Overview of Neurosurgery Residency Curriculum and Rotations
Goal
Lahey Clinic provides one of three hospital rotations for the Tufts University residency program in neurosurgery. The goal of the six-year program is to provide outstanding clinical training and surgical experience to the resident.
Aside from providing extensive rotations for visiting neurology residents, the Department of Neurosurgery also serves as a prime elective for Tufts University medical students in their fourth year. During this one-month rotation, medical students are exposed to the clinical spectrum of neurosurgery. Instruction on the evaluation and management of neurosurgical disorders is provided through teaching rounds and time spent in the clinic and operating room settings.
Focus
There is increasing emphasis on the interaction between clinical approaches and the basic sciences. The attending staff stress both bedside and operating room teaching, while encouraging progressive independence in clinical decisions and the performance of surgery. The abundance and variety of surgical procedures ensure that the resident will be familiar with, and competent in, "state-of-the-art" neurosurgery techniques upon program completion.
Further Information
Residents typically spend two, six-month rotations during their middle residency years at Lahey Clinic. During these rotations, they act as chief resident for the Department of Neurosurgery while coordinating patient care and overseeing general surgery interns, medical students, and physician's assistants. Although the neurosurgical service is very busy, the attending and house staff members encourage a close and collegial relationship with each resident. Physician's assistants and nurse practitioners help in handling the clinical load.
For more information, please email Carlos A. David, MD, 781-744-8982.
