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Craniofacial Surgery Fellowship

Program Director

Richard Hopper, MD

Program Overview

The Craniofacial Surgery Fellowship is based on a broad clinical referral base spanning five states. Since 1993, the fellowship program has graduated 13 craniofacial surgeons currently practicing in academic and private practice environments. The fellowship educational experience is intrinsically linked to the Craniofacial Center, a 40-member interdisciplinary team with coordinated clinical and academic activities.

Graduates of the program have been exposed to diagnosis and perioperative care of a large clinical volume of both pediatric and adult congenital and acquired craniomaxillofacial abnormalities. The goal of the program is to train in all aspects of surgery of the craniofacial skeleton. The fellowship experience is approximately 80 percent pediatric and 20 percent adult.

The program is based at the Craniofacial Center at Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center, the pediatric tertiary care center for the Northwest. Fellows get experience treating adult craniomaxillofacial abnormalities, both acquired and congenital, at Harborview Medical Center, a nationally recognized Level I trauma center.

Clinical activity is on a supervised basis only. There is no independent patient responsibility, but active participation is expected in ongoing clinical outcome studies and case series analysis. Fellows are asked to present original clinical research at a national meeting.

This clinical position is available on an annual basis (July 1st to June 30th) and includes the following:

  • Cleft lip and palate care
  • Craniosynostosis
  • Pediatric craniofacial surgery
  • Pediatric plastic surgery
  • Acute trauma and secondary trauma reconstruction
  • Orthognathic surgery and distraction osteogenesis
  • Clinical research

This fellowship is based at Children's Hospital Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Washington. The salary for this position is commensurate with institutional guidelines relative to the educational level of the individual involved.

Board certification eligibility upon fellowship completion: None

Length of fellowship: 1 year

Number of fellowships available: 2 (one through San Francisco Match, one an international fellow — each with different requirements)

Application Requirements

Application deadline

  • SF Match fellowship: October 1
  • International fellowship: November 1

Interview start and end dates

  • SF Match fellowship: onsite interviews held September through November
  • International fellowship: typically via phone, November through December

Prerequisites/post-medical school requirements:

San Francisco Match applicant:

  • US or Canadian medical school graduate
  • ACGME-approved plastic surgery residency;
  • US citizen, permanent resident, or holder of a current H1B working visa.
  • Able to hold a full license in Washington State

International fellow applicant:

  • Completed nationally recognized training in plastic surgery, otolaryngology or oral surgery; supported by parent academic organization to return upon completion of fellowship
  • ECFMG-approval required
  • J-1 visa sponsored by ECFMG, please see the visa application (PDF 116KB), pages 6 and 7 in particular, which describe the requirements for the program description and the GMEC approval form.
  • Must pass parts I, II and III of the USMLE. Applicants from outside the United States must be eligible for full licensure in the State of Washington.

Materials to Submit

Please e-mail kristi.yee@seattlechildrens.org the below application materials. These materials act as your application. Once we have received all of your applicable materials, we will review your application and contact you if you are to be considered for an interview.

SF Match applicants:

  1. A copy of the Certificate of Registration showing your match number.
  2. An updated copy of your Curriculum Vitae.
  3. A formal letter of application addressed to Dr. Richard Hopper, c/o Kristi Yee, Children’s Hospital & Regional Medical Center, 4800 Sand Point Way NE, PO Box 5372-W7847, Seattle WA 98105-0371.
  4. A personal statement.
  5. Three letters of reference. One letter from the director of your plastic surgery program; one letter from the director of your general surgery or advanced training program; and one letter from a colleague who is familiar with your performance.

International applicants:

  1. Current copy of your Curriculum Vitae - Must be current and not contain any gaps.
  2. Statement of Need - Must state the exact training, one page letter of introduction stating your interest in a craniofacial surgery fellowship in Seattle
  3. Two letters of recommendation from either a plastic surgeon or a craniofacial surgeon who has supervised you.
  4. A brief statement of your career plans upon completion of a fellowship. If you have any arrangement with a hospital or university for employment please provide us with the details.
  5. A statement of your ECFMG certification status

Additional ECFMG Information for international applicants:

Canadian citizens:

You will need to be sponsored on a J-1 through the ECFMG, however you will not need to be ECFMG certified:

  • Graduates of US, Canadian and Puerto Rican medical schools are not considered foreign medical graduates (FMG’s) and do not require ECFMG certification.
  • Graduates of medical schools outside the US, Canada and Puerto Rico are considered FMGs and do require ECFMG certification (this includes US citizens who graduated from foreign medical schools).
  • If you have Canadian citizenship when you apply for the J-1, you may be able to come as a Canadian citizen and would not need to obtain a visa (Canadians are exempt from this). If you do not yet have Canadian citizenship, you would need to apply for the J-1 visa after receiving your J-1 sponsorship documents.
  • USMLE — Our program requires completion of steps l and ll of the USMLE. You will need to take this.
  • License — You will need to have completed the LMCC (Canadian licensing exam). The other requirements (graduation from a US/Canadian medical school and two years of post-graduate training you will have already met).

For more information

Kristi Yee, Fellowship Coordinator
Craniofacial Center, Division of Plastic Surgery
Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center
PO Box 5371
M/S: W7847
Seattle WA 98105-0371

Phone: (206) 987-3256
Fax: (206) 987-3064
E-mail
*E-mail communication preferred