The James Brown Fellowship
in Head & Neck Surgery and Reconstruction

Liverpool Head & Neck Centre at Aintree University Hospital

The James Brown Fellowship is a 12-month advanced clinical fellowship for surgeons preparing for consultant practice in complex Head and Neck oncology and Reconstruction.
Based at the Liverpool Head and Neck Centre, Aintree University Hospital, the fellowship combines a high-volume tertiary practice, extensive operative experience, progressive surgical responsibility, structured supervision and access to an established academic and clinical trials environment. Applications are welcomed from suitably qualified UK and international candidates.

Why train at Liverpool Head and Neck Centre
The Liverpool Head and Neck Centre (LHNC) brings together Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Ear Nose & Throat surgery, Skull base surgery, Oncology, Pathology, Radiology and Allied clinical services. Fellows work within this multidisciplinary environment throughout the patient pathway, from assessment and treatment planning to surgery, reconstruction, recovery and longer-term follow-up.

The Oral and Maxillofacial Head and Neck team comprises six specialist surgeons who undertake the full range of ablative and reconstructive procedures. The service also supports complex defects arising from Ear Nose and Throat and Skull base surgery ablation with vascularised free tissue transfer. This breadth gives the fellow concentrated exposure to demanding oncological and reconstructive cases within a single programme.

The fellowship is named in honour of Professor James Brown, an internationally prominent Liverpool Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon whose work made an important contribution to maxillary, mandibular and oral reconstruction.

Clinical and Operative Training
The programme is designed to develop the judgement, technical ability and leadership required for consultant practice in a high-throughput tertiary head and neck unit. Training is centered on oral cavity and midface disease, while extending across the wider scope of head and neck ablation and reconstruction.

-         Ablative surgery for oral cavity, maxillary, midface and salivary malignancies

-         Neck dissection and sentinel lymph node biopsy

-         Reconstruction with soft-tissue and composite free flaps, including microvascular anastomosis

-         Reconstruction for benign tumours, osteoradionecrosis and other late treatment effects

-         Reconstruction of defects arising from procedures such as pharyngolaryngectomy and skull base surgery

-         Weekly multidisciplinary team preparation, presentation and treatment planning (including in house complex virtual surgical planning (VSP))

A recent fellow's logbook indicates the scale of exposure available. The figures below are illustrative, not guaranteed: each programme is tailored to the fellow's previous experience, progress and anticipated consultant practice.

Fellows should anticipate operating on 3-4 days each week, either as primary surgeon or as the supervising training surgeon for a registrar. Responsibility increases progressively and is adjusted to demonstrated capability, patient safety and the fellow's agreed development goals.

A fellowship built around progression
The fellow takes an active role in ward rounds, outpatient clinics, operating lists, MDT meetings and the teaching of resident doctors/junior colleagues. This sustained involvement develops operative capability alongside decision making, continuity of care, team leadership and the educational responsibilities expected of a consultant surgeon.
Fellows also contribute to clinical audit, outcomes data collection and the centre's focus on H&N cancer research.

Each fellow meets their educational/clinical supervisor(s) within the first four weeks to agree individual ambitions and minimum standards. Formal reviews then take place at three-monthly intervals, supported by regular trainer feedback, progress evaluations and 360-degree feedback. A mid-year review sets the training priorities for the second half of the fellowship. Fellows must maintain an operative logbook and are encouraged to record reflective practice and patient feedback where available.

Research and academic opportunities
Fellows who wish to develop their academic experience can integrate with the LHNC-University of Liverpool research community. LHNC supports nationally and internationally recognised H&N cancer researchers, several active principal investigators and a broad portfolio of early- and late-phase clinical trials. More than 5,000 patients have been recruited to portfolio studies since 2006.

Opportunities may include involvement in active studies, experience of trial recruitment, clinical outcomes research, use of prospectively maintained datasets and preparation of work for peer-reviewed publication. The level and focus of research involvement can be aligned with the fellow's interests and career plans while maintaining the programme's clinical training priorities.

Additional education
Liverpool Head and Neck Centre delivers specialist continuing professional development courses in microvascular surgery, advanced head and neck reconstruction, transoral laser surgery and related H&N techniques. Depending on the programme and the fellow's experience, opportunities may be available to attend as a fee-paying delegate or to contribute to faculty teaching.

Who should apply
The fellowship is intended for surgeons who have already performed strongly in clinical training and can demonstrate substantial competence in head and neck cancer surgery.

-         It is a necessity for all candidates must to hold both valid medical & dental undergraduate qualifications (MBChB and BDS or equivalents) registerable with the UK regulators (General Medical Council (GMC) and General Dental Council (GDC))

-         UK candidates will typically be approaching the end of higher surgical training and have FRCS OMFS or an equivalent qualification, or will have completed training and hold a Certificate of Completion of Training.

-         International candidates are warmly encouraged to enquire. Because registration, licensing and training equivalence vary between countries, prospective applicants should contact the fellowship organisers before applying to discuss eligibility and the practical requirements for appointment in the United Kingdom.

Fellowship dates and application
The fellowship runs for 12 months and normally begins in August of each year.
The number of available posts, start date, closing date and interview arrangements are confirmed for each recruitment round.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to arrange an informal discussion with both fellowship contacts before submitting an application.

Contact
Ms Faz Bekiroglu
FAZILET.BEKIROGLU@liverpoolft.nhs.uk

Professor Andrew Schache
schache@liverpool.ac.uk