Curriculum

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Clinical training

The Neurosurgery Oncology Fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, offers academic neurosurgical oncology training at one of the busiest neuro-oncology centers in the world. It is our expectation that graduates from this program will be fully trained in the neurosurgical management of intra-axial tumors ranging from the most straightforward to the most complex, such as dominant hemisphere insular region gliomas.

Rotation schedule

Rotation	Description	Length
Neurosurgical Oncology (Burns/Parney) Service	You rotate on the Neurosurgical Oncology Service with Terence Burns, M.D., Ph.D., and Ian Parney, M.D., Ph.D., who alternate clinical and research responsibilities in two-week blocks. You assess patients in the clinic, operate with supervision, and participate in Gamma Knife radiosurgery cases. This will include the full spectrum of intra-axial neurosurgical oncology cases and techniques in the operating room.	9 months
Gamma Knife (Pollock) Service / Electives	You rotate with Bruce Pollock, M.D., specifically focusing on his large Gamma Knife radiosurgery practice. You participate in outpatient clinical evaluation and follow-up, as well as Gamma Knife radiosurgery planning and administration. Elective rotations allow you to customize your training to focus on areas that interest you or serve you best in your educational goals. See below for options rotating at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, or other campuses.	3 months

Rotation

Description

Length

Neurosurgical Oncology (Burns/Parney) Service

You rotate on the Neurosurgical Oncology Service with Terence Burns, M.D., Ph.D., and Ian Parney, M.D., Ph.D., who alternate clinical and research responsibilities in two-week blocks.

You assess patients in the clinic, operate with supervision, and participate in Gamma Knife radiosurgery cases. This will include the full spectrum of intra-axial neurosurgical oncology cases and techniques in the operating room.

9 months

Gamma Knife (Pollock) Service / Electives

You rotate with Bruce Pollock, M.D., specifically focusing on his large Gamma Knife radiosurgery practice.

You participate in outpatient clinical evaluation and follow-up, as well as Gamma Knife radiosurgery planning and administration.

Elective rotations allow you to customize your training to focus on areas that interest you or serve you best in your educational goals. See below for options rotating at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, or other campuses.

3 months

Elective time could include:

Medical neuro-oncology
Radiation neuro-oncology
Additional time on Burns/Parney or Pollock services
Rotations in neurosurgical oncology at other Mayo Clinic sites or selected non-Mayo Clinic sites with prior approval from Dr. Parney, the program director

Call frequency

You are required to cover outpatient neurosurgery chief-resident call no more than one day out of every 14 days.

Didactic training

Clinical conferences (including a weekly neuro-oncology case conference), journal clubs, and a weekly multidisciplinary neuro-oncology research conference are available.

Conferences

You are encouraged to attend and present at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuro-Oncology, which is typically in November each year.

Research training

As a fellow, you are expected to participate in clinical research projects leading to presentations at national meetings and peer-reviewed publications. This could include retrospective reviews, prospective observational studies, anatomic and technique studies, and clinical trials. One day a week is reserved primarily for research activities during the fellowship.

Mentorship is available through the fellowship faculty, with additional formal training available through the Center for Clinical and Translational Science. Qualified and highly motivated fellows may also participate in bench research as time allows, but this isn't the primary focus of the fellowship.

Teaching opportunities

You are expected to participate in day-to-day clinical teaching and mentorship for junior residents and medical students rotating on the Neurosurgical Oncology or Gamma Knife services. Additional opportunities for didactic teaching to residents are available for interested fellows.

Evaluation

You receive quarterly evaluations by faculty and support staff, and a formal evaluation at the conclusion of the fellowship. You have the opportunity to provide regular feedback regarding the fellowship and its faculty.