PGY-1 & 2 (surgical foundation)

The first two years of training fall under the Royal College Surgical Foundation guidelines. Rotations are tailored to the resident’s needs and goals, and generally include non-neurosurgery (off-service) rotations in other specialties with options such as ENT / Plastics / Orthopedics / Trauma surgery Vascular surgery, emergency medicine, ICU, and Neurology.  The resident rotates multiple times with the Adult Intracranial Neurosurgery and Spinal Neurosurgery services during this period. There are weekly core surgery lecture series and a 4 week dedicated “CRASH” course to aid in the integration into surgical residency and also preparation for the Surgical Foundations Examination.

PGY-3 to 6

The total amount of clinical neurosurgical training required by the Royal College is a minimum of 42 blocks of approved resident training in neurosurgery with progressively increasing responsibility for patient care. Included in the 42 blocks of clinical neurosurgery are 6 blocks of pediatric neurosurgery, 9 blocks on the combined neurosurgery and orthopedic spine service and 6 blocks of community neurosurgery. Other rotations include 3 blocks of neuropathology, and 3 blocks of neuroradiology.

Further training may also include further approved residency training in neurosurgery (including pediatric neurosurgery, spine or community neurosurgery), clinical or basic research, other approved training or research relevant to the field of neurosurgery, desired by the resident and approved by the program director.

To allow broad experience, several specific rotations may be arranged where needed or requested, such as: additional adult neurosurgery may be done in a community /rural private practice; option of additional spine program experience; additional neuroradiology; 1 or more years of research in an approved neurosurgical or related laboratory; and an elective period of training approved by the program director and head of division. The resident is responsible for patient care activities under supervision, progress according to his/her increasing capabilities and is exposed to an extensive operating experience.

Seminars

The teaching activities center around a weekly academic day with formal academic presentations, case presentations, correlative rounds (neurosurgery, neuroradiology, neuropathology), quality assurance ward audit, and topical seminar sessions. In addition there are research rounds and journal clubs.  In addition to the clinical based training, the resident has opportunity to attend several courses which may include the University of Calgary Spine Course, the University of Toronto Microsurgical Course, ATLS training, and various courses associated with neurosurgical meetings depending on the resident’s career goals and on approval by the program director. Residents are also expected to attend Resident Boot Camp, as well as cadaver dissection sessions at the VGH Simulation Centre at Vancouver General Hospital.

Research

Basic science research is encouraged but not a requirement. A supervised annual clinical research project is expected in PGY2 and above residents. Residents are expected to present their projects at the annual resident research day and submit their papers to the annual BC Neuroscience day. Trips to present papers at major neurosurgical North American meetings are funded by the division. The division has a full-time reseach coordinator that residents have access to far helping research-ethics, submissions, interactive review, statistics, funding applications, etc.