Brian Burkey, MD

Brian B. Burkey MD, MEd, FACS is currently the Institute Chair of Surgical Specialties for Cleveland Clinic in Florida. Prior to moving to Florida, Dr. Burkey served as Vice-chairman and Section Head of the Section of Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology at the Cleveland Clinic Head and Neck Institute. Dr. Burkey came to the Cleveland Clinic after almost twenty years at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, rising to Professor of Otolaryngology and Vice-chairman within that department.  

Dr. Burkey finished undergraduate studies at the Johns Hopkins University, before obtaining his medical degree at the University Of Virginia School Of Medicine in 1986.  He completed otolaryngology residency training at the University Of Michigan Department Of Otolaryngology and a fellowship in microvascular and facial plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Ohio State University, before launching his career at Vanderbilt.  He has been an American Board of Otolaryngology diplomate since 1992, and his practice has an emphasis on head and neck oncologic and microvascular reconstructive surgery.  He began co-directing the Vanderbilt fellowship in Head and Neck Oncologic and Microvascular Reconstructive Surgery starting in 1992, one of the early fellowships in microvascular surgery, and has trained 30 fellows over his career, almost all of whom have positions in academic otolaryngology both nationally and internationally.  He has continued this fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic, which is accredited by the American Head and Neck Society.. 

At Vanderbilt, Dr. Burkey served as residency Program Director for 15 years, which spanned three successful site visits.  Dr. Burkey recently completed a seven-year tenure on the Otolaryngology Residency Review Committee of the ACGME, serving two years as Vice-chairman and two years as Chairman of that body.  He then served as a consultant with ACGME-International and helped three programs in Singapore gain initial accreditation.  He was on the steering committee which founded the Otolaryngology Program Directors Organization (OPDO), and served on the Executive Council and as President of the Society of University Otolaryngologists (SUO).  He has also served as a guest examiner and senior examiner of the American Board of Otolaryngology and has been a member of the Board of Governors and numerous educational committees of the American College of Surgeons. 

Dr. Burkey has been an active member of the American Head and Neck Society, serving on the Educational, Website and Bylaws committees, and just completed his second term on the Council, comprising over twelve years of service.  He currently is the Secretary of that organization.  He serves on the editorial board of multiple journals in the field of otolaryngology, and has lectured extensively on educational and clinical subjects both nationally and internationally.  He has authored over 15 book chapters and 75 peer-reviewed articles on head and neck and reconstructive surgery topics.  He has been a leader on several cooperative group studies and currently is a co-principal investigator of NIH-funded research.  He continues to mentor residents and fellows and is hoping to continue innovation within all areas of medical education.  He completed his Masters degree in Education with an emphasis on the health professions in the summer of 2014.