Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgical Oncology Fellowship

Program Description 

The mission of this 12-month fellowship program is to provide additional training to board-eligible thoracic surgeons who are seeking to gain expertise in thoracic surgical oncology with a focus on robotic surgery. 


The entire program would be based uniquely at Moffitt Cancer Center. 

The goal of the program would be to expose the fellow to the various aspects of the evaluation, multi-disciplinary treatment, surgical techniques and post-operative care of patients with thoracic malignancies including lung cancer, esophageal cancer, mesothelioma and thymoma. There will be an emphasis on minimally invasive surgical techniques: robotic surgery, advanced thoracoscopy, endobronchial ultrasound, navigational bronchoscopy and laser ablations. 

To achieve this goal, the fellow will have the following rotations:

  • Thoracic Surgery (9 months)
  • Radiation Oncology (1 month)
  • Medical Oncology (1 month)
  • Clinical Research (1 month) 

The objectives of the rotations are as follows:

Thoracic Surgery: During the 9-month rotation with the 4 surgeons, the fellow will gain gradual autonomy and must be able to demonstrate to faculty his/her ability to perform independently and safely the following procedures: robotic lung and esophageal resections, advanced thoracoscopy, tracheal resections, extra-pleural pneumonectomies, chest wall resections and reconstructions, various approaches to a Pancoast tumor, navigational bronchoscopy, endobronchial ultrasound and laser ablations. Furthermore, the fellow must be able to teach and lead a junior surgical resident safely through basic cases.

Radiation oncology: The rotation would be spent with the thoracic and GI radiation oncologists to gain familiarity with indications, contour planning, and management of side effects of radiation therapy for both lung and esophageal cancer. In particular, there would be exposure to the technique of stereotactic body radiation (SBRT) for early- stage lung cancer.

Medical oncology:  The rotation would be split between outpatient thoracic and GI (esophagus) medical oncology clinics to allow the fellow to learn indications for chemotherapy, rationale for choosing of agents, the importance of genetic based treatments, immune-therapies and a better understanding of clinical trials.  

Clinical research: The fellow will have as an objective to have completed a minimum of two publications in peer-reviewed journals

Overall, by the end of the 12 months, aside from technical skills, the fellow is expected to demonstrate the following  abilities:  to work-up appropriately and cost-effectively  patients presenting with complex thoracic malignancies; to lead effectively all the members of the thoracic team including colleagues and staff; to master the intricacies of building a loyal referral base and managing a profitable practice; to understand basic hospital/departmental administration.      

Didactic sessions will include on a weekly basis:

Wednesday: Multi-disciplinary Thoracic Tumor Board (2h)

Friday: Thoracic Conference (1h) 

  • Week 1: Morbidity and Mortality
  • Week 2: Journal club
  • Week 3: Invited speaker - various specialties
  • Week 4: Clinical research project update

Furthermore, the fellow will be integrated in our existing annual thoracic surgery visiting professor and our quarterly Tampa Bay Thoracic Club meetings.

The fellow’s call responsibility will be limited to home call covering 2 weekends a month.  Moonlighting outside Moffitt will not be permitted.   



Applicants must be recent graduates (less than 2 years) of an ACGME accredited thoracic surgery program in the United States or Canada or an equivalent program overseas.  Graduates from a medical school outside of the United States or Canada MUST hold a valid ECFMG certificate.

Number of Positions

This fellowship accepts 1 fellow per academic year. 

How to Apply

If you are interested in applying to the fellowship, please contact Dr. Jacques Fontaine and submit the following materials to the education coordinator:

  1. Current CV 
  2. Brief personal statement including goals and professional plans.
  3. Contact info (telephone number and email)  of 3 thoracic surgeons to serve as references
  4.  ECFMG Certificate for graduates from a medical school outside of the United States or Canada 


Application deadline is January 30th.  Selected applicants will be invited for an interview.  Interviews must  be conducted in person (no telephone or Skype interviews permitted)  

Sample Contract, Salary, Benefits 

Sample Contract (PDF)

Salary and Benefits (PDF) 

Program Director

Jacques P. Fontaine MD
Program Director of the Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery Fellowship
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute
12902 Magnolia Dr
Tampa, FL 33612 

Program Coordinator

Angie Courtney
Education Coordinator
Moffitt Cancer Center
12902 Magnolia Drive, MCC-GME
Tampa, FL 33612
P: 813-745-8535