Department and Faculty
The Department of Neurosurgery at Mayo Clinic's campus in Jacksonville, Florida, includes subspecialty teams in complex and minimally invasive spine, cerebrovascular, tumor, skull base, and functional neurosurgery.
Many cases are straightforward neurosurgical problems, which include brain tumors, cerebral aneurysms, and spinal disease. This allows neurosurgical residents to become skilled in the management of typical neurosurgical problems. However, many complex cases are nationally or internationally referred to Mayo Clinic neurologists and neurosurgeons for evaluation and treatment. These difficult cases often require a multidisciplinary team approach to patient care, which broadens the educational opportunities for residents.
Surgical volumes
The average neurosurgical caseload at Mayo Clinic in Florida is approximately 2,500 major operations a year, including:
- Operations for brain tumor
- Operations for trauma
- Operations for vascular diseases (aneurysm, arteriovenous malformation [AVM], carotid, bypass)
- Transsphenoidal operations
- Operations for functional disorders (epilepsy, movement, pain).
- Peripheral nerve procedures
- Endovascular procedures
- Spinal procedures, including intradural spinal tumor and cases of complex spinal disease involving instrumentation
- Average chief resident operative caseload is approximately 450 operations a year
Skills laboratories
As a Mayo Clinic neurosurgery resident, you have access to several state-of-the-art skills labs for refinement of your techniques outside the operating room. These include cadaveric labs with full endoscopic and microscopic support, as well as a state of the art 3D-printed stimulation laboratory.
Additionally, four formal courses on open skull base techniques, endoscopic skull base techniques, microvascular anastomoses, and spinal instrumentation are completed by all residents prior to graduation, with further opportunities for formal instruction available to interested residents.
Faculty
In addition to caring for patients in their clinical practices, Mayo Clinic's faculty members are committed to teaching and facilitating the resident's development as a neurosurgeon. Many of the department faculty have published and lectured extensively and are well-regarded for their specialty and subspecialty expertise. All residents have close and frequent contact with these individuals throughout the training experience.
Advisers and mentors
At the start of the PGY-2 or PGY-3 year, residents select or are assigned to neurosurgery faculty mentors. This relationship is established early in residency to encourage longitudinal development of a mentoring relationship, and to promise access to faculty members for advice throughout residency.
Mentors are expected to give close attention to the your goals, objectives, and spectrum of operative experience throughout the training program. The mentor can also help you choose a research project, give guidance about post-residency career planning, and serve as an advocate in post-training placement.
The chair is also intimately involved in the counseling and guiding of residents both during and after their tenures. Annual meetings are arranged between you and the chair to provide another mentoring perspective, individualize your training program, and discuss options for advanced subspecialty training pertaining to your career and professional aspirations.
Visiting professors
Many prominent professors visit Mayo Clinic each year. They present their work during lectures, participate in hospital rounds and have informal discussions with trainees. You are encouraged to take full advantage of these educational opportunities.
From the chairman
Mayo Clinic was one of the earliest institutions to offer subspecialization in neurosurgery, beginning at the turn of the century with Charles Mayo, M.D., and Emil Beckman, M.D. Currently, the Department of Neurologic Surgery exists as one of the largest practices in North America, covering all subspecialties in neurosurgery each year with a staff of 18 neurosurgeons.
Mayo Clinic has long been a leader in education, and it exists as the largest graduate medical institution in the country. Given its unique position with multiple sites across the country and large practice volume, residents benefit from opportunities that are unavailable at any other institution. Further, education exists as one of Mayo Clinic's core values and is supported throughout the institution.
Therefore, we look forward to your visiting and hopefully receiving training as a resident of our fine program.
Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa, M.D., FAANS
William J. and Charles H. Mayo Professor
Chair, Neurologic Surgery