duration. Funding for 24 hours per week (3 days) is provided by Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and details are available on request. On-call duties will be funded. Funding for the remaining clinical time (1 day Surgical and Clinical) in the private sector may be obtainable through surgical assist fees but not guaranteed and is the responsibility of the fellow to organise (subject to Medicare 19AB exemption approval). The arrangement of transportation, housing and relocation is the responsibility of the selected applicant; however, the administrative staff of the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital are available to assist with any queries.
Selection Process
The selection process for applicant consists of:
- Applicant assessment and ranking where a short-list of applicants will be determined after assessment of CVs
- Reference reports requested on short-listed applicants
- An interview, often made via video conference in cases where the applicant is overseas or out of Perth.
Application Process
The Fellowship is available to qualified trainees in the speciality of otolaryngology head and neck surgery locally and internationally. Overseas Fellows have previously attended this program and are welcome to apply. Such individuals will need to have completed their ENT training in their country. More detailed information will be made available upon successful application to the fellowship.
To apply please email a copy of your cover letter and current CV to SCGH.ENTSecretary@health.wa.gov.au.
Details of the CV should include the following:
- Professional Qualifications
- Higher surgical training
- Current position held and previous relevant work history
- Courses and Scientific, or other, Meetings attended
- Presentations
- Teaching Experience
- Current Research
- Future Professional Aims
- The names and contact details of two referees
You will need to indicate where you acquired your qualifications and more information regarding your educational background.
Publications, abstracts and papers need to specify the year, description and authors. It would also be helpful to have some copies of articles or abstracts you have written which are in the area of ear and skull base surgery. If you have participated, or are participating, in any research programmes please give details.
Other important information
To register for the Medical Board, overseas applicants may be required to sit a relevant English Language Examination. The IELTS (or approved equivalent) Test Report will be requested upon successful application to the Fellowship.
Previous Fellows
2023 - 2024 Dr. Jasintha Vani, Malaysia
2022 - 2023 Dr. Brendan Perry, Australia
2021 - 2022 Dr. Jia Hui Ng, Singapore
2020 - 2021 Dr. Evie Landry, Canada
2019 - 2020 Dr. Saif Al-Zahid, United Kingdom
2018 - 2019 Dr. Shannon Withers, Australia
2017 - 2018 Dr. John Renton, USA