Is this fellowship for you?
I am looking for someone who shares a specific kind of obsession — not just comfort with the larynx, but a genuine love of the human voice as a diagnostic instrument, a clinical puzzle, and a thing of beauty. Ask yourself:
- Do you love the human voice?
- Do you crave the focus of a true subspecialty?
- Are you drawn to the diagnostic sleuthing that laryngology demands?
- Are you enthusiastic about gender affirmation voice surgery?
- Do you find high-definition endoscopic imaging compelling?
- Do you want to stay at the frontier of stroboscopic and HD imaging?
- Do you have a background in — or deep appreciation for — music?
- Are you willing to listen, not just look?
If most of these resonate, read on.
About This Fellowship
This is a full-year clinical laryngology fellowship in a practice dedicated exclusively to the larynx and voice — no general ENT, no sinus, no ears. That exclusivity is the point. My practice has operated in this manner since 1999, and what has accumulated over that time is a depth of pattern recognition, diagnostic nuance, and surgical judgment that I believe is difficult to find elsewhere, including at most academic programs.
My teaching and speaking schedule takes me to laryngology conferences and university grand rounds around the world nearly every month. A fellow who arrives ready to absorb will encounter an unusually dense volume of difficult diagnostic cases, complex surgical planning, and a faculty member who thinks carefully about what the voice is actually doing — not just what it looks like under the scope.
What the Fellowship Covers
Clinical & Diagnostic
- Laryngoscopy and advanced stroboscopy
- High-definition endoscopic imaging and documentation
- Perceptual voice assessment — learning to hear pathology
- Neurolaryngology: spasmodic dysphonia, tremor, paresis
- Vocal fold lesions: nodules, polyps, cysts, Reinke’s edema
- Laryngopharyngeal reflux and functional disorders
- Papilloma and benign tumors
- Complex diagnostic cases and second opinions
Surgical
- Microlaryngoscopy and phonomicrosurgery
- In-office vocal fold injections and augmentation
- Laryngeal framework surgery (thyroplasty, arytenoid adduction)
- Gender affirmation voice surgery (glottoplasty, cricothyroid approximation)
- Botulinum toxin injection for spasmodic dysphonia and tremor
- Office-based laser procedures
Fellowship Structure
| Element | Details |
|---|---|
| Duration | One full year (July 2026 – June 2027) |
| Who is eligible | Physicians who have completed an accredited otolaryngology residency. International physicians without an Oregon license are welcome — training is observational and no less valuable clinically. |
| Oregon license required for | Clinical participation (procedures, independent assessments). Observational training is available without licensure. |
| First three months | Primarily observational — watching, absorbing, and building pattern recognition |
| Months 4–12 | Progressive clinical responsibility including procedures, surgical cases, and patient assessment |
| Call | Minimal — this is an outpatient-focused subspecialty practice |
Compensation & Benefits
Annual Salary
$90,000 – $95,000
Oregon-licensed fellows. Commensurate with experience. Paid bi-weekly.
Health Insurance
Regence BlueCross BlueShield
Employer-sponsored health coverage through Regence, Oregon’s leading carrier.
Retirement
Employer Matching Program
Retirement contribution matching — details provided upon request or at offer stage.
Malpractice Insurance
$2M / $4M Coverage
Full professional liability coverage provided for Oregon-licensed fellows. Policy limits: $2,000,000 per occurrence / $4,000,000 aggregate.
Conference & Travel
Two Covered Conferences
Travel covered to one mutually agreed educational conference and one additional conference at which the fellow presents joint research. While Dr. Thomas travels, the fellow maintains the practice — an early lesson in clinical independence.
External Observation
4 Weeks at Other Fellowships
Fellows spend four weeks observing at other accredited laryngology fellowship programs — arranged by Dr. Thomas. This provides essential context: seeing how other practices approach voice and understanding where this fellowship fits in the broader landscape.
International Fellows
Observational Stipend
A smaller stipend is available for international physicians (stays longer than three months). Contact for details.
A note on salary: I am a solo private practice, not a hospital or academic institution with GME infrastructure. What I offer in exchange is one-on-one immersion with a specialist who sees only voice — every case, every day, every surgical decision. The depth of that experience is the value proposition, and I believe it is exceptional.
The Other 50%: Portland, Oregon
The fellowship is located in the heart of Portland — a delightful, walkable, and thoroughly livable west coast city. We are a gastronomic city, an adventurous coffee culture, a serious cycling community, and a transit-friendly urban center. Wilderness begins approximately ten minutes from the office: the Gorge, Mount Hood, and the coast are all well within a weekend’s reach. If you have any love of the outdoors — cycling, hiking, skiing, climbing — Portland rewards it generously. For those who prefer urban pleasures, the food, beverage, music, and arts scenes here are genuinely world-class by any measure. Portland is a city where physicians live like people, not commuters.
How to Apply
The July 2026 position is now open for applications. I accept applications on a rolling basis and encourage early inquiry. This is a small practice and there is only one fellowship slot — I select carefully, and I am looking for someone with a real and demonstrable passion for voice.
To apply, send the following to thomas@voicedoctor.net:
- Your curriculum vitae
- A cover letter describing your interest in voice — specifically and personally, not generically
- Two to three references from your residency program
If your application is of interest, I will follow up with additional requirements and an invitation to visit the practice. International applicants are welcome and encouraged — the observational experience is clinically equivalent regardless of licensure status.