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Training Program
Case Statistics
San Francisco Matching Program
Applications for the Neurological Surgery Residency Program are accepted through
the Neurological Surgery Matching Program. Our interviews are held on selected
Saturdays in November and December. To obtain a brochure about our program,
please call
(888) LUHS-888 and ask for the Department of Neurological Surgery. To apply for an elective rotation on
our Service, please call
(888) LUHS-888 and ask for Helene Orloff,
Director, Registrar's Office.
Pre-Requisites for Admission
1.Graduation from a medical school acceptable to the American Board of
Neurological Surgeons and accredited by the Liaison Committee for Medical
Education.
2.Valid license to practice medicine in the state of Illinois.
3.One year of residency training (at the PGY-1 resident level or higher) in
fundamental clinical skills. This year must include at least 6 months in
general surgery or other surgery specialties, excluding neurological surgery.
The year may include up to 6 weeks of neurological surgery, or by special
arrangement up to 3 months of neurology. While not required, it is preferred
that this year be served at LUMC to develop familiarity with the policies and
practices of the other clinical specialties.
 Program Overview
The residency training program in the Department of Neurological Surgery
consists of 72 months of training past the 12 months of basic clinical skills:
24 months as a junior resident, 24 months as an intermediate
resident, and 24 months as a senior/chief resident.
Three institutions serve as training sites. Loyola University Hospital at
Loyola University Medical Center (LUMC) is a 523 bed full service facility and
ranks among the top five university-owned teaching hospitals nationwide in the
acuity of illness of its patients. Adjacent to Loyola is Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, which has approximately 800 beds, including the largest
Spinal Cord Injury Unit in the Veterans Administration Hospital System. Its
diverse population offers exposure to a wide range of medical conditions. John
H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook
County on the immediate western edge of Chicago is located ten miles
from the Loyola campus. This 464 bed hospital draws patients from all of Cook
County, including the city of Chicago.
 Junior and Senior residents will have six-month rotations between Loyola
University Medical Center, Hines VA Hospital and Stroger Hospital. The
intermediate residency years are primarily dedicated toward elective rotations.
The exact timing of rotations during the second, third, fourth, and fifth years
is arranged to accommodate each resident's specific needs and interests.
However, during this time, the intermediate resident is expected to gain
proficiency in neuroradiology, neuropathology, neurology, and research.
The relationship between Loyola University Medical Center, Hines VA Hospital, and
Stroger Hospital provides all residents 24
months at the senior resident level. The emphasis is on gradually increasing
responsibility under proper supervision. There will be sufficient diversity of
experience for each resident to acquire familiarity and expertise with the broad
spectrum of conditions presenting for care by neurological surgery.
Our experience has shown that a second year as a chief/senior resident supplies
an extremely important role in completing the development and maturity of
residents graduating from the program. This has proven to be an invaluable
opportunity for each of our graduating residents, and offers them an important
incremental step in establishing independence.
Rotations
Junior Residents (PGY-2 & PGY-3) The duties of junior residents consist of
daily preoperative and postoperative management of patients. Junior residents
can expect to be involved in consultation throughout the hospital, including the
emergency department which has become extremely active as the Trauma Service has
expanded. Junior residents will be involved in the review of all diagnostic
procedures and in all discussions regarding the pre-operative evaluation of
patients.
Junior residents are expected to develop expertise in neurosurgical critical
care including placement of lines, ICP monitors, and external ventricular
drainage systems. They are expected to develop the ability to synthesize and to
understand physiological status by correlating data parameters.
Junior residents will attend most operations and will be expected to develop
expertise in the anatomy pertaining to all neurosurgical operations. They will
be given increasing operative responsibility commensurate with their experience
and ability.
Residents review all histological material and participate in post-operative
management.
Most residents will spend two years at the junior resident level.
Intermediate Residents (PGY-4 & PGY-5) The intermediate years are intended
primarily for elective rotations including neurology, neuropathology, and
research. They will be tailored to the interests and needs of the individual
residents and may include off-site rotation for special clinical or research
opportunities. While the second, third, fourth, and fifth years are structured,
there is sufficient flexibility to optimize the elective rotations.
Senior Residents (PGY-6 & PGY-7) Senior residents will be responsible for
overall direction of all patients on the neurosurgical service at the particular
hospital of assignment. They will conduct early work rounds with the junior
residents and attend all major operative procedures. The senior resident
assigned attends the weekly outpatient clinic of the Program Director and is
responsible for the overall care of the service. Senior residents will
participate in all decision-making for each patient.
During the first senior rotation, the resident is expected to master all
surgical approaches to the nervous system and all aspects of critical care
management.
During the second senior (Chief) rotation, the resident is expected to master
the more intricate details pertaining to the operative technique and direct the
overall therapeutic plans required by all of the pathological conditions under
treatment.
The Written part or Part 1 of the American Board of Neurological Surgery
Examination must be taken each year and passed prior to a resident becoming
Chief/Senior resident.
House Staff Team
The House Staff Team consists of a senior or Chief, intermediate, junior rotator
and nurse practitioner.
Training in Related Fields
Neurology - A 3-month rotation is required and up to 6 months is
encouraged.
Neuropathology - A 3-month rotation is required and up to 6 months
is encouraged.
Interventional Neuroendovascular - A 3-month rotation is provided. An
opportunity to acquire significant additional training toward fellowship
requirements is available during elective time.
Complex Spine - An opportunity to complete an intra-residency spine
fellowship is available by utilization of elective time and dedication during
the sixth year.
Practice Sites
LOYOLA UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
Junior and Chief Residents
2160 First Avenue
Maywood, Illinois 60153
EDWARD
HINES JR. VA HOSPITAL
Junior and Chief Residents
Fifth Avenue and Roosevelt Road
Hines, Illinois 60141
JOHN H. STROGER HOSPITAL OF COOK COUNTY
Junior and Chief Residents
1835 W. Harrison
Chicago, Illinois 60612
Requirements for Graduation
1. Satisfactory completion of each rotation (as approved by the Program
Director).
2. The Program requires at least 6 years beyond the year of fundamental
clinical skills.
3. All residents will complete 2 years at the senior resident level.
4. Successful passing of the Primary Examination (written by the American Board
of Neurological Surgery) to enter into the Chief year.
Current Research Projects
The Department of Neurological Surgery offers residents a vast variety of
research opportunities either within the department or in other laboratories of
the Medical Center. Resident research opportunities are individually tailored to
the resident's research interests, ranging from basic science to clinical
research studies. A resident can spend anywhere from 3 months to 1 year or more
working on the project. In some individual cases, residents have become graduate
students allowing them to complete an M.S. or Ph.D. in Neuroscience or other
basic science areas. These research opportunities are coordinated by Robert D.
Wurster, Ph.D., Professor and Director of Research for neurosurgery at Loyola.
Some of these research opportunities are within Loyola's Neuroscience and Aging
Institute, which consists of a multidisciplinary, multi-departmental consortium
of over 75 scientists carrying out a vast array of neuroscience-related research
at our Medical Center. Areas of particular interest are Alzheimer's disease,
mechanisms of substance abuse, basal forebrain function, CNS plasticity and
regeneration, stroke, neural prosthesis, mechanisms of peripheral nerve injury
and repair, intracranial tumors, neural immunology, structure and function of
ion channels, intracellular regulation of calcium ions, CNS trauma, non-linear
dynamic modeling of neuronal function, neuropeptides, neuronal stress and its
CNS pathways, and neural control of autonomic functions.
More particularly, the Department of Neurological Surgery is actively involved
in several different areas of research. Dr. Russ P. Nockels, Associate Professor
and Vice-chairman, is interested in repair of spinal cord lesions. He is
particularly interested in translational research, i.e., taking basic science
findings from the laboratory to treatment of his patients. He is currently
conducting research to facilitate regeneration using such approaches as
suppression of growth inhibitor factors, stem cells, and genetically-modified
cells to secrete growth stimulating factors. He is also interested in developing
new approaches to the treatment of metastatic diseases of the spine, and has a
rat model for mutating the disease.
Dr. Wurster's cell and molecular biology laboratory adjoins the future location
of the departmental offices. This laboratory is actively involved in studying
signal transduction in intracranial tumors. Of particular interest has been the
roles of calcium ions, oxygen radicals, and antiestrogens in proliferation and
destruction (apoptosis) of these tumors. These studies include testing of tumor
eradication in zenografted, human intracranial tumors into animals. A second
laboratory involved in patch-clamp and intracellular studies of synaptic
function in autonomic ganglia, and neuroprosthetics - the application of
electrical devices to control neuronal function - resides within the Physiology
Department.
Other areas of departmental research include studies of the biochemical
predictors of outcomes in head trauma (Dr. Letarte) and cerebral blood flow
(Drs. Origitano, and Shownkeen). Dr. Shownkeen, a neurointerventionalist is
particularly interested in developing a laboratory to test novel,
cerebrovascular, inventional devices.
Thus, cutting-edge research opportunities which may be customized to meet
individual career goals are available for our residents.
Research time can accrue from 6-12 months. Residents who wish to obtain an M.S.
or Ph.D. can be accommodated. Several venues for research experience exist,
including the neurosurgery lab, neuro-oncology lab, spinal cord injury and
repair lab, practical surgical lab, and established basic science laboratories
on campus. |
