Medical Student Education
Program Information
The faculty of the Department of Neurological Surgery offer comprehensive neurosurgical education, including clinical rotations for students still in medical school. The department offers a third-year rotation and a fourth-year sub-internship rotation. The sub-internship accepts applicants from any accredited medical school, including those outside of the United States. Both courses provide a strong foundation in neurosurgery.
Application Requirements
Fourth-year medical students who are interested in pursuing a four-week sub-internship at Jefferson are encouraged to email our residency coordinator Michelle Hoffman. In your email, please provide:
- Top three choices of four-week blocks you would like to rotate with us
- Cover letter
- Copy of your curriculum vitae
- ALtter of recommendation, preferably from a neurosurgeon
- Copies of all USMLE scores (if available)
Third-Year Clerkship (NSRG 352)
Sydney Kimmel Medical College's curriculum requires twelve weeks of clinical surgical training. NSRG 352, a three week rotation, fulfills one of two required electives. The rotation is designed to introduce the student to the field of neurosurgery and to provide a basic knowledge of the specialty. Students participate in patient rounds, conferences, and case presentations. Didactic material is presented by each of the participating hospitals and in a series of seminars at Jefferson.
Fourth-Year Sub-Internship (NSRG 401)
The fourth-year rotation in neurosurgery, or the sub-internship, is a four-week course designed for students with a strong interest in neurosurgery. This rotation is available to both students from Jefferson as well outside students, both within the U.S. and abroad. Students will spend two weeks at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, which serves predominately spine and trauma patients, and two weeks at Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience, which serves predominately cerebrovascular and neuro-oncology patients.
Students will spend the majority of their time in the operating room, learning the fundamentals of neurosurgery. Students will also be assigned post-operative patients in the ICU to formally present on rounds each morning. In an attempt to introduce students to the work-load of junior residents, and to provide them with exposure to management of neurosurgical patients, rotating sub-I’s will take overnight call every other Friday. Rotating sub-I’s are not expected to work on the weekends; instead, we encourage them to use this time to explore the city of Philadelphia and all it has to offer.
Rotating sub-I’s are also encouraged to spend one day a week in clinic with our Program Director (Dr Sharan) and our Assistant Program Director (Dr Farrell). We also encourage students to attend, and be active participants, in our case conferences and didactic sessions. At the end of their rotation, students will be required to give a 15-minute presentation on a topic of their choosing to our department’s residents and faculty at our weekly Thursday case conference.