Neurotrauma Fellowship

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Washington is offering a one-year Neurotrauma Fellowship.

The fellowship is focused toward a career in academic Neurotrauma, including both cranial and spinal injury. The setting is Harborview Medical Center, part of the University of Washington system and one of the busiest trauma centers in the United States.

The cranial focus will include both surgical and intensive care management, particularly targeting therapy based on advanced multi-modality monitoring.

The fellow will learn and become comfortable with issues such as tailoring intracranial pressure and cerebral perfusion pressure to individual patients and manipulating cerebral perfusion and metabolism to optimize demand and delivery parameters.

The spinal focus will target optimal diagnosis and management of trauma to the spinal column and cord. Those applicable surgical options will be performed in conjunction with attending spinal surgeons in Neurological Surgery and Orthopaedics, offering exposure to a variety of approaches and techniques.

Non-surgical and critical care options amenable to spinal column and cord injuries will also be an integral part of the fellowship. The Neurological Surgery Neurotrauma Fellow is appointed as an Acting Instructor in the Department of Neurological Surgery. Progressive independence in patient evaluation and management is encouraged during the course of the fellowship.

RESEARCH

Research is also an integral facet of the fellowship and is primarily focused on clinical/translational care. The Department of Neurological Surgery has a plethora of prospectively-collected single- and multi-center TBI data that will be made available to the fellow for investigation.

The department is also continuously involved in single and multi-center clinical research investigations in the USA and Latin America, opportunities which are also available for discovery on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website.

Trainee Position Description and Essential Functions 

ACCREDITATION

Accredited by the Committee on Advanced Subspecialty Training (CAST)

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Applicants for the Neurological Surgery Neurotrauma Fellowship must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Successful completion of an ACGME-accredited Neurosurgery Residency Program or Canadian equivalent prior to fellowship start date

• Completion of all prerequisite residency and/or fellowship training required for advanced neurotrauma education

• Board eligible or board certified in Neurological Surgery

• Ability to obtain and maintain a Washington State medical license appropriate for fellowship training and clinical responsibilities, including:

  • Physician and Surgeon License, or

  • Other license type permitted by institutional and state regulatory requirements

• Completion of USMLE Step 3 (or equivalent qualifying examination) prior to appointment

• ECFMG Certification required for international medical graduates, if applicable

• Demonstrated eligibility for hospital credentialing and clinical privileges

• Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of appointment

• The fellowship does not sponsor visas; applicants requiring visa sponsorship are not eligible for appointment

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Applicants to the Neurological Surgery Neurotrauma Fellowship must submit a complete application package for consideration. Required application materials include:

• Letter of interest

• Current curriculum vitae (CV)

• Three letters of recommendation

• Additional supporting documentation may be requested at the discretion of the program

HOW TO APPLY

Interested applicants should send application materials to: nsfellowship@uw.edu

SELECTION PROCESS

Applications are reviewed once all required materials have been received. The selection process is based on a comprehensive evaluation of the applicant’s:

• Clinical and operative performance

• Experience managing traumatic brain, spine, and multisystem neurological injuries

• Academic achievements and scholarly activity

• Professionalism, leadership, communication, and multidisciplinary teamwork

• Commitment to neurotrauma care, patient safety, and academic neurosurgery

• Overall preparedness for advanced fellowship training

Selected candidates whose qualifications, training background, and career goals align with the objectives of the fellowship will be invited to participate in the interview process.

The interview process provides applicants with an opportunity to discuss:

• Clinical, operative, and trauma care experience

• Neurotrauma interests and career goals

• Research and academic activities

• Educational objectives and professional development

• Commitment to multidisciplinary trauma care and academic neurosurgery