Program Overview
Introduction to the Neurosurgery Residency Program
The Neurosurgery Residency Program at NYU Langone's Department of Neurosurgery is a seven-year training program designed to equip residents with the skills and knowledge necessary to become highly motivated, confident, and clinically expert neurological surgeons. The program consists of 60 months of clinical neurosurgery experience, including 24 months as a senior resident and 24 months as chief resident.
Residency Training Sites
The residency program takes place at four medical institutions, all located in close proximity to each other on the East Side of Manhattan between 23rd and 34th Streets:
- NYU Langone's Tisch Hospital and Kimmel Pavilion
- NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue
- The Manhattan campus of the VA NY Harbor Healthcare System
Program Structure
As residents progress through the residency and rotate through the various services, they take on increasing levels of responsibility in patient evaluation, management, and surgery. Junior- and intermediate-level residents work under the supervision of experienced neurosurgeons, learning surgical techniques and adopting the department's standards of care.
Residency Curriculum
The Department of Neurosurgery is organized into several subspecialty areas, including:
- Brain and spine tumors
- Radiosurgery
- Stroke
- Neuromodulation
- Epilepsy
- Neurocritical care
- Pediatric neurosurgery
- Peripheral nerve surgery
- Spinal surgery
PGY-1: Internship
The first postgraduate year (PGY-1) is a transitional year, during which residents participate in a neurosurgical internship at NYU Langone. This consists of three months of neurology and one month of neuropathology at NYU Langone, and three months of neurosurgery at Bellevue, in addition to one month of vacation.
PGY-2: Clinical Neurosurgery, Neuropathology, and Neuroradiology
PGY-2, PGY-3, and PGY-4 comprise the junior residency. Residents spend these years at the three affiliated institutions: Tisch Hospital/Kimmel Pavilion, Bellevue, and the Manhattan campus of the VA NY Harbor Healthcare System.
PGY-3: Clinical Neurosurgery, Neuropathology, and Neuroradiology with Graduated Responsibilities
In PGY-3, residents' rotations continue with graduated levels of ward, ICU, and operative responsibilities in the same four three-month rotations as the previous year.
PGY-4: Pediatrics/Epilepsy
PGY-4 is divided between six months as the senior resident on the pediatric neurosurgery service, and six months as the senior resident on the trauma service at Bellevue.
PGY-5: Research/Elective
PGY-5 is designed to be a hypothesis-driven, basic science research year. Residents meet with faculty and the residency program director to begin identifying areas of interest for the research rotation.
PGY-6: Clinical Neurosurgery (Chief Resident Year 1)
The final two years, PGY-6 and PGY-7, are the chief resident years. PGY-6 is divided between two six-month senior resident rotations on Tisch Hospital/Kimmel Pavilion Team 1-Kelly and Tisch Hospital/Kimmel Pavilion Team 2-Ransohoff.
PGY-7: Clinical Neurosurgery (Chief Resident Year 2)
PGY-7 is devoted to six months each as chief resident at Bellevue and the VA NY Harbor Healthcare System. The Bellevue experience is a comprehensive exposure to cranial and spine surgery.
Department Conferences
The Department of Neurosurgery holds intra- and interdepartmental teaching conferences throughout the week, with Fridays devoted to conferences from 7:30AM to 3:00PM. Elective surgery is not performed on Fridays. Conferences emphasize resident education, with trainees presenting clinical problems and being questioned to sharpen their decision-making skills.