Craniofacial Medicine Fellowship

Craniofacial fellows develop advanced skills for diagnosing and managing patients with craniofacial conditions. Through collaboration with our diverse craniofacial team and coordination with community providers across the WWAMI region, fellows contribute to developing comprehensive and holistic care plans. Our fellows receive invaluable mentorship from a scholarship oversight committee, with tailored guidance and support to navigate fellowship and shape a future craniofacial career.

First Year

In year one, training focuses on building the clinical skills needed to make new diagnoses, on communication and counseling (prenatal and postnatal), and on managing infants, children, adolescents and young adults with a broad spectrum of craniofacial conditions (for example: cleft lip and palate, robin sequence, craniofacial microsomia, craniosynostosis). Fellows are immersed in a supportive learning environment throughout their training. 

Second and Third Years

For fellows pursuing a research career, in years 2 and 3, we offer opportunities to explore research training in molecular genetics, developmental biology, epidemiology, bioethics, clinical and outcomes research. Each fellow will be paired with a research mentor based on their scientific interests and specific goals.

Clinical

Craniofacial medicine fellows join our weekly interdisciplinary craniofacial team and pediatric intake, prenatal and pre-adoptive clinics. For three 2-month clinic blocks, fellows also attend these subspecialty clinics: plagiocephaly, dental/orthodontics, sleep medicine, craniofacial genetics, 22q11 related disorders, hearing loss, microtia, and vascular malformation. Fellows experience hospital-based care during two 3-month rotations on the inpatient craniofacial service. Highlights include participation in clinical feeding evaluations, videofluoroscopic swallowing studies (VFSS), velopharangeal insufficiency studies (VPI), audiology evaluations, and post-surgical care rounds.

Research

Research training opportunities at the University of Washington (UW) and Seattle Children's Research Institute include molecular biology, developmental biology, epidemiology, bioethics, clinical and outcomes research, molecular genetics and public health sciences. Fellows have the option of pursuing additional graduate training (for example, public health or epidemiology) at the UW. Fellows have multiple platforms to present research findings and foster connection and collaboration through attendance at one national meeting each year. Didactic courses, available at the UW or through the Seattle Children's Fellows' College, include biostatistics, clinical and lab research methodology, preparation of applications for funding, critical literature review, biomedical research integrity and teaching skills.