Clinical Spine Surgery Fellowship Program
The Clinical Spine Surgery Fellowship at Northwestern Neurosurgery will provide broad exposure to clinical evaluation and patient selection for operative and non-operative management in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. Fellows will actively participate in the management of a wide range of spinal and peripheral nerve disorders, including traumatic, degenerative, deformity, and neoplastic conditions.Emphasis will be placed on traditional, open techniques as well as less-invasive approaches. Adjuncts, like computer-assisted surgery and robotics, will further augment the fellow’s clinical and technical experience. Rotations with various faculty (both neurosurgical and orthopedic spine) will provide an opportunity for comprehensive exposure and training in various areas of spine surgery. The year-long program, however, can be tailored to accommodate each fellow’s clinical and technical interests. Our program is both CAST-accredited and an AO-designated fellowship site.
Research
The fellowship program provides the opportunities for basic science, translational and clinical research. It is expected that the fellow will devise and execute original laboratory work or participate in ongoing laboratory work under the direction of one of the faculty members. Fellows are expected to prepare and present research studies and manuscripts for publication.
Clinical Experience
The fellowship will provide broad exposure to clinical evaluation and patient selection for operative and non-operative management in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. Fellows will actively participate in the operative management of a wide range of spinal disorders, including traumatic, degenerative, and neoplastic conditions. In addition, fellows will gain skills and an understanding of the current limitations of and future possibilities for minimally invasive techniques in deformity surgery.
The clinical experience will encompass both in- and outpatient settings. Fellows will further refine both open and minimally invasive surgical techniques through participation in cadaveric dissection and simulation sessions at Northwestern’s Center for Advanced Surgical Education facilities.
Requirements & Eligibility
Applicants for this fellowship must have completed an ACGME-accredited residency in neurological surgery, be board-eligible for ABNS certification and meet the State of Illinois’ requirements for an unrestricted medical licensure. This fellowship is accredited by the Society of Neurological Surgeons’ Committee on Advanced Subspecialty Training (CAST) program. Fellows will join at the Instructor/Junior Faculty Level.
International Spine Fellowship Program
Applicants for this fellowship must have completed residency in neurological OR orthopedic surgery abroad and meet the State of Illinois’ requirements for a training/institutional medical licensure. Non-U.S. citizens would need to obtain a valid Visa and authorization to work in United States. Fellows will join at the Post-Graduate Training level.
Applicants should submit an application, a letter of interest, CV, and 3 references (names/titles/contact information) to Ms. Gitana Cartwright at Gitana.Cartwright@nm.org.
Why Northwestern?
Housestaff training through McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University provides diverse and challenging clinical experiences and world-class education located in the heart of the beautiful city of Chicago.
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Fellowship Director
Ali Baaj, MD
Fellowship Director
Tyler R. Koski, MD
Fellowship Co-Director, Spine Service Chief
Physician-Scientist Training & Resources
We offer a wide range of resources, mentorship opportunities and formal training programs to help our residents and fellows excel as physician-scientists. Explore all of the resources and hear from housestaff who are making research a major part of their career development plans.
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