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Medical College of Wisconsin Neurological Surgery Residency Program

The MCW Neurological Surgery Residency Program is a seven-year program sponsored by the Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals, an organization of numerous hospitals in which residents are trained. Residents in the Neurosurgery Department are trained at three hospitals: Froedtert Hospital, Children’s Wisconsin, and the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center. We accept one or two new residents each year.

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Program Details

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Current Residents
Department of Neurosurgery current residents.

Meet our Residents

Program Overview

Rotations assigned during the residency program ensure focused, well-balanced neurosurgical learning opportunities. This educational atmosphere promotes the development of residents capable of providing high quality, state-of-the-art neurosurgical care. Residents who complete the program have the research and teaching credentials to enter private or academic practices.

PGY1 Neurosurgical Junior Resident
The PGY1 year provides a strong foundation for the following years in the neurosurgical residency program. Interns spend three months gaining general surgical experience (e.g. trauma, orthopedics). Six months are spent on the adult neurosurgical inpatient service caring for patients and learning basic operative techniques. An additional three months are spent on clinical neurosciences (includes neurology, neuropathology, and neuroradiology).

PGY2-4 Neurosurgical Intermediate Resident
During their PGY2–4 years, residents work with various neurosurgical faculty and take in-house call, performing inpatient consultation and emergency evaluation. Each resident spends several months on a clinical adult neurosurgery rotation at Froedtert Hospital, which gradually advances the resident’s perioperative and intraoperative technical skills. Three months are devoted to neurocritical care. Each resident also spends several months as the clinical pediatric neurosurgery resident at Children’s Wisconsin. The resident performs inpatient and outpatient care activities, including participation in pediatric neurosurgical procedures. Elective rotations also provide the opportunity for the resident to gain additional clinical and surgical exposure (e.g. endovascular, stereotactic radiosurgery). Residents also typically complete the written board requirement during this time. During the 3rd or 4th year, residents rotate at the Zablocki VA on the Clinical Neurosurgery Service, where the resident functions as the Chief Resident of the VA service. The resident performs inpatient and outpatient consultations and patient care, as well as surgical procedures with increasing levels of responsibility.

PGY5 Neurosurgical Senior Resident
The fifth year of the residency program is devoted to basic and clinical research. In collaboration with our Research Advisory Program, residents develop experience in fundamental research methods and practices and acquire practical hands-on experience in the laboratory. This year is often spent conducting laboratory research with department faculty based at the Neuroscience Research Laboratories. It is anticipated that the resident’s clinical research experience will extend outside of this focused year over the entire duration of the residency program.

PGY6-7 Neurosurgical Senior/Chief Resident
The final years of the training program are primarily based at Froedtert Hospital and this time includes the role the Chief Resident. The Chief Resident further develops advanced patient management skills, including advanced surgical technical skills. This role permits an increased level of independence under the supervision of the neurosurgery faculty. The Chief Resident assumes additional responsibilities as the administrative officer for the resident staff and coordination of day-to-day schedules and conference proceedings. Additional opportunities during these years provide for elective time and the Chief Resident role at Children’s Wisconsin.

Clinical Rounds and Conferences

Rounds, weekly teaching conferences and other educational activities allow residents and neurological surgery faculty to work as a team. The material presented at these conferences provides residents with current information directly applicable to neurosurgical patient issues.

Clinical Rounds
Rounds are conducted twice a day, in the morning and late afternoon, after operative cases are completed. During rounds, team members are updated on each patient’s status. The attending physician is present and provides further education and medical expertise.

Epilepsy Conference
Epilepsy Conference convenes every Tuesday at 8 a.m. and brings together pediatric and adult surgical and medical epileptologists.

Grand Rounds
Neurosurgery Grand Rounds are held every Thursday at 5 p.m. This series consists of presentations by neurosurgery faculty, fellows, residents, and visiting professors on a variety of neuroscience topics.

Journal Club
Journal Club is held the first Tuesday of the month at 5 p.m. This conference provides critical review of literature related to the care and evaluation of patients with neurosurgical disorders.

Neuroscience Lecture Series
Neuroscience Lecture Series is held every Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. William Cullinan, PhD, teaches this series. It utilizes a didactic lecture-type format of topics in neuroanatomy and neurophysiology for neurosurgery residents and faculty.

Neurovascular Case Conference
Neurovascular Case Conference is held every Tuesday from 7-8:30 a.m. Interesting neurovascular cases are reviewed and discussed by residents, fellows and faculty.

Neuro-Oncology Tumor Board
Tumor Board is held every Wednesday at 7 a.m. and consists of interdisciplinary case discussions and treatment planning for patients with brain tumors. Neurosurgeons, neurologists, neuroradiologists, and radiation oncologists participate in the Neuro-Oncology Conference. A separate Pediatric Neuro-Oncology tumor board is held every Wednesday at 12 p.m., offering the same interdisciplinary interaction for the pediatric patients.

Adult Morbidity and Mortality Conference
The Adult Morbidity and Mortality Conference (M&M) is held the second Tuesday of the month at 5 p.m. Faculty and residents review each death and complication the preceding month. Interesting cases are discussed in depth.

Pediatric QI Conference
The Pediatric QI Conference (including (M&M) is held on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 5 p.m.

Neurosurgery Case Conference
The Neurosurgery Case Conference is held on the third Tuesday of every month at 5:00 pm. Residents identify interesting neurosurgical cases to be reviewed and discussed by residents, fellows, and faculty.

Neurosurgery Clinicopathological Conference
Neurosurgery Clinicopathological Conference is held on the fourth Thursday of every month at 5 p.m. (part of the Grand Rounds series). This is a multidisciplinary conference that incorporates neuroradiology and neuropathology to review interesting neurosurgical cases.

Other Conferences
There are several other conference sessions that may be of interest to the neurosurgical resident including Neurology and Surgery Grand Rounds, Cerebrovascular, Neuro-ophthalmology, and Neuropathology Case Conferences. Residents may attend, as they are available.

About the MCW Department of Neurosurgery

Read about our department's history, facts, statistics, and operative and clinical practices.

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How to Apply

The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) Department of Neurosurgery offers a residency training program that anticipates life-long learning by providing a strong foundation of clinical and research experiences. The residency program is seven years in length and accepts one or two residents each year.

Application Review & Interview Information
Our program begins to review applications in September and issues invitations to applicants we would like to interview. There are three to four interview dates over the course of the winter. The interview day includes a morning interview session, followed by lunch, and a tour of the facilities. Applicants are also invited to attend a dinner with our residents the evening before they interview.

Additional Information for International Medical Graduates (IMGS)
The residency program is open to international medical graduates. Fluent conversational and written English is required. Prior US experience in the form of clinical training or an advanced degree from a US institution is desirable but not required, and is considered in the context of the rest of the application. Observerships and externships are not relevant. Preference may be granted to applicants that are not more than 5 years from medical school. A clinical skills assessment may also be required.

The Medical College of Wisconsin may sponsor H-1B visas for residents. Additional Visa information.

Terms, Conditions & Benefits of Employment

The Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals offers its housestaff a comprehensive benefits package.

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Reasons to live in Milwaukee

Milwaukee is a one-of-a-kind city with a vibrant and diverse culture, this charming, yet metropolitan must-see is just 90 minutes north of Chicago and nestled on the coast of Lake Michigan. Whether you’re catching a show at Summerfest, the world’s largest music festival, immersing yourself in the old world charm of the Historic Third Ward or taking in the sights and sounds of one of the many cafés, beer gardens or restaurants that line the city’s riverbank and shoreline, Milwaukee never disappoints. Find out why MCW residents and fellows take pride in calling Milwaukee home.
 

Why MCW?

A student, an educator, a scientist and a community leader. Alone they can do a lot of things, but together, the question isn’t what they can do, it’s what can’t they. The Medical College of Wisconsin brings together the most inquisitive minds in science, medicine, education and community engagement to solve the toughest challenges in health and society today. Academic medicine is at the core, where scientists, physicians, APP’s and students work hand-in-hand with the community to ask the questions no one else is, and fuel the continuous cycle of knowledge that’s shaping the future of medicine.

Outpatient & Inpatient Facilities

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Froedtert Hospital

9200 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53226

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Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center

5000 W. National Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53295

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Children's Wisconsin

8915 W. Connell Ct.
Milwaukee, WI 53226

Contact Us

The Medical College of Wisconsin is located on the western edge of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Care for neurosurgery patients is provided at Froedtert Hospital, Children’s Wisconsin, and the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center.

Neurosurgery
Medical College of Wisconsin
Hub for Collaborative Medicine
8701 Watertown Plank Rd.
Milwaukee, WI 53226

Scheduling
(414) 955-7188

 

Administration
(414) 955-0950

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