Residency > Program
Overview
The Department of Neurological Surgery
The Department of Neurological Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
and the Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience represents one of the busiest
academic neurosurgery programs in the country, offering comprehensive
management for patients with neurosurgical diseases affecting the brain
and spine. With a faculty of nine neurosurgeons, over four thousand
procedures are performed each year. The program is approved to train 3 residents per year.
A significant expansion of clinical and basic neuroscience research
encompasses a variety of areas, ranging from cerebrovascular disease
to gene therapy and investigations on behavior and epilepsy.
The Neurosurgery Residency Program
The Neurosurgical tradition at Jefferson Medical College, the second
oldest medical school in America, began with the country's first successful
brain operation by Jefferson professor W.W.
Keen in
the 19th century.
Residents play an active and critical role in the department, and
are considered to be valuable and integral members of the team.
The Neurosurgery Residency Training Program at Thomas Jefferson University
Hospital prides itself in training excellent academic and clinical
neurosurgeons, by offering the resident a broad exposure to a large
and diverse number of operative procedures in neurosurgery. Thorough
evaluation and management of patients, from pre-operative through post-operative
care, is an essential component of the training program. As a result,
highly qualified neurosurgeons emerge from our program. Our expanding
commitment to research offers the resident exposure to academic and
scientific principles that will help define the future of neurosurgery.
Our training program is rigorous and rewarding.
Academic Program
Teaching residents about the multi-disciplinary nature of neurosurgery
and providing them with a broad background in academic neurosurgery
is a primary mission of the residency training program. Conferences,
tutorials and meetings provide the core of academic instruction. These
activities are strengthened by lectures in neuroanatomy, neuropathology,
neuroradiology, neuro-oncology and orthopedics. Each week, a resident
presents an in-depth case report at grand rounds. Internationally renowned
neuroscientists and neurosurgeons give lectures every two to three
weeks in the Basic Neuroscience lecture series and the Frontiers of
Neurosurgery lecture series.
Clinical Management
 Neurosurgical
clinical experience is primarily obtained during the rotations at
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and the Jefferson Hospital for
Neuroscience.
During each rotation on clinical neurosurgery services, daily rounds
are made with the faculty members, during which treatment strategies
are formulated, based on integration of the details of history and
physical examination, along with laboratory, radiographic and consultative
information. Active participation of the residents in the decision-making
process is strongly encouraged in order to enhance diagnostic acumen
and basic pre- and post-operative management skills. Intensive care
unit rounds are made in conjunction with the Critical Care/Anesthesia
faculty, and in this setting, treatment of acute cerebral dysfunction
and spinal cord injury are stressed.
Outpatient clinical experience is provided primarily at Thomas Jefferson
University Hospital under direct supervision of the attending staff.
This essential component of the resident's education enhances the ability
to order and interpret diagnostic studies and independently arrive
at a diagnosis and plan of management. In addition, a large and broad
volume of surgical procedures provides residents with the necessary
operative skills and judgement to become excellent clinical surgeons,
steeped in the academic tradition of neurosurgery. Pediatric neurosurgical
exposure is obtained primarily at the Children's
Hospital of Philadelphia during a dedicated six month rotation. The attendings at Children's
Hospital are Dr. Leslie N. Sutton and Dr. Philip Storm, internationally
renowned pediatric neurosurgeons.
Research Exposure
As part of the significant expansion of research activities of the
Department of Neurological Surgery, residents are now requested to pursue at
least one full year of research with no overlapping clinical responsibilities.
With a large clinical and basic neurosurgical research program
and other research opportunities, residents gain an extensive exposure
to academic neurosurgery, supplemented by a basic neuroscience lecture
series and research conferences.
Meetings and Courses
Junior residents are encouraged and subsidized to attend one regional
meeting or special course per year, pending the approval of the Department
Chairman or Residency Director. Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
(Neuropathology) courses, the Annual Review Course in Neurosurgery, the Woods Hole Research Update in Neuroscience for Neurosurgeons
(RUNN) course, Pennsylvania Neurosurgical Society, PAN Philadelphia
Neurosurgery Conference, and various surgical skills seminars or subspecialty
section meetings are recommended.
Senior residents are expected to attend either the Congress of Neurological
Surgeons or the American Association of Neurological Surgeons annual
meeting. The expenses for these conferences are defrayed by the department.
In addition, residents who have papers accepted for presentation at
national meetings are allowed to present these papers, at the department's
expense, pending approval of the chairman.
SANS (Self-Assessment in Neurological Surgery) is a learning tool offered by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons with 25-year history in neurosurgical training, exam preparation, and Continuing Medical Education (CME). SANSwired has become a popular online learning resource for neurosurgical residents and practicing surgeons.
Fifty-seven neurosurgery residency programs participated in the on-line pretest portion of this year's SANS challenge. Jefferson’s neurosurgical residents scored among the top nine programs in the pretest - one of only 4 programs in the country to make it to the final rounds two years in a row. Two residents from each of these 9 program went on to compete in the live “Jeopardy” format competition during the Annual Meeting of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) in San Diego.
Dr. Pascal Jabbour and Dr. Stavropoula Tjoumakaris traveled to San Diego to compete and placed 3rd in the live rounds of the Challenge. For more photos and additional information go to: http://www.neurosurgeon.org/sanschallenge/index.
Dr. Robert Rosenwasser
Chairman of Neurological Surgery
Residency Program Director
Keen surgical clinic, Jefferson Medical College Hospital, March 1907 from Philadelphia Historical Digital Image Library database
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