Residency
The Westchester Medical Center Neurosurgery Service is comprised of five full-time and multiple part-time faculty members, a chief resident, a senior resident, and a junior resident. The NS5 resident spends the entire year doing research (see below).] The Residency Training Program is in full compliance with the New York State 405 and ACGME workforce regulations. Residents on clinical service begin each day with rounds at 6:00 a.m. At the end of rounds, the chief resident assigns the day’s work. At Westchester Medical Center the Neurosurgery Clinic is held once a month, and residents are excused from surgery to attend. On Fridays, all residents participate in teaching conferences from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Residents are sent to a number of courses during their years in the program at the Department’s expense.
NEUROSURGERY RESIDENCY YEAR 1
As of 2007, neurosurgery residents are enrolled in the Neurosurgery Department from year 1. The NS1 year includes 2 months of neurosurgery, 3 months of neurology, 2 months of MICU, 1 month of anesthesiology, 1 month of Neuroradiology, 1 month of ENT, and 1 month of Neuro-critical care. The neurology rotation includes both in-patient and out-patient experience as well as attendance at the neuro-ophthalmology clinic once a week. The NS1 also has one month of vacation as a single block.
NEUROSURGERY RESIDENCY YEAR 2
The NS2 is assigned full-time to the Neurosurgery Service at Westchester Medical Center. The resident is exposed to a busy Neurosurgery Service and begins his or her neurosurgical training. Supervision and one-on-one training is abundant and is facilitated by the Chief Resident and all faculty members. After morning rounds and didactic programs, the NS2 is involved with inpatient care activities on the patient care unit and in the Neurosurgical ICU and participates in surgery as an assistant. With the NS1, the NS2 gathers the data and participates in sign-out rounds at the end of the day. His/her clinical duties predominantly involve patient care, particularly critical care, under the supervision of both neurosurgery faculty members and a critical care medicine specialist.
NEUROSURGERY RESIDENCY YEAR 3
The NS3 year is largely a continuation of the second year at Westchester Medical Center, where the resident has gradually increasing responsibility for the management of patients in the Neurosurgical ICU. The NS3 works with the critical care team and with the individual neurosurgery faculty members who are each responsible for his/her own patients. The NS3 spends an increasing amount of time in the OR, in addition to being responsible with the NS2 for emergency room and inpatient consultations. The NS3 also participates actively in the endovascular procedures. During the rotation the NS3 is given two months of dedicated neuroradiology and neuropathology experience. This resident is responsible for cadaver dissections, including skull base microdissection, in the Anatomy Department. The residents take the Part I Neurosurgery Boards for practice in the first two years and for credit in the NS4 year.
NEUROSURGERY RESIDENCY YEAR 4
The NS4 resident spends time on a dedicated pediatric rotation at our busy Maria Fareri Childrens Hospital. There the resident gains experience in all aspects of pediatric neurosurgery including tumor, craniofacial, spinal cord, and open vascular surgery. The resident also spends an increasing amount of time in endovascular neurosurgery coiling aneurysms and embolizing malformations. During this year, the resident begins to formulate a plan for the research project to be undertaken the following year.
NEUROSURGERY RESIDENCY YEAR 5
The goal of the NS5 resident is to design and undertake a research project, with a minimum of interruption from the rigors of the clinical service. The project will result in the preparation and submission of at least one manuscript based on original work to be published in a peer-reviewed forum. The resident may choose to implement a clinical research or basic science program with neurosurgical or basic science faculty at New York Medical College, or established research facilities in the New York metropolitan region. The resident is supervised by the research coordinator, who is approved by the Program Director. In addition to this primary research project, the NS5 resident is involved in ongoing clinical projects with the full-time faculty at Westchester Medical Center. As the clinical responsibilities during this year are minimal, participation in more than one project is encouraged. The resident also utilizes this opportunity to complete academic work on projects initiated while on the clinical service. The resident is on-call at Westchester Medical Center on a more limited basis but continues to participate in scheduled conferences. The NS5 is encouraged to attend basic science courses and meetings in his or her area of research.
NEUROSURGERY RESIDENCY YEAR 6
The goal of the Chief Resident is to master neurosurgical operative and patient management skills by performing a majority of the complex cases done at Westchester Medical Center each year. The NS6 manages the Neurosurgical Service and is responsible for making independent patient evaluations and treatment plans. At the end of this year, the NS6 is able to diagnose and treat neurosurgical patients with authority. The Chief Resident supervises and teaches the junior residents through morning rounds, inpatient management, and in the operating room. Administrative duties include coordinating on-call, OR, vacation, and rotation schedules. Also, the Chief Resident helps to coordinate Journal Club, the Quality Improvement program, and some of the Friday teaching conferences.
