Pediatric Craniofacial Surgery Fellowship Program
The Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Center for Cleft and Craniofacial Disorders offers a Pediatric Craniofacial Surgery Fellowship Program at one of the largest and busiest pediatric hospital systems in the country. Our goal is to equip you with extensive training so that you can provide all aspects of care in the areas of pediatric and craniofacial surgery.
Each year, surgeons at Children’s complete approximately 400 cleft-related surgeries, 1,900 total plastic surgeries and 1,000 craniofacial team clinic visits. While we perform some of the highest cleft surgery volumes in the country, we also treat children with a variety of facial traumas and rare craniofacial syndromes.
Fellows are often involved in treating:
- Cleft lip and palate
- Congenital nevus
- Craniosynostosis
- Distraction of the craniofacial skeleton
- Facial trauma
- Malocclusion
More details about the program:
At Children’s, we offer fellows the opportunity to train with advanced technologies, including:
- Bone substitutes (hydroxyapatite cement)
- Endoscopic torticollis treatment
- Laser treatment of hemangiomas
- Mandibular distraction
- Nasal alveolar molding (NAM)
Fellows are expected to participate in research projects for manuscripts and presentations.
Recent projects and reviews include:
- Basic science research through the Georgia Institute of Technology (alveolar cleft model for reconstruction) and Virginia Commonwealth University (craniosynostosis)
- Hypernasality in non-cleft patients
- Review of dog bites in a major urban area
- Reviews of maxillary distraction in cleft patients
- Use of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) in alveolar cleft reconstruction
Faculty members maintain clinical appointments in the Division of Plastic Surgery at Emory University School of Medicine. Plastic surgery residents at Emory University participate in rotations through Children’s.
Fellows are expected to teach residents in the operating room and through lectures at various conferences and labs. Fellows may participate in all Emory University plastic surgery conferences.
Learn more about the Division of Plastic Surgery at Emory University.
|
Name of Procedure |
Total for 2015-16 |
Total for 2016-17 |
Total for 2018-19 |
Total for 2019-20 |
|
Adult (reconstructive and cosmetic) |
5 |
15 |
5 |
0 |
|
Alveolar bone graft |
48 |
39 |
46 |
44 |
|
BSSO |
3 |
17 |
16 |
11 |
|
Cleft surgeries (lip and palate) (primary) |
122 |
162 |
102 |
192 |
|
Cranioplasty |
13 |
20 |
15 |
12 |
|
Ear reconstructions and otoplasties |
7 |
22 |
23 |
26 |
|
Facial cleft and hemifacial microsomial |
1 |
16 |
10 |
4 |
|
Intracranial/craniosynostosis |
30 |
29 |
36 |
31 |
|
Laser |
15 |
57 |
32 |
18 |
|
LeFort 1 advancement |
42 |
24 |
13 |
30 |
|
LeFort 1 distraction |
12 |
12 |
13 |
9 |
|
Mandible osteotomy other |
14 |
8 |
7 |
11 |
|
Mandibular distraction |
21 |
23 |
17 |
17 |
|
Maxillary osteotomy other (e.g., tumor, mass, cyst resection) |
2 |
9 |
10 |
4 |
|
Midface distraction (LeFort 3) |
36 |
5 |
5 |
8 |
|
Nasal recon/Secondary cleft surgery |
27 |
84 |
91 |
68 |
|
Osseous genioplasty |
10 |
13 |
5 |
3 |
|
Pediatric other (e.g., hemangioma, neurofibroma, flaps, ocular recon, tissue expansion, congenital nevi, tongue reductions) |
152 |
191 |
173 |
304 |
|
Peds facial trauma |
15 |
45 |
42 |
50 |
|
Torticollis |
7 |
17 |
20 |
5 |
|
VPI surgeries |
26 |
44 |
40 |
28 |
|
TOTAL |
608 |
852 |
721 |
875 |
Fellows are expected to participate in faculty-directed surgical cases. This includes preparation of the surgical splint and planning for orthognathic cases. Fellows are also expected to participate in the post-operative care of patients, in addition to planning surgeries through private and craniofacial clinics.
Fellows are not expected to participate routinely in call coverage. They are given junior attending status and are expected to cover call occasionally and operate independently. Fellows are also involved in teaching plastic surgery residents and medical students as needed.
Connect with former craniofacial surgery fellows to hear about their experiences with our program.
Danielle Sobol, MD (2022, Current)
Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston, TX
Email: Dsobol12@gmail.com
Alexis Tashima, MD (2021)
Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Little Rock, AR
Email: Alexis.tashima@gmail.com
Sara Neimanis, MD (2020)
University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
Email: sneimanis@gmail.com
Jenny Lee Nguyen, MD (2019)
Email: jlnguyen1984@gmail.com
Daniel Cuzzone, MD (2018)
Emory University Hospital, Atlanta, GA
Email: daniel.cuzzone@gmail.com
Jenny Chen, MD (2017)
Email: jtzchen@gmail.com
Brentley Taylor, MD (2016)
McCollough Plastic Surgery Clinic, Gulf Shores, Ala.
Email: brentleytaylor@gmail.com
Courtney Carpenter, MD (2015)
Gillette Children’s, St. Paul, MN
Email: anadelsol@hotmail.com
Jordan Steinberg, MD, PhD (2014)
Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Miami, FL
Email: jordan.steinberg@advocatehealth.com
Magdalena Soldanska, MD (2013)
Email: msoldanska@gmail.com
ChiChi Berhane, MD (2012)
Director, Reconstructive Surgery, Shepherd Center, Atlanta, Ga.
Email: chichi_0716@yahoo.com
Mark Schoemann, MD (2011)
Carilion Clinic, Roanoke, Va.
Email: markschoemann@gmail.com
Sam Maurice, MD (2010)
Chief of Plastic Surgery, Mercy Medical Center, Des Moines, Iowa
Email: smaurice@mercydesmoines.org
Qualified applicants must be U.S. medical school graduates who have completed a residency or fellowship in plastic surgery. The 2023-24 fellowship period runs from July 29, 2023, to July 28, 2024. The application deadline is August 15, 2023.
First, register with the San Francisco Matching Program.
After registering, applicants must submit an online application through the American Society of Craniofacial Surgery (ASCFS). The ASCFS has developed a universal online application for all applicants to complete and to select the program to which they wish to apply.
Complete the ASCFS application.
To learn more about the program, contact:Katie S. Smith
Program Manager, Graduate Medical Education Program
Email: gme@choa.org
Phone: 404-785-7637
Contact Us 404-785-DOCS (3627)