Fellowship in Cranial Base Neurosurgery

Division of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto

St. Michael's Hospital

Supervisors

Michael Cusimano (Div. of Neurosurgery)
Anne Agur (Div. of Anatomy)

Term of Appointment

1 year minimum, preferably 2 years

Positions Available

Funded posts for 1 fellow per year.

Description

St. Michael’s Hospital is a teaching hospital of the University of Toronto located in downtown Toronto.  The Division of Neurosurgery is the most active in Canada, performing procedures in cerebrovascular, neurooncology, skull base, pituitary, spinal, peripheral nerve, microvascular, trauma and cranial nerves.  Undergraduate and postgraduate students of the University rotate through the service.  Research in a variety of areas is undertaken.  Research is an essential and major component of each Fellowship.

Objectives

• By the end of the Fellowship, the Fellow will have mastered the anatomical knowledge necessary to perform safe and effective operations for lesions in and around the base of the skull.
• The Fellow will have mastered the techniques of researching a problem, developing a research methodology, carrying this through to completion, and demonstrate the ability to express his or her findings in spoken and written form.
• If the Fellow is able to obtain a valid education licence in the Province of Ontario, the Fellow will be eligible to participate in surgery; otherwise, the opportunity for surgical observation will be provided.  Attendance at outpatient clinics and the cranial base dissection laboratory are essential points of the Fellowship.
• If eligible to participate in surgery, all Fellows at the University of Toronto are expected to be participants in the first on call duty roster for in-hospital call duty.
• Involvement in the teaching duties of the Division is also expected.
• Senior and Chief Neurosurgical residents have the final decision in assigning housestaff and Fellows to particular surgical cases.
• Completion of a minimum of two manuscripts submitted for peer-reviewed journals each year.

Terms

The usual starting date is July 1st, however, this is flexible.  Fellows with a clinical educational licence will spend time in clinical duties (clinics, ICU, ward, emergency and operating room), research and teaching activities.  Fellows without a clinical educational licence will spend time primarily in research and teaching activities.  Salary commensurate with level and type of training.

Contact Information

Michael Cusimano, MD, MHPE, FRCS, DABNS, PhD, FACS
St. Michael's Hospital
Division of Neurosurgery
30 Bond Street
Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8
augelloa@smh.ca 

Anne Agur, BSc(OT), MSc, PhD
University of Toronto 
Division of Anatomy
Medical Sciences Building, Room 1158
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1S8
anne.agur@utoronto.ca 

Application Procedure

Please submit the following by email to the Fellowship Contact:

• CV
• Letters of reference (3)
• Proposed start date
• Proposed duration of fellowship
• Details of any self-funding for the fellowship
• Specific title and hospital of the fellowship for which you are applying