Neurocritical care is one of the newest and fastest-growing specialties in medicine. Critical care neurology entails a multidisciplinary approach to treating life-threatening neurological diseases.

The Neurocritical Care Division at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, is responsible for two services:

1. A primary care service in our 20-bed Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The model of care in our ICU is closed: All orders in patients under our care are written by our team, in agreement with neurosurgery when pertinent. Anesthesia support is available for supervision of invasive procedures, but all procedures are expected to be performed by the neurocritical care fellow.
2. A consulting service, in which we staff neurological consultations in all other adult ICUs at Saint Marys and Methodist hospitals.

The accredited, two-year Neurocritical Care Fellowship at Mayo Clinic's campus in Rochester, Minnesota, has many distinctive features:

• Under the guidance of the consultant, you're directly responsible for the care of patients with acute neurological disorders in the dedicated Neuroscience ICU.
• You will have exposure to all forms of neurologic emergencies, including traumatic brain injury at a level 1 trauma center, acute ischemic stroke including endovascular treatment, intracerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, coma, status epilepticus, and neuromuscular diseases. 
• You will learn to manage systemic complications from neurologic injury in the Neuroscience ICU and get full training in general critical care during rotations in other surgical and medical ICUs.
• Before starting with clinical rotations, you will participate in a mandatory boot camp to learn all necessary procedures and the basics of ICU care. 
• As a fellow, you're expected to:
  • Direct end-of-life care conferences and family communications
  • Lead consultative neurocritical care service when you're not serving in the Neuroscience ICU or rotating through other ICUs
  • Staff acute neurology cases seen by senior residents in the emergency department throughout the second year of fellowship
  • Be capable of making decisions regarding reperfusion therapies for acute ischemic stroke
  • Conduct up to three to six months of mentored research with 10 yearly funded trip days for presentations in addition to an attendance trip 

Accreditation

The Neurocritical Care Neurology Fellowship at Mayo Clinic is accredited by the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties (UCNS).

The Neurocritical Care Neurology Fellowship at Mayo Clinic is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

Certification

After successfully completing the fellowship, you are eligible to take the neurocritical care subspecialty certification examination offered by UCNS or the ABPN.

Program history

The Neurocritical Care Fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, began in 2000. We anticipate that one trainee will complete this program annually.

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