Rotations
| Rotation | Rotation Length |
|---|---|
| Spine Services covering the main UF Health Jacksonville Downtown campus and UF Health North campus focusing on deformity, degenerative spine, tumors, trauma and minimally invasive techniques | 3-5 month blocks |
| Pain Service Rotation – Pain management and intervention techniques (injections including ESIs, TFLESI, CESI) | 1 month |
The fellow is exposed to a broad range of spine surgical experiences. Clinical experience is structured for the acquisition of clinical acumen through graduated responsibility in pre-, intra- and postoperative patient care. The fellow will gain significant experience in cervical, thoracic and lumbar spinal procedures covering degenerative spinal disorders, complex deformity correction, minimally invasive techniques, trauma and tumors. The fellow will learn techniques in Anterior and lateral approaches (ALIF / XLIF), along with posterior approaches like PLIF / TLIF, Corpectomy, 360 procedures on the spine, decision making and best approaches to treat pathology safely. The rotations are in 3 to 5 month blocks with attendings on different services.
Conferences and Teaching
Teaching conferences are categorized as departmental. Departmental conferences are described below:
- Grand rounds: Monthly conference focused on specific issues relevant to spine surgery
- Pre-op conference: Weekly conference to discuss patient for the upcoming week
- Spine case review conference CRC: Weekly conference discussing complex spine surgical patients
- Morbidity and mortality: Weekly review of all complications and deaths
- Journal club: Quarterly review of articles relevant to a specific topic selected by the responsible faculty member and the coordinators
- Research conference: Quarterly research and quality improvement projects are discussed and reviewed
The fellow will participate in all of the major teaching conferences of the department of neurosurgery and will obtain experience in educational methods for describing and teaching techniques related to the content areas of the fellowship.
Expectations include: Teaching and rounds with rotating residents, medical student lectures, presentation and coordination of spine surgery conferences and the development and implementation of research projects related to the content areas of the fellowship. This includes teaching basic spinal exposures, spinal anatomy, approaches to rotating residents in the OR and assistance with spine related courses and conferences hosted by the department of Neurosurgery. The delivery of one Spinal surgical grand rounds presentation during the academic year of training is required. During the course of the year, the fellow will function in a supervisory role, with attending back-up as needed for general surgery cases.
Operative Experience
Operative experience will take place at: 1- UF Health Jacksonville, a 695-bed teaching hospital with 15 main operating rooms, including four state-of-the-art videoscopic designated rooms with endoscopic integration. One of the rooms is also configured for robotic surgery. 2- UF Health North campus, a 92-bed hospital, 24/7 adult and pediatric emergency center and an outpatient multispecialty medical office building.
Call Responsibilities
Calls will be taken from home and will be variable depending on the rotation with the attending each month at either campus. The management of assigned patients as well as emergencies are expected. Support services and systems are in place to assure that fellows do not spend an inordinate amount of time in non-educational activities that can be conducted properly by other personnel. Work hours will be limited according to the institutional guidelines.
Clinic Responsibilities
The fellow will participate in the preoperative assessment and planning as well as the postoperative follow-up of their assigned patients.