During the Cerebrovascular and Skull Base Fellowship, you'll learn how to evaluate patients and determine the most appropriate treatment approach, whether it's surgical or non-surgical, in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

You will build the knowledge and skills you acquired during your residency, specifically focusing on diagnosing, treating, and managing cerebrovascular and skull base diseases.

You will actively participate in surgeries involving a wide range of cerebrovascular conditions, including both extracranial and intracranial vascular diseases and abnormalities, as well as skull base pathologies. You'll also gain experience in managing complex intra-axial tumors and providing critical care for patients undergoing neurosurgical procedures.

With protected research time, you’ll engage in research related to clinical, anatomical, and neuroscience aspects, which is an integral part of your educational experience.

Clinical training

The training for Mayo Clinic’s Cerebrovascular and Skull Base Fellowship consists of 12 months of clinical training, complemented by didactic and research experience. 

Rotation schedule

The fellowship is a one-year fellowship with exposure to cranial base and vascular neurosurgery. To best integrate clinical care, procedural skills, and research skills, the following schedule will be followed:

• Clinic: One day per week
• Operating room: Two days per week
• Interventional suite: One day per week
• Research and administrative time: One day per week

PGY-7 enfolded fellowship

PGY-8 post-graduate fellowship

Rotation description

At least 10 months of training will be spent in clinical cerebrovascular and skull base experience under faculty mentorship. This period will provide you with an organized comprehensive and supervised education experience in cerebrovascular and skull base. This includes a holistic integrative approach to patient care, diagnostic modalities, the performance of surgical procedures, and the integration of non-operative and surgical therapies into clinical patient management.

Call frequency

The fellow will take Q2 call with no in-house call.

Research training

The wealth of surgical material at Mayo Clinic offers abundant opportunities for research projects. Mayo Clinic researchers collaborate with large active clinical and research groups in several subspecialty areas.

Cerebrovascular and Skull Base fellows are required to invest time in research and professional articles. When assigned to research, you will:

• Present research findings at interdepartmental and interdisciplinary conferences.
• Contribute to the education of medical students, residents, and other health care providers.

Didactics

The fellowship program has regular dedicated teaching conferences. Participation in conferences of other affiliated disciplines such as ENT skull base, neuro-oncology (brain tumors), and vascular neurology conferences is expected.

You will participate in all standing neurosurgery conferences including M&M, case reviews, and vascular and cranial base conferences. You also participate in neuroscience grand rounds and neuroscience MERIT conferences. 

Teaching opportunities

Opportunities are available to teach rotating residents and medical students.

Case log

The fellowship program director will maintain accurate case logs of all cerebrovascular and skull base cases operated annually within the institution and the subspecialty experience of the fellow. 

You will maintain an accurate prospective case log of your operative cases throughout the fellowship which documents all operative cases and the level of responsibility in the case (assistant versus primary surgeon). 

Clinical experience and education

Clinical experience and education and work conditions for subspecialty fellows will be consistent with ACGME institutional and program requirements for residency training in neurological surgery.

Evaluation

To ensure you acquire adequate knowledge and develop the appropriate technical skills to meet program expectations, performance is monitored during the Cerebrovascular and Skull Base Fellowship. You are formally evaluated by supervising faculty members after each clinical rotation and meet with the program director on a semi-annual basis to review your performance. In addition, you regularly evaluate the faculty to confirm that your education needs are being met.