Training

The Department of Neurological Surgery provides medical education in a wide variety of forums at UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh. The faculty contributes to undergraduate and graduate-level education at many sites and to the continuing education of their professional colleagues.

Undergraduate Level

Selected faculty of the Department of Neurological Surgery participate in several undergraduate courses at the University of Pittsburgh. In addition, undergraduate students are offered shadowing opportunities with various faculty members while they evaluate and operate on patients at UPMC. To qualify, an undergraduate student must obtain faculty permission and complete on line training courses related to patient confidentiality. Medical students often round with the evening-on-call neurosurgery resident at UPMC Presbyterian in order to get real-life observations of the types of clinical problems encountered, as well as insights into the life of a neurosurgery resident.

Residency Program

The department offers a seven-year (PGY 1-7) residency program that is internationally renowned as a training ground for exceptional neurosurgeons. Accredited by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education, the program accepts three to four residents a year. More info.

Medical Students

A number of learning opportunities are available for medical students at various levels of training. Please visit our Info for Medical Students page for more information.

Conferences

In addition to daily teaching rounds—led by individual members of the department faculty—the department holds a series of weekly resident conferences and review lectures to discuss specific neurosurgical concepts, techniques, problems, and solutions. Both faculty and residents are regular participants in these programs, many of which include formal didactic presentations. The training program includes the following faculty/resident conference:

  • Neurotrauma (Mondays)
  • NeuroOncology (Mondays)
  • Epilepsy (Mondays)
  • Pediatric (Mondays)
  • Cerebrovascular (Tuesdays)
  • Skull base  (Tuesdays)
  • Patient Care Conference (Wednesdays)
  • Resident Education Series (Wednesdays)
  • Gamma Knife (Wednesdays)
  • Neurotrauma (Thursdays)
  • Pediatric (Thursdays)
  • Spine (Thursdays)
  • Multidisciplinary Pituitary (1st Thursdays)
  • Dorothy Nash Lectureship (Winter)
  • Peter J. Jannetta Lectureship (Spring)
  • Stuart Rowe Lectureship (Fall)

Professional Courses

Department faculty offer advanced level training for professionals in several areas. Courses currently offered include:

Neurocirugía en UPMC

The Department of Neurological Surgery, through UPMC, maintains a Spanish-language website to serve, educate and provide important information for Spanish-speaking visitors.