Laryngology & Care of the Professional Voice
Duration: One year
Fellows per year: One
The University of Pittsburgh Voice Center offers a comprehensive, high-volume fellowship in Laryngology and Care of the Professional Voice, designed to prepare otolaryngologists for independent practice at the highest academic or clinical level. This intensive 12-month clinical fellowship provides advanced training in the diagnosis and management of disorders of the larynx, pharynx, and upper aerodigestive tract, with particular emphasis on voice, airway, and swallowing.
The program is distinguished by its breadth of surgical exposure, multidisciplinary approach to voice care, and strong emphasis on graduated autonomy and hands-on experience.
Clinical and Surgical Training
Fellows receive extensive operative and in-office experience across the full spectrum of laryngology, including but not limited to:
- Cold knife and phonomicrosurgery for benign and malignant laryngeal lesions
- Laryngeal framework surgery, including rehabilitation of unilateral and bilateral vocal fold paralysis
- Laryngeal and tracheal airway reconstruction
- Tracheal resection and reconstruction
- Gender-affirming voice and airway surgery
- Laryngeal botulinum toxin injection for laryngeal dystonias and related disorders
- Diagnostic laryngeal electromyography (EMG)
- Comprehensive evaluation and management of swallowing disorders
In-office procedures are a core component of the fellowship and include:
- Vocal fold injection augmentation (transoral, thyrohyoid and cricothyroid approaches)
- Flexible and rigid laryngoscopy with biopsy
- Bronchoscopy
- KTP laser procedures
- Transnasal esophagoscopy
Multidisciplinary Voice Care
Fellows work closely with a multidisciplinary team that includes speech-language pathologists specializing in voice and swallowing, as well as singing voice specialists. Exposure includes evaluation and management of professional voice users such as singers, actors, teachers, broadcasters, and other elite voice professionals. The program strongly emphasizes collaborative care and functional outcomes.
Weekly Fellowship Structure
The fellow’s weekly responsibilities are divided across four primary domains:
- Voice clinic: Two full days per week assisting and progressively leading faculty laryngology clinics
- Swallowing clinic: One half-day per week focused on complex dysphagia evaluation and management
- Operating room: At least one full day per week dedicated to laryngology cases, with increasing operative responsibility
- Protected educational time: Dedicated time for reading, journal club, case discussion, and scholarly development
In addition, the fellow serves as the laryngology consult service attending one day per week and independently performs inpatient bedside vocal fold augmentation injections in appropriate patients.
Education and Scholarship
The fellowship includes a curated reading list of approximately 100 seminal and contemporary articles considered essential for the training of future laryngologists. This list, hand-selected by faculty, is continuously updated to reflect evolving evidence while maintaining historical and educational relevance.
The entire reading list is covered annually through:
- Journal club (6–7 sessions per year)
- Structured literature review and case-based discussions
Opportunities for clinical research, outcomes analysis, and academic presentation are encouraged and supported, tailored to the fellow’s career goals.
There is also access to basic science wet lab research if this is of interest.
Fellowship Outcomes
Graduates of the University of Pittsburgh Voice Center Fellowship leave the program with the technical expertise, clinical judgment, and confidence required to practice laryngology independently in academic, hybrid, or high-level private practice settings. The program’s emphasis on hands-on training, multidisciplinary care, and progressive autonomy ensures fellows are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of their careers.
Fellowship Director:
Chloe Santa Maria, MD, MPH
For more information, please reach out to santamariac@upmc.edu