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Objectives of the Program:
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Our primary objective is to develop highly skilled endocrine surgeons through extensive exposure to high-volume, complex clinical and operative cases. The program is designed to ensure graduates are fully prepared for independent practice with excellence in clinical judgment, operative performance, and perioperative management.
Fellows will progressively assume responsibility for patient care, including the opportunity to manage an independent clinic under faculty mentorship. This experience fosters ownership of clinical decision-making, continuity of care, and preparation for post-fellowship practice in academic or high-volume referral settings.
A central goal of the fellowship is mastery of a comprehensive endocrine surgery skillset, including surgeon-performed ultrasound, ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy, and radiofrequency ablation for benign and malignant thyroid disease. Fellows will gain advanced operative expertise in thyroidectomy, complex and advanced thyroid cancer management, and reoperative neck surgery. Parathyroid training emphasizes both minimally invasive and complex reoperative approaches, supported by intraoperative parathyroid hormone monitoring and autofluorescence technology. Adrenal surgery objectives include development of expertise in minimally invasive (laparoscopic, retroperitoneoscopic, and robotic) and open adrenalectomy, as well as comprehensive perioperative management of hormonally active or malignant tumors.
In addition to clinical excellence, the fellowship emphasizes scholarly productivity and education. Fellows are expected to participate in clinical research, quality improvement initiatives, and manuscript and abstract preparation, with opportunities for national presentation and publication. Teaching and mentorship of residents and medical students are integral components of the fellowship, allowing fellows to develop educational and leadership skills.
By fellowship completion, graduates will demonstrate the confidence, technical excellence, clinical independence, and academic readiness required to manage the most challenging endocrine surgical cases and to lead multidisciplinary endocrine surgery practices.
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Highlights of the Fellowship:
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The Endocrine Surgery Fellowship at UNMC offers high-volume, high-complexity training across multiple clinical sites in the Omaha region, including the Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center—the only NCI-designated cancer center in Nebraska—as well as Bellevue Medical Center and Village Pointe Cancer Center.
Multidisciplinary care is central to training, with integrated clinics involving endocrinology, oncology, radiology, cytology, laryngology, and speech pathology. Same-day imaging, in clinic ultrasound, FNA with on-site cytology, and in-clinic laryngoscopy support efficient, comprehensive care.
The fellowship is supported by a high-volume endocrine surgery referral base that ensures extensive operative exposure and case complexity. The fellow is anticipated to participate in over 250 endocrine surgery cases annually with significant exposure to advanced, reoperative disease and neck dissections. In addition to operative experience, the fellow will perform a high volume of surgeon-performed ultrasound, fine needle aspiration biopsy, radiofrequency ablation, and laryngoscopy. Case volume and diversity are structured to support graduated autonomy and readiness for independent practice.
UNMC’s academically driven Endocrine Surgery program is the only fellowship-trained endocrine surgery group in Nebraska and provides an exceptional environment for training future endocrine surgeons through a high-volume practice, exposure to advanced and reoperative disease, robust multidisciplinary care, and a strong emphasis on scholarship and education.
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Neuroendocrine Tumors (NET):
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Fellows will have tailored exposure to gastrointestinal and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors through collaboration with Complex General Surgical Oncology faculty. Clinical and operative experiences, including pancreatic and gastrointestinal resections, are available based on individual fellow interest and are integrated within the Endocrine Surgery rotation to complement core endocrine training. All NET care is delivered within a multidisciplinary framework, emphasizing collaborative decision‑making and comprehensive oncologic management.
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