Fellowship
Advanced Practice Provider Otolaryngology
The Advanced Practice Provider Otolaryngology Fellowship at
Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center is a one-year,
non-ACGME-accredited program that admits one fellow per year.
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The 12-month postgraduate Advanced Practice Provider Otolaryngology Fellowship is designed for board-certified nurse practitioners and physician assistants who have recently graduated or who have limited experience in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck surgery.
Program Overview
The program is affiliated with Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, and fellows are hired as full-time employees with benefits, including a Continuing Medical Education allowance.
This multidisciplinary training program is designed to build the skills necessary for smooth transition to clinical practice with a team of skilled healthcare professionals. The program provides an environment and clinical experience that fosters professional growth, procedural skills and clinical care through didactic training and direct patient care.
The program develops knowledge of ear, nose and sinus, pharyngeal and oral cavity, laryngeal and neck pathologies.
The program develops knowledge of ear, nose and sinus, pharyngeal and oral cavity, laryngeal and neck pathologies. During the program, fellows will learn through didactic as well as clinical practice how to perform:
Basic Head and Neck exam
Diagnosis and management of common ear, nose and throat pathologies
Understand and interpret sleep studies
Understand and interpret audiograms
Understand and interpret CT and MRI imaging
Learn procedural skills such as:
Flexible laryngoscopy
Nasal endoscopy
Otomicroscopy
Office skin and oral cavity biopsies
Tracheostomy tube placement and maintenance
Nasal packing and epistaxis control
Wound care and management
Didactic curriculum will include participation in relevant weekly resident education sessions as well as a weekly APP Fellow lecture. Fellows will be expected to attend weekly Head and Neck tumor board meetings, monthly Moribidity and Mortality conference, Trauma Review meetings as well as journal club. Fellows will attend grand round events and participate with inpatient rounds while rotating on the inpatient service.
Clinical curriculum will include rotations with subspecialized surgeons and APP team with exposure to inpatient service, outpatient service and operating room. The fellow will obtain patient histories, perform head and neck exams, order and interpret diagnostic studies, perform otolaryngologic procedures, formulate differential diagnoses, and provide appropriate pharmacological interventions. Clinical experience will develop medical decision making and skills to communicate effectively with patients on plan of care.
Penn State Health Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery
Watch the video to learn more about the Penn State Health Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Advanced Practice Provider team:
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To prepare Advanced Practice Providers to provide excellent patient care on healthcare teams, using a 12-month training program that promotes education, access, innovation, and value in healthcare delivery within the field of Otolaryngology.
The Advanced Practice Provider Otolaryngology Fellowship carefully reviews all applications. The candidacy of applicants is not based on any singular factor, but a holistic review of the entire package of provided materials. Applications are generally accepted starting in November of the year prior to admission.
Recent copy of curriculum vitae including school name and GPA
Personal statement on your interest in pursuing a career in Otolaryngology (500 to 1,000 words)
Three letters of reference on letterhead
These can be submitted with your application or directly from the reference to the program
If currently enrolled in a program, one letter must be from program or medical director
Applications are now closed, with an anticipated start date in Fall 2025.
Eligibilty
Qualified candidates will have one of the following:
Graduate of an accredited master’s degree nurse practitioner or physician assistant program.
Eligible to pass (or have passed) the ANCC or AANP certification for nurse practitioners or NCCPA certification for physician assistants.
Must obtain a nurse practitioner or physician assistant license in the state of Pennsylvania once admitted to the program.
In addition, candidates must:
Have a GPA of 3.5 and higher
Be highly organized and motivated
Be available for an in-person campus interview
When open, applications will be accepted through Penn State Health Careers.
Direct any inquiries related to the application process to:
Tiffany Heikel, PA-C
Fellowship Program Co-Director
theikel@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
717-531-0003, ext. 322-837
Meghan Schmidt, PA-C
Fellowship Program Co-Director
mbaker8@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
Supporting Your Training
Curriculum
This transition-to-practice program allows advanced practice providers to expand their knowledge base and develop confidence in skills within the field of Otolaryngology, while remaining in a protected learning environment.
Emphasize team-based care and communication with the multidisciplinary approach in Otolaryngology
Cultivate the APP leaders of the future, who will inspire innovation and share knowledge that will benefit all.
The Otolaryngology APP Fellow will be mentored by attending physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners within the practice. The fellow will rotate in the following clinics: General otolaryngology, Otology/Neurotology, Rhinology, Pediatric Otolaryngology, Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgical Oncology and Facial Plastics. The fellow will also collaborate with audiologists, speech pathologists and other allied health professionals.
Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center is a tertiary-care teaching hospital designated as a Level 1 Trauma site for Adults and Pediatrics. Advanced technology and appropriate facilities will provide the fellow with appropriate resources to become a well-rounded Otolaryngology clinician. Fellows will work on the inpatient service, outpatient clinics (main campus and branch locations) as well as exposure to the operating room.
Evaluations will be completed by the clinical mentors at the end of each quarter. In addition, the fellow will meet with the program director monthly to ensure satisfactory progression in program (review of attendance, procedure logs and feedback from faculty), as well as discuss fellow professional goals.
Fellows will be expected to complete one scholarly project (manuscript submission to a professional journal, or quality improvement project or research project with submission to present at state or national meeting of a professional organization).
The fellow will be provided with continuing medical education (CME) via weekly didactic sessions, research opportunities and outside professional meetings.
