Our Gender Confirmation Surgery fellows benefit from training at one of the longest standing gender confirmation surgery centers in the United States while continuing to advance and innovate within the field.
Our fellowship offers a comprehensive training program for trainees, including:
- Guidance from a multidisciplinary team: Fellows work with internationally recognized experts in all aspects of gender confirming surgery
- Hands-on operative experience and progressive responsibility: Our institution offers trainees the unique chance to gain experience with a high volume of cases.
- Participation in the Comprehensive Gender Services Program: Fellows work directly with Urology and Gynecology as well as with our administrative, mental health, adolescent/pediatric, and family practice colleagues.
- Appointment as a Clinical Lecturer: This allows for independent practice with cases not related to gender confirmation surgery in a supportive environment.
- Opportunities for research and program development: Our team has a long track record of excellence in research and innovation in clinic approaches, and fellows can also get exposure to the administrative functioning of the Comprehensive Gender Services Program.
Fellows must have completed an approved Plastic Surgery residency program to become a clinical lecturer in the Gender Confirmation Surgery Fellowship program. Applicants should submit the following materials to the Gender Confirmation Surgery Fellowship program director:
- A personal statement explaining their background and career goals
- An updated curriculum vitae
- Letters of support from their Chief of Plastic Surgery and their residency program director
Fellows receive an extensive exposure to all aspects of gender confirmation surgery, including chest masculinization, chest feminization, facial feminization, penile inversion vaginoplasty, revision vaginoplasty, minimal depth vaginoplasty, metoidioplasty, phalloplasty, scrotoplasty, and complex urethral surgery. Our program has an integrated phalloplasty clinic with Urology, so the fellow can seamlessly integrate into cases with both specialties.
Our center is one of the oldest in the United States and has been in operation since the mid-1990s. Therefore, fellows have the ability to learn from surgeons with decades of experience in gender confirmation surgery. On average our team performs 3 chest surgeries, 2-3 genital surgeries, and 1-2 other gender confirmation cases weekly. Our team members are highly integrated into academic gender surgery, and fellows will receive exposure to research training and conferences.
Fellows are expected to be involved in teaching with residents and medical students. Fellows also have the unique opportunity to serve as a clinical lecturer in plastic surgery with their own general plastic surgery clinic and cases and are integrated into the faculty call pool.
Current fellows are training to become future leaders in surgery. We emphasize teamwork, excellence, and leadership while preparing our fellows with resources to be successful in their careers.
Gender confirmation surgery fellowship is a 1 year fellowship from August 1 through July 31.
Training includes weekly general plastic surgery conferences, monthly journal club, and robust case experiences.
Example of weekly schedule:
- Monday: Gender Clinic with every other week half day fellow independent clinic
- Tuesday: University OR for genital surgery cases
- Wednesday: Academic day or independent fellow cases
- Thursday: University OR every other week for genital cases, or cases with Urology or outpatient gender surgeries
- Friday: University OR for chest surgery cases
The Michigan Promise aims to empower faculty members and residents in the Department of Surgery to achieve professional success. We support initiatives connected to environment, recruitment, leadership, achievement, innovation and outreach.
Fellows will be set up to succeed academically in gender confirmation surgery. Under the guidance of mentors, fellows are expected to actively engage in research aimed at improving the field of gender surgery.
Research focuses on:
- Prospective surgical and patient-reported outcomes of gender confirmation surgery
- Multi-institutional studies
- Fellow initiated independent projects
- Our previous fellows have been very productive academically during their fellowship.
Expand your career trajectory in a high-volume academic medical center that also supports and excels in a wide range of basic science, translational and clinic outcomes research programs.
We find a new reason to love Ann Arbor nearly every day — year-round outdoor activities, cultural experiences, a growing food scene, and a welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere are just a few that come to mind. Explore all that Ann Arbor and our surrounding communities have to offer.
