Program Overview

The Neurosurgery Residency Program focuses on the three primary goals of excellence in patient care, education and research. These goals have been integrated into the neurosurgical training program through a combination of the following:

• Intensive faculty/resident interaction
• Graded/supervised patient care and operative responsibilities
• Emphasis on the delivery of outpatient care and development of respect for the economic impact of neurosurgical practice
• Comprehensive neurosciences didactic curriculum
• Encouragement of intellectual development grounded in the scientific method
• Basic and clinical neurosciences research

The Neurosurgery Residency Program spans seven years following medical school and involves training in clinical neurosurgery, the allied neurosciences and neuroscience research. The primary objective is an ever-increasing level of knowledge, responsibility and technical expertise so as to allow independent neurosurgical practice in an academic or private setting.

Our application process is handled through ERAS/NRMP. Go to http://www.aamc.org/students/eras/start.htm for complete application instructions. Once the application is submitted to the Allegheny General Hospital neurosurgery residency program, the applicant will be contacted regarding a possible interview. All correspondence is handled through the ERAS post office.

The full-time faculty comprises 14 active neurosurgeons with subspecialty clinical and research interests in spine/spinal instrumentation, neurotrauma, neuro-oncology, vascular surgery, skull-base surgery, disorders of the cranial nerve, epilepsy and interventional neuroradiology. In addition, there are adjunct faculty in neurology, neuropathology, neuroradiology, neuro-otology, neurophysiology and neuroscience research.

One residency position is available for each of the seven years of the program Resident rotations include:

• Surgical / Critical Care rotations (9 months)
• Clinical Neurosurgery /Pediatric Neurosurgery (48 months total, 12 months as Chief Resident)
• Pediatric Neurosurgery (4 months)
• Neurology (3 months)
• Neuroradiology / Neuro-ophthamology / stereotactic radiosurgery (6 months)
• Neuropathology (2 months)
• Advanced clinical training / research (12 months)

Because a significant component of neurosurgical care is provided on an outpatient basis, neurosurgery residents also assume an integral role in the clinical and outpatient office setting. In the clinic, residents see patients, diagnose conditions, plan diagnostic testing, discuss treatment options and follow-up, arrange preoperative consultations and follow the patients post-operatively with direct oversight from neurosurgical faculty. In most cases, follow-up includes rehabilitation settings as well. Residents are required to participate in the approximately 10,000 neurosurgical outpatient visits that occur each year.