Academic Year 2018-2019
Skull base – 1 year fellowship programme.
Directors of the Course: Prof. Paolo Castelnuovo and Prof. Davide Locatelli.
Event Locations:
Departments of Otorhinolaryngology and Neurological Surgery, 4° Floor Ospedale di Circolo; Head and Neck & Forensic Dissection ResearchCenter (HNS & FDRc); Department of Biotechnology and life Science (DBSV); ASST Sette Laghi, Ospedale di Circolo e Fondazione Macchi.
via Guicciardini 9, 21100 Varese – Italy
Fellowship period
Duration: 12 months, from Monday to Friday, from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. For approximately 40 weeks (except from National holidays).
Description
The skull base Fellowship program at the University of Insubria, Varese, Italy, is active from 2009 and involves both the Otorhinolaryngological and the Neurosurgical Divisions. Aim of this University’s improvers course is to give attendees solid anatomical and clinical knowledge in order to treat sinonasal and skull base pathologies through surgical endoscopic mini-invasive approaches. The course will also treat in depth analysis radiological diagnostics and surgical instrumentation needed for the treatment of such diseases.
The course is in English language and is addressed to medical doctors, ENT, Neurosurgeons or Maxillo-Facial surgeons who want to deepen their knowledge and abilities in the field of sinonasal and skull base surgical district. The course lasts 12 MONTHS and is structured in 4 segments of 3 months each, in which the observers will join all daily clinical activities inside the ENT and NCH Clinics of the ASST Sette Laghi, Varese.
Every morning in the meeting rooms of ENT and NCH Departments there will be discussions of clinical and surgical interesting cases that will be treated during the day. The observer will have the possibility to observe the activity carried out in the ENT and NCH operating theaters and outpatient clinics. During all activities the attendees will always be supported by a senior Tutor who will oversee their learning; all pratical medical activities on live patients are excluded (surgical operations, medications, visits). Lectures are provided throughout courses and congresses, in Italy and abroad, held by the ENT and NCH teams, to whom the observer shall participate.
The candidate will present a lecture in form of grand-round every 3 months and he will prepare at least 1 research project. He will also be involved in some already on-going projects and he will present at least 2 papers during the period of the corse; the first after 6 months and the last before the end of the course. At the end of the observership the candidate will sit for a written examination and will be graded in score/100. Those who will pass the exam will receive the Insubria University skull base and sinonasal endoscopic surgical technique advanced improvers Diploma.
Italian laws do not allow any kind of medical practice on live patients (live surgery, medical examinations) to foreign Medical Doctors unless their medical degree and post-graduate degree are recognized by the Italian Minister of Health and Italian Minister of School and University and unless they are admitted to the Italian Medical Association (Ordine dei Medici Chirurghi e Odontoiatri).
Fellowship programme
At the very beginning of the program the candidate will sit for an entrance examination with the Directors of the program who will state the level of knowledge and skills of the candidate.
The student fellow will refer directly to a senior Doctor for his needs and in order to check his day-by-day activities. At the end of the day the Tutor will sign the Log-Book filled by the student fellow.
At the end of every segment the Directors will check the log-book and scientific activities and decide wether to approve or not the next didactic step.
During the year, by the end of every segment, the candidate will have a tutored anatomical-lab dissection section on a specimen that will be used both sides, and will have to reach many, always more difficult, surgical steps.
The candidate will attend (at least as observer) to all Courses & Congresses organized by the team during the quarters*.
The Candidate is required to carry on some scientific activities in order to investigate an assigned research field. He should analyze the scientific literature regarding to a given topic and compare it to his experience and to the policies approved by the Skull Base Unit.
Before the end of the last quarter the student fellow should prepare and discuss a ground-round presentation concerning a selected topic related to the research field assigned and must publish a scientific paper on a topic that was assigned during the last six-months fellowship by the endoscopic team of the Clinic.
At the end of the last segment of the program the Directors, after checking the filled-in Log-Book and the scientific activity carried on by the student fellow, and after having discussed with the Tutors of the Skull-Base team that have followed the student fellow during this period, will admit the student fellow to the final examination in order to complete the fellowship program and obtain the University certificate.
* Subscription to such courses & congresses as participant are possible on candidate’s own expenses .
Segment 1: Basic Techniques.
Period: 3 months.
For ENT observers the activities are focused on the surgical management of paranasal sinus inflammatory diseases as well as learning of systematic anatomy of the region. Deep anatomical knowledge of the area including surgical landmarks and risky points are the main objectives as well as complications and their management. For neurosurgical observers the activities are focused on standard approaches to the anterior, middle and posterior skull base.
The post-operative management of the patient with particular attention to endoscopic medications, identification of early and late complications, analysis and solution of patient discomfort and symptoms are other important issues that the fellow needs to understand.
Segment 2: Specific Techniques.
Period: 3 Months
The second didactic step is focused on deeply understanding specific surgical techniques like endoscopic dacriocistorhinostomy, the surgical treatment of septal perforations, frontal sinusotomy Draf type III, and endoscopic removal for benign tumors. The post-operative management of these patient with particular attention to endoscopic medications, identification of early and late complications, analysis and solution of patient discomfort and symptoms are other important issues that the fellow needs to understand.
For neurosurgical observers the activities are focused on more complex approaches to the anterior, middle and posterior skull base.
Segment 3: Advanced Techniques.
Period: 3 Months.
The next didactic step is focused on advanced surgical endoscopic techniques for the treatment of malignant tumors, repairing of skull base damages and other extended diseases. Deep anatomical knowledge of the area including surgical landmarks and risk points are the main objectives as well as complications and their management.
For neurosurgical observers the activities are focused on deep brain approaches and Key holes endoscopic approaches.
The post-operative management of the patient with particular attention to endoscopic medications, identification of early and late complications, analysis and solution of patient discomfort and symptoms are other important issues that the fellow needs to understand.
Segment 4: Extended Approaches
Period: 3 months
The next didactic step is focused on advanced surgical endoscopic techniques for the treatment of malignant tumors, repairing of skull base damages and other extended diseases. Deep anatomical knowledge of the area including surgical landmarks and risk points are the main objectives as well as complications and their management.
For neurosurgical observers the activities are focused on deep brain approaches and Key holes endoscopic approaches as programmed below.
The post-operative management of the patient with particular attention to endoscopic medications, identification of early and late complications, analysis and solution of patient discomfort and symptoms are other important issues that the fellow needs to understand.
Subscriptions
This course is limited to 4 participants.
Subscriptions must be sent to the following address:
- hnsresearchcenter@uninsubria.it
indicating name, surname, email and mobile number. Send request for subscriptions with the following documents:
- Updated curriculum vitae
- Copy of valid passport and Visa
- Copy of Medical and Specialization Degrees
Subscription Fee:
The Fee is € 30.000 (thirty thousands euro) for each participant.
Payment Modality
The participation to the observership relies on the selection (based on the curricula) that will be performed by the Directors of the programme. Furthermore the confirmation will be given after the payment that must be performed by wire-transfer to the following bank account:
Holder: UNIV. INSUBRIA DIP. BIOTECNOLOGIE E SCIENZE DELLA VITA
Branch: Branch 158, viale Belforte 151, 21100 – Varese
IBAN: IT54F0569610801000085100X89
Swift code: POSOIT22
Causal: Name and surname – One year fellowship
Insurance
The University of Insubria will provide an insurance that will cover the participants against self-injuries and for civil responsibility (not for professional responsability) with the maximum coverage requested by the ASST Sette Laghi
Organizing Secretariat:
Adriana Jacona
Dipartimento di Biotecnologie e Scienze della Vita
Via J.H. Dunant, 3 – 21100 Varese
E-mail: hnsresearchcenter@uninsubria.it