The Thyroid Cancer Fellowship Program at Thyroid Surgery Department in FAHZU provides a unique environment for exceptional candidates to pursue advanced training in tumors affecting the thyroid and parathyroid. During your training, your responsibilities increase with your experience, capability, and performance. You will become highly skilled in the management of thyroid disease and parathyroid disease, and gain extensive experience with the clinical and basic research tools needed for a successful academic career in this field.

1. Learning about the standardized diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer, performing both common (such as papillary thyroid cancer) and complex (such as PTC with lateral neck lymph node metastasis) procedures in a one-on-one setting with our surgeons.

2. Understanding recurrent laryngeal nerve monitoring and nanocarbon negative contrast technology in thyroid cancer surgery.

3. Learning various surgical approaches for thyroid cancer, including various endoscopic approaches, and sternocleidomastoid intermuscular approach, which not only preserves the function of the anterior cervical region, but also provides a better cosmetic outcome for the neck.

4. Participating in rounds each morning as part of a small team working with one staff surgeon. During rounds, new patients are presented, inpatient management is reviewed, and teaching sessions are held.

5. Outstanding research opportunities, focused on the clinical and mechanisms of thyroid cancer.

The goal of our program is to prepare trainees to achieve excellence in the clinical care of patients with simple and complex thyroid and parathyroid diseases including ambulatory care, inpatient management, and procedures. Through exposure to a range of investigators engaged in diverse clinical, translational, and basic research in thyroid disease, we also aim to provide our advanced trainees a strong foundation in clinical investigation to launch them into successful careers in academic medicine. Dedicated research time and resources will allow our trainees to develop and execute independent research projects with the appropriate mentorship.

The program provides a full-time, 2-week to 6-month training experience. In special circumstances, arrangements can be made for other lengths of training depending on your needs and interests.

• Fellows: Qualified applicants for the Thyroid Fellowship must have completed a general surgery residency program at an accredited institution.

• Residents: To be eligible for the thyroid residency, you must have successfully completed a board-approved program in general surgery. Your general surgery program may be completed either through Zhejiang university school of medicine or another accredited program.

• Students:

1. Must be a final-year medical student when you are scheduled to participate in the rotation. This means all your core / required clerkship rotations are complete at the time of the clinical elective.

2. Medical School Approval - Letter of good standing from the dean's office of your medical school indicating you are in the final year with your expected graduation date, in good academic standing and meet all requirements to complete an elective for academic credit.

Focus Areas & Subspecialties:

1. Thyroid cancer (PTC, MTC, FTC, ATC, et al)

2. Benign thyroid nodule

3. Hyperthyroidism (Graves disease)

4. Parathyroid disease (PHPT and SHPT)

Monday

1st Week: introduction & welcome, program overview and objectives, department introduction

Weekly: MDT conferences, complicated case study

Weekly: mentor one-on-one training:

-Topics:

1. Thyroid tumors

2. Parathyroid diseases

Tuesday

Weekly: outpatient observation, academic lecture, basic surgical skills training

Biweekly: research training:

-Major themes:

1. Risk assessment

2. Genetic epidemiology

3. Early detection

4. Surgery interventions

Wednesday

Weekly: clinical rounds, thyroid surgery observation, case-based discussion, teaching rounds

Biweekly: simulated surgery training

Weekly: lectures:

-Topics:

1. Thyroid and parathyroid disease imaging interpretation

2. Multidisciplinary management of thyroid cancer

Thursday

Weekly: surgical skills training:

1. Suturing, knot tying, hemostasis

2. Square knot, surgical knot

Biweekly: surgery hands-on

Friday

Weekly: journal club, clinical rounds, clinical skills training, special task training,

Last Week: wrap-up & reflection, participant presentations or discussion of key takeaways, feedback session

After each rotation, each faculty member evaluates each fellow according to core competencies of patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, and system-based practice. Faculty members meet with fellows individually for verbal feedback and evaluation. Monthly, an aggregate evaluation of a fellow’s clinical progress is conducted through a clinical competency faculty committee.

The program is free of charge.