Facial Plastic Surgery Fellowship Program

Dr. Maas is a Fellowship Director for the The Fellowship Program under the auspices of the Educational and Research Foundation for the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Fellowship directors are recognized authorities in the teaching and practice of facial plastic surgery.

The Fellowship Program is internationally known for being the finest post-graduate program for training and educating facial plastic surgeons. Since 1969, the program has helped 1,300+ specialized experts become leaders in the field of plastic surgery, advancing patient care, refinement of surgical techniques, and developing and educating others about new procedures.

A word from Dr. Maas:

There is a long, time-honored tradition in medicine of sharing your knowledge with the next generation. After finishing medical school and a medical internship, there is another four to seven years of general post surgery internship training. Still, there is only so much you can learn from books and articles about the practice of medicine, especially in terms of surgery. The importance of hand-eye coordination and the mechanical-cerebral coordination in surgery cannot be overstated.

This is something I am very proud of – I have taught for 12 years at UCSF, sharing my knowledge with residents and medical students, and I have worked with fellows for the past 23 years. With all my fellows, outstanding academic credentials are a given. My fellows are fully credentialed at the hospital and surgery centers we use, and are either plastic surgery trained or head and neck surgery trained after their medical internship. They all come to me specifically to learn how to perform facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, as well as how to perform research in the field, which is an important part of advancing our understanding and the science behind what we do. I hope all my fellows become fellowship directors in the future, and join me in sharing their knowledge with the next generation.

Each fellow brings something new to the practice. Their inquisitiveness, ideas, and questions all challenge me and help me refine my own decision making, helping me become a better surgeon. As part of their training, my fellows assist in the pre and post-operative care of our patients, and assist me in surgery. I must emphasize that they don’t perform the surgery, they only assist as a surgical technician would, learning by watching and assisting me.

Every year, I ask my fellow to do a little bio of themselves, talking about where they came from, their academic background, how they knew they wanted to be a doctor, and why they chose to pursue facial plastic surgery, saving a precious snapshot of their goals for posterity. This is Dr. Maas, and here are my fellows. 

Current Fellow: Dr. Marc Polacco

The objectives of the fellowship program are to:

• Provide an outstanding academic opportunity for the acquisition of specialized knowledge and skills in facial plastic surgery;
• Develop trained specialists who will contribute to the ongoing development of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery;
• Foster development of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery educators, especially in residency programs; and
• Encourage the development of new skills and knowledge in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery through basic research and clinical trials.

All fellows must have completed an residency program in otolaryngology or plastic surgery, which is approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education or be board-certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology or the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Learn more about the AAFPRS Fellowship Program

Meet some of our previous Fellows