Currently the department has two fellowships; facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, and head and neck oncology/laryngology.  The Facial Plastic Surgery Fellowship program is overseen by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. That Academy's fellowship review subcommittee has developed an excellent program for oversight. They have rather stringent requirements having to do with conferences, didactic material, videotape availabilities, a compendium, etc., and have several other university programs on probation at this time.  The Head and Neck Oncology Fellowship emphasizes ablative and reconstructive head and neck surgery, endocrine surgery, transoral endoscopic laser surgery for the larynx and upper aerodigestive tract, and microvascular surgery.

This Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship at UCI has been in place since 1987, and is seen as an enhancement, rather than a detractor of resident education. There is no scenario allowed in which the fellow may "steal" resident patients. This fellow basically has an observational experience for six months, then generates his own private practice from his preceptors' private practice patients and other patients referred directly to him. He/she regularly oversees the facial plastic surgery curriculum and the monthly three hour facial plastic and reconstructive surgery academic-didactic conferences. We have not had a single incidence in the last 10 years in which a resident has complained that the existence of a fellow was a problem relative to the residents' experience and/or training.

The fellowship program at UC Irvine has a goal of offering excellent training in all aspects of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, including congenital, cosmetic, reconstructive, microvascular, craniofacial, dermatological related disorders. This fellowship has its origin in Dr. Crumley's days at UC San Francisco. The fellowship moved to UC Irvine when Dr. Crumley arrived here in 1987. The fellows have had a well documented experience over the years of a wide variety of cases in the above categories. All of the fellows finishing the program have established strong clinical practices based strongly in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery and some have exclusively dedicated their practices to that specialty area.