Training residents and fellows is one of our most important missions—and we are very proud that many of today’s leading spine surgeons throughout the United States and abroad have trained here at Rush University Medical Center. The excellence of our training programs reflects the dedication of our faculty members, who combine their commitment to educating future leaders in orthopedic and neurological surgery and their recognized expertise as clinicians and scientists. It is also an enormous advantage for all our residents and fellows to be trained in one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers which continues to be recognized as the best hospital in Chicago, Illinois.
Our 12-month fellowship program is based at Rush University Medical Center and Midwest Orthopedics at Rush, Shriners Hospital for Children, and affiliated ambulatory surgery centers. Candidates who apply for this advanced fellowship must have completed neurosurgery or orthopedic surgery residency. The purpose of this fellowship is to comprehensively train surgeons in all aspects of the spine including minimally invasive surgery, including the latest endoscopic techniques, trauma, tumors, and complex spinal deformity. We invite you to learn more about our outstanding fellowship program.
This Spinal Surgery Fellowship offers a comprehensive clinical training experience through a structured mentorship model, allowing fellows to work closely with attending surgeons in hospital clinics, office hours, and operating rooms. Weekly teaching conferences hosted by the faculty for fellows and residents also include a mix of lectures, case presentations, and journal discussions.
Each fellow participates in approximately 400 to 600 cases per year, gaining extensive hands-on experience. Our mission is to cultivate the next generation of leaders in spine surgery.
The one-year fellowship offers training in all aspects of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine from degenerative diseases and complex spinal deformity to trauma injuries and tumors. Fellows perform surgical cases ranging from minimally invasive procedures, including the latest endoscopic surgery techniques, to complex open spinal deformity surgeries, guided by key opinion leaders in the field. Fellows will have an unparalleled ASC experience with a broad range of cases including endoscopic techniques, single and multi-level cervical and lumbar fusions, and TDRs at these centers. Furthermore, the fellows will be proficiently trained in complex adult and pediatric spinal deformities.
Fellows are supported by a dedicated core faculty who emphasize both non-operative and operative management of spinal deformities, degenerative conditions of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine, as well as spinal tumors, and a special collaboration with Shriner’s Children’s Hospital.
Research is integral to the fellowship, with over 30 research staff available to assist with clinical research projects, along with opportunities for basic science research for those interested in further exploration. Through this blend of clinical mentorship, innovative techniques, and research support, the fellowship prepares future spine surgeons for successful and impactful careers.
|
Approximate Percentage of Exposure to Spine Levels |
Approximate Percentage of Exposure of Spine by Diagnostic Category |
Approximate Days of Weekly Responsibilities |
|
Cervical: 35% |
Degenerative: 50% |
Clinic: 1.5 Days |
|
Thoracic: 20% |
Trauma: 5% |
Operating Room: 3 days or more |
|
Lumbar: 40% |
Deformity: 35% |
Research: 0.5 Days |
|
Other: 5% |
Tumor: 5% |
|
|
|
Of these cases >10% are Pediatric |
|