Advent Health System Otologic/Neurotologic/
Skull Base Surgical Fellowship

Location Of Fellowship: Orlando, FL USA

Otologic/Neurotologic/Skull base Fellowship Director: Michael D. Seidman MD, FACS

Institutional Affiliation: Advent Health System, Professor of Oto-HNS University of Central Fla, Collaborative Prof of Oto-HNS, University of South Fla, Visiting Professor Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.

Accepting Foreign Medical Graduates?: Observer only for Foreign Medical Grad

Application Requirements: CV, Letter of Introduction, 2 Letters of Recommendation

Program Availability: July 2026(Filled), July 2027(Filled), July 2028(accepting applicants)

Program Description:
Educational Purpose

This one-year Fellowship in Otologic, Neurotologic, and Skull Base Surgery provides comprehensive advanced training in a rich academic and clinical environment. The program is supported by 11 faculty across multiple disciplines, including:

  • Otology/Neurotology & Medical Otology (4)
  • Neurosurgery (2)
  • Neuro-Oncology (1)
  • Neuroradiology (2)
  • Radiation Oncology (2)

Many graduating residents seek to enhance their expertise in otology and neurotology. This fellowship offers one of the nation’s busiest and most diverse practices in the field, ensuring unparalleled exposure to the full spectrum of otologic and neurotologic surgery.

Clinical Experience

  • High-volume management of chronic ear disease, otosclerosis, cochlear implantation, and implantable hearing devices (BAHA, Sophono, OSIA, BoneBridge, Envoy Esteem).
  • Care for ~100 skull base tumor patients annually, including vestibular schwannoma, meningioma, chordoma, glomus tumors, trigeminal neuralgia, and more.
  • Weekly multidisciplinary skull base tumor board.

Education & Research

  • Led by Michael Seidman, MD., FACS, Professor of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at UCF/USF and visiting professor Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, with proven faculty mentors dedicated to teaching.
  • Opportunities and expectations for clinical research, publications, and teaching.
  • Access to the Nicholson Center, one of the largest surgical training centers in the world, including:
    • Robotic surgery opportunities
    • Multi-institutional simulation studies
    • State-of-the-art virtual temporal bone dissection simulator

Program Goals

The fellowship aims to expand knowledge, refine surgical skills, and prepare the graduating Fellow for independent practice in the management of complex otologic, neurotologic, and skull base disorders.

Eligibility

  • American Board–eligible or –certified Otolaryngologists
  • International graduates with an H-1B visa

Institutional Excellence

Advent Health system is ranked the #1 health system in Florida and among the Top 20 in the nation out of more than 4,500 hospitals, universities, and programs (U.S. News & World Report). Our Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery program was ranked #47 in 2024 and #11 in 2025 nationally.

Location

The fellowship is based in Central Florida, minutes from Walt Disney World — the “Happiest Place on Earth.”

Faculty/Professors
Michael D. Seidman, MD., FACS: Program Director

Michael D. Seidman, MD, FACS attained both his B.S. in Human Nutrition and M.D. from the School of Public Health and the Medical School at the University of Michigan. After a five-year residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) he completed a fellowship in Otologic/Neurotologic and Skull Base Surgery. At HFHS, he led skull base surgery, wellness and integrative medicine and secured millions of dollars in philanthropy to build the first Center for Integrative Medicine, the first organic hydroponic green house to grow herbs and greenery for patients and employees and he was one of the lead architects for the new 370 million dollar hospital based upon the concepts of wellness.

Seidman was recruited in 2016 to be the Director of Otologic/Neurotologic Surgery and the Medical Director of Wellness for Advent Health and Professor of Oto-HNS for University of Central Florida, University of South Fla and Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. He served as Director of Research for 28 years for HFHS and is the Chief Scientific Officer for a health and wellness company. Seidman is a past President of the Michigan Otolaryngology Society, was elected as the Chair-Board of Governors for the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) and elected to the Board of Directors. He is now the President of the Florida Society of Oto-HNS. He works on matters of Governmental and regulatory concerns, including several presentations to Congress and the FDA. He was appointed to the medical board for the State of Michigan by the Governor and has the privilege of serving in numerous leadership roles locally, nationally and internationally, and serves as an editor, associate editor, and on the review board of eight national or international journals including the American Journal of Chinese Medicine.

Seidman is an active scientist and has extramural funding from the National Institute of Health, the DOD and other major institutions to study Maintenance of Certification and Licensure, hearing loss, NIHL and alternative therapies. He is an expert on the molecular basis of ageing, noise induced hearing loss, otologic/neurotologic-skull base surgery, all aspects of ear, nose, throat, head and neck surgery, tinnitus, herbal therapies, nutrition/antioxidants and their relationship to health, sports and aging and complementary/integrative medicine. He has mentored more than 250 high school, medical students, residents, post-docs and junior colleagues over the past 30 years. Seidman has developed two new surgical procedures; one to reconstruct the ear bones and the other, a brain surgery for tinnitus. He was one of several selected to work on Clinical trials with the Envoy Corporation (Fully Implantable hearing devices), Auris Medical, and Microtransponder.

Seidman lectures internationally on such topics; has more than 150 publications; 35 book chapters, a book published by Time Warner “Save Your Hearing Now” and several other books including one on “Complementary and Integrative Therapies for ENT Disorders”. He has received numerous awards including being voted by his peers as a Top doctors and Best Doctors (top 3 and 4% of America’s physicians) since 1998 and was honored by the AAO-HNS with the Clinical Practitioner Excellence Award (one Otolaryngologist selected annually). He has been awarded seven patents in the nutritional/aging and surgical fields. Additionally, he has several more patents pending on, aging, mitochondrial function endurance enhancement, and surgical tools and techniques. He consults for WebMD, BASF, Major League Baseball, Football, NHL, the Mexican Olympic team and other major corporations. Seidman has been interviewed on Good Morning America, CNN and other national news venues and has been quotedinternationally in such magazines as “O”, “Shape”, Women’s World, Prevention, Men’s Health, The Wall Street Journal, New York and the London Times.

Mel Field, MD: Neurosurgical program
Dr. Melvin Field is the Director of Florida Hospital System’s Minimally Invasive Brain Surgery Program. He is the co-director of Florida Hospital’s Gamma Knife and Neuro-Oncology Programs. He is an associate professor of Neurosurgery at UCF’s College of Medicine and he is a practicing partner of Orlando Neurosurgery. Dr. Field is the Past President of the Caribbean Association of Neurological Surgeons. Dr. Field completed his undergraduate and medical school training at the University of Florida where he was a Florida Academic Scholar and graduated with highest honors. He completed his internship in general surgery and residency in neurological surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Field spent 2 research years focusing his work on skull base surgery, skull base molecular biology, minimally invasive brain surgery, and sports-related concussion.

Dr. Field is recognized as an expert in minimally invasive brain surgery. He has been performing endoscopic skull-base surgery in Central Florida since 2003 and has evaluated more than 3000 patients for these minimally invasive procedures. He has taught Endoscopic Skull Base Techniques at multiple meetings and courses throughout the world over the past decade and routinely lectures on this topic. His research focuses on minimally invasive techniques to treat complex tumors and disorders of the brain using image guided, endoscopic, cellular and robotic-based systems. Dr. Field is one of the first surgeons in the country to integrate neuro-endoscopy into the management of various forms of neurovascular compression syndromes such as Trigeminal Neuralgia and Hemifacial Spasm and has both lectured and taught nationally on endoscopic microvascular decompression (eMVD) for these disorders. Dr. Field has authored multiple publications in peer-reviewed journals and has made over 100 presentations at both national and international neurosurgical meetings including topics on the management of pituitary and skull base tumors, Trigeminal Neuralgia, Acoustic Neuromas, brain metastases and sports-related concussion.

Dr. Field is a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, North American Skull Base Society, Facial Pain Association, Acoustic Neuroma Association, Pituitary Network Association, and the Minimally Invasive Neurosurgical Society.

James Atkins MD Medical Otology/Neurotology
Dr. Atkins has been practicing otology/Neurotology in Central Fla for 30+ years. He currently limits his practice to Medical Otology and is an expert in all otologic issues and skillful in managing these patients.

Jeff Kuhn, MD Medical Otology/Neurotology

Aftab Patni, MD: Otology/Neurotology
Dr. Patni has been a practicing Otologist and Neurotologist at the Ear, Nose, Throat & Plastic Surgery Associates since 2004. He has a busy clinical practice that includes complex chronic ear disease surgery, hearing rehabilitation surgery including cochlear implants, and lateral skull base surgery. He completed his otology and neurotology fellowship at Michigan Ear Institute in 2004. His otolaryngology residency was completed at the University of Illinios at Chicago in 2002.

Alvin DeTorres, MD: Otology/Neurotology

Ravi Gandhi, MD: Neurosurgical Faculty
Dr. Gandhi is a board certified neurosurgeon who is fellowship trained in Cerebrovascular, Endovascular, and Skull base Neurosurgery. He completed his undergraduate training in Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University and medical school at St.George’s University. He completed his residency training at Albany Medical Center in Albany, NY followed by an Endovascular Neurosurgery. He then moved to Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine Institute where he completed another fellowship in open and endoscopic Skull Base Neurosurgery. Dr. Gandhi has authored book chapters, publications in peer-reviewed journals and has made numerous presentations at various neurosurgical and skull base meetings. He is dedicated to furthering the science of Neurosurgery and teaching future physicians. He currently heads the neuroscience research division at Florida hospital and is actively involved in both cerebrovascular and brain tumor research. Interests include traditional and minimally invasive methods of treating complex brain and skull base diseases such as brain tumors, trigeminal neuralgia, and acoustic neuromas(vestibular schwannomas) through minimally invasive/maximally effective techniques. Dr. Gandhi also treats cerebrovascular disorders of the brain and spine including aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations(avm), and carotid and vertebral artery stenosis predominantly minimally invasively.

Chris Wehman, MD: Neurosurgical Faculty
Graduated from Cornell University in 1996 with a Chemical Engineering Major and Bioengineering Minor. He attended medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and graduated in 2000. After medical school his residency in neurosurgery was completed at the University of Miami. He then completed an in folded fellowship at the State University of New York at Buffalo in Neuroendovascular surgery in 2005. After completing residency he joined the faculty at University of Miami and ultimately is now working in Orlando

Max Medary, MD: Neurosurgical Faculty
Dr. Medary completed his surgical Internship at Jackson Memorial Hospital/UMiami. Followed by his residency in Neurosurgery at the Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA. Medary completed a neurotrauma fellowship at Cornell University NY Hospital, followed by a fellowship in Skull Base Surgery, under the direction of Dr. Takanori Fukushima. He collaborates with Dr. Seidman on neurotologic/skull base issues and has been in practice and president of Greater Orlando Neurosurgery & Spine PA for 21 yrs.

Asif Bhimani, MD: Neuro-radiology faculty

Wes Hodge, MD
Dr. Charles Wesley Hodge is a board-certified radiation oncologist and award-winning researcher who is one of Florida’s leading specialists in providing advanced radiation therapy to combat breast, lung, and central nervous system cancers. He has published numerous peer-reviewed studies and has presented his work nationally. He joined Florida Hospital MedicalGroup’s Radiation Oncology Specialists team in 2014, and has been practicing since 2009. Prior to that time, he completed his residency in radiation oncology at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where he earned the status of chief resident. He completed his internal medicine internship at the University of Florida in Gainesville, which is also where he earned his medical degree and was inducted into multiple scholarly honors societies. Dr. Hodge is a highly respected clinician who has extensive experience in providing image-guided stereotactic body radiotherapy for lung cancers and brachytherapy and accelerated partial breast irradiation for breast cancers, among other advanced procedures. He is an engaged member of the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, the Radiological Society of North America, the American College of Radiation Oncology, the Florida Medical Association and the Florida Society of Clinical Oncology, and currently serves as a Transformational Medical Director for the Oncology Section of Advent Health. He constantly strives to improve patient outcomes and comfort in the pursuit of new and effective protocols for cancer treatment.

Imran Mohiuddin, MD, PhD
Dr. Mohiuddin is a radiation oncologist at Advent Health Cancer Institute in Orlando, L, specializing in advanced radiotherapy for brain and spine disorders, including malignancies, benign tumors, and functional conditions. He has expertise in stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), brain brachytherapy, and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). Dr. Mohiuddin directs the Gamma Knife, GammaTile and CNS radiotherapy programs at AdventHealth Orlando. His research interests focuses on improving outcomes for patients with brain metastases and high-grade gliomas. He earned his MD and PhD in Immunology from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and completed his residency in Radiation Oncology at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

Herbert B. Newton, M.D., FAAN
Dr. Newton graduated from SUNY Buffalo with High Honors in Psychology, before pursuing a Masters Degree in Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute. He then entered the SUNY Buffalo School of Medicine, graduating in 1984. After an Internship in Internal Medicine within the SUNY Buffalo Health System, he was trained in Neurology at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, MI, followed by a Fellowship in Neuro-Oncology at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). At MSKCC, he trained under the guidance of Drs. Jerome Posner and William Shapiro. After the completion of his Fellowship at MSKCC, Dr. Newton joined the Faculty in Neurology at the OSUMC and James Cancer Center, establishing a Division of Neuro-Oncology within the Department of Neurology in the summer of 1990. Dr. Newton achieved the rank of Full Professor of Neurology with tenure, and was bestowed the Esther Dardinger Endowed Chair in Neuro-Oncology in 2003. His interests include clinical Neuro-Oncology, molecular chemotherapy of brain tumors, molecular biology of brain tumors, and clinical trials. After retiring from OSUMC in 2015, he has since become the Director of the Neuro-Oncology Center for the Florida Hospital Cancer Institute and Florida Hospital Orlando. He has published morethan 220 articles and book chapters, and is the author or co-author of 9 books in the fields of Neurology and Neuro-Oncology.

Send Curriculum Vitae to:
Michael D. Seidman, MD, FACS
Advent Health Medical Group
405 Celebration Place Suite 100
Celebration, FL 3474
Call or email Virginia Aponte 321-939-3000
Virginia.Aponte@adventhealth.com