Overview
The cleft and craniofacial program at Vanderbilt was founded by past ASMS president Dr. Kevin Kelly. For over 30 years it has maintained a high-volume of cases spanning the breadth of pediatric plastic, cleft and craniofacial surgery.
The Department of Plastic Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center offers a comprehensive Craniofacial & Pediatric Plastic Surgery Fellowship, accredited by the American Society of Craniofacial Surgeons (ASCFS).
The fellowship is non-ACGME accredited and offers the fellow extensive training in seven distinct areas (with core faculty hyperlinks below) for a robust training in modern craniofacial surgery. Additionally, there are opportunities to explore further craniofacial offerings within and outside our department.
- Transcranial and Midfacial Surgery: cranial vault remodeling for craniosynostosis (endoscopic, open, distraction & springs), Le Fort osteotomies (advancement/distraction) (Bonfield, Golinko, Pontell)
- Cleft Lip and Palate: full spectrum of procedures including primary repair, alveolar bone grafting, rhinoplasty, surgical treatment of VPI, and orthognathic surgery (Braun, Galdyn, Golinko, Pontell)
- Maxillofacial Trauma: full spectrum of pediatric and adult facial trauma (soft tissue, bony, TMJ, & microvascular reconstruction) (Braun, Galdyn, Golinko, Pontell)
- General Pediatric Plastic (including congenital ear) (Braun, Galdyn, Golinko, Pontell)
- Cleft Craniofacial Dental & Orthodontics : (Hania)
- Brachial Plexus (Galdyn, Bhandari, Elmaraghi)
- Facial Feminization & Migrane Surgery (Kassis)
In addition ample opportunities for congenital and traumatic pediatric hand surgery, gender-affirming surgery as well as migraine surgery (Assi), Facial Aesthetic Surgery (Assi, Perdikis, Connor, Vucovich), Adult Oral Maxillofacial Surgery & TMJ reconstruction (Golinko, Pontell, Kolokythas, Lin, McKenna), Oculoplastic Surgery (Mawn, Sobel, Baharimi) and Pediatric Otolaryngology-HNS (Belcher, Phillips)
Clinical volumes
The craniofacial fellow could be expected to finish anywhere between 400-500 cases per year. On average, the program annually performs approximately, 40-50 primary cleft lip repairs, 70-80 cleft palates repairs, and over 80 primary and secondary craniosynostosis surgeries. A fellow might perform between 10-20 Orthognathic surgeries, 10-15 head & neck free flaps, and approximately 80-100 maxillofacial cases (peds & adult). Over 20 Orthognathic surgeries are typically performed annually plastic surgery. Operative case logs are available upon request by emailing the PD, Michael Golinko, or our current fellow.
The fellow will have a high level of graduated autonomy and could function as an instructor for adult trauma and reconstructive cases. The fellow will be an integral part of the multidisciplinary cleft and craniofacial team. The fellow will also have the opportunity for an independent adult craniofacial clinic based on PD discretion. By the end of the fellowship the fellow will have the skillset to assemble and run a team of their own. The fellow will also be welcome to join on any international humanitarian trips which the faculty may be participating in during their year of training.
Unique to the program is the ability of the fellow to mold their experience based on interest and job requirements as the year progresses. The fellow will enjoy the additional unique opportunity to take advantage of immersion in the free-standing children’s hospital but have the opportunity to follow congenital patients at Vanderbilt University Hospital.
Clinical Sites
Vanderbilt University Medical Center is located in the metro Nashville area and is a Level I trauma center as well as the quaternary referral center for the region. The hospital has over 1,100 beds with more than 53,000 surgeries performed annually.
Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt is consistently ranked as a top children's hospital by U.S. News & World Report. The hospital has 343 total beds and 119 NICU level 4 beds, with over 16,000 surgeries performed annually. The hospital houses the Cleft and Craniofacial Program. It is physically connected to the Vanderbilt University Hospital.
Day to Day of the Program & Educational Structure
The fellowship PD will provide a basic structure for how to select OR cases, clinic and Multi-Disciplinary cleft/craniofacial team. Our ACPA accredited team is a cornerstone of the fellows experience and team clinic occurs every 1st/3rd/4th & 5th Thursday of the month. The fellow will have the opportunity to participate in preparation and presentation of patients at team clinic with support from the team coordinator and PA. Annual support for the ACPA meeting is covered as part of the year at the fellows discretion.
The CMF service is run by the rotating residents in 3 months blocks, and the fellow will work with them for clinical decision making. There is a robust structure of integrated and independent residents in addition to three physician assistants to help the service run smoothly. The departments hold CMF related didactics and cafaver labs every 3rd Wednesday of the month and in addition the CMF team runs a quarterly 'POD' night out journal club, monthly didactics and indications conference exclusively for the rotating residents on the CMF service and the CF fellow.
Research Resources
Scholarly activity is welcome and encouraged. The fellow will be able to access the resources of the Department of Plastic Surgery. A full-time research coordinator also complements the team to help the fellow engage in a project of their choosing. The program has a registry of over 1000 patients and participates in multiple multi-center collaborations in cleft and craniofacial care, including the Synostosis Research Group (SynRG). The Cleft and Craniofacial Program conducts research funded intramurally, from the American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgeons and the NIH. Our Craniofacial Research program is led by Dr Matt Pontell and holds every other week meetings.
Global Surgery Opportunities
Our Department and faculty are very engaged in international work and collaboration's across different specialties. There is a standing relationship with Dr Peter Nthumnba ( AIC Kijabe, Kenya Hospital) who co-directs the Departments efforts and who hosts faculty, residents and CF fellows. In addition, Dr Pontell is faculty for Global Smile Foundation and volunteers his time and surgical skill twice per year.
How To Apply & Interview Process
Applications are organized through the American Society of Craniofacial Surgery (ASCFS) and the San Francisco match. The fellowship dates are Aug 1 to July 31. Applicants must have completed or will complete an accredited plastic surgery training program prior to matriculation. The fellow will enjoy generous benefits and compensation commensurate with PG year.
Timelines
Applications are accepted through Sept. 1, 2025 and virtual interviews will be held on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, with an in-person option to any applicant.
- Rank List due 11/1/2026
- Match results 11/09/2026
- Fellowship begins 8/1/2026
For Further Inquiries:
Fellowship Director: michael.golinko@vumc.org or
Fellowship Coordinator: Carrie Newman carrie.newman@vumc.org
Recent fellows Contact Information:
2022-2023 Odette Abo-Ghanem ( American University of Beirut) ,Current role: Faculty : VUMC Plastic Surgery odette.abou.ghanem@vumc.org
2023-2024 Alex Nixon MD ( University of Louisville Independent ), Current role: Attending Ascension Health, Nashville , TN atnixon@gmail.com
2024-2025 Andrea Hiller MD ( Penn State Integrated ), Current role: Faculty Norton Children's Hospital and University Louisville andrea.hiller@louisville.edu
2025-2026 Tayo Arowojolu MD, PhD (UCI Integrated Program) tayo.arowojolu@vumc.org
Meet the Director
