Curriculum Overview/Rotations
Over the last five years, with the re-invigoration and growth of the Department, there has been a concerted effort on the part of the Chair and the Program Director, Dr. Howard Silberstein, to restructure and expand the didactic curriculum. This has lead to the designation of Friday as the Resident Academic Day each week. Throughout the morning, different rotating conferences are scheduled, and attendance for residents and faculty is mandatory. Major topics include:
1) Clinical lectures by neurosurgery faculty on topics of interest, including the "How I Do It" describing the favored approach to patient assessment, diagnosis and treatment (surgical or otherwise) of different neurosurgical conditions.
2) Translational research conferences to review a topic of basic science research with direct translational relevance.
3) Neuropathology case conferences to review notable neuropathological cases from the past month's citywide neurosurgical service (important teaching points for the written Boards).
4) Neuroradiology/Neuropathology unknowns: an opportunity for "Socratic" learning of two topics commonly encountered on the written Boards.
5) Clinical neuroanatomy, including hands-on cadaver dissection focusing on peripheral nerves and skull base approaches.
6) Resident clinical lectures, focused on neurosurgery "fundamentals", that allow a resident to delve in depth into a topic and to develop a review resource for all residents in preparation for the Boards (presentations are archived and maintained on a central server).
7) Neurosurgery 101, during which senior and chief residents provide fundamental skills instruction to junior residents on topic commonly encountered while on call (e.g., ICP management, evaluation of cervical spine fractures, vasospasm); typically these are congregated in the July-September.
8) Quarterly Subspecialty Conferences, during which the doors are opened to all interested participants (different departments, non-academic clinicians, mid-level providers, etc) to review new Departmental initiatives and successes in the management of Brain Tumors, Cerebrovascular Disease, and Spinal and Peripheral Nerve Disorders. This is an opportunity for the Department, and the residents, to interact and engage with the wider community that the Department serves.
On Academic Day, surgical cases are not covered by residents unless there is educational value that over-rides the usual activities of the day; routinely such cases are only covered by the Chief Resident.
Visiting Professors
The Department sponsors a number of different visiting professors throughout the year. This is a chance for our residents to interact with neurosurgeons of national stature outside of the department, giving them fresh knowledge and perspectives gained from decades of surgical experience and thoughtful inquisition. It is also an opportunity to interact with "big names" socially, at sporting events and dinners scheduled while our visitors are in town.
