Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 18, 2026
Adaptable Angled Stereotactic Approach for Versatile Neuroscience Techniques
Published on: May 7, 2020
Resident away rotations allow adaptive neurosurgical training.
Melanie Hayden Gephart1, Pamela Derstine, Nelson M Oyesiku
1*Stanford University Medical Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford, California; ‡Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education, Chicago, Illinois; §Emory University, Department of Neurosurgery, Atlanta, Georgia; ¶University of Pennsylvania, Department of Neurosurgery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; ‖Oregon Health & Science University, Department of Neurological Surgery, Portland, Oregon; #University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Department of Neurological Surgery, Dallas, Texas; **Indiana University, Department of Neurological Surgery, Indianapolis, Indiana.
Many neurosurgery residency programs use mandatory outside rotations to ensure residents gain experience with rare or specialized cases, meeting Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requirements.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgical education
- Medical training programs
- Graduate medical education
Background:
- Physician subspecialization and regionalization concentrate rare cases, potentially limiting primary institutions' case volumes.
- Residency Review Committee case minimums may be unmet at some neurosurgery training programs.
- Ensuring comprehensive resident competency requires exposure to diverse and specialized surgical cases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the current use and characteristics of off-site (away) rotations in neurosurgery residency programs.
- To understand the evolving needs of resident education within the neurosurgical training landscape.
- To inform prospective monitoring of changes in neurosurgical training.
Main Methods:
- Survey of neurosurgery program directors.
- Query of data from the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education.
- Characterization of current away rotation practices in neurosurgery.
Main Results:
- 20% of neurosurgery programs mandate away rotations, primarily for pediatric, functional, peripheral nerve, or trauma cases.
- These rotations typically occur during postgraduate years 3-6, lasting 1-15 months.
- Programs often provide financial support for housing and transportation for residents on distant rotations.
Conclusions:
- Away rotations are an established strategy for neurosurgery programs to meet Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education case minimums.
- As healthcare systems evolve, away rotations may become increasingly common to ensure comprehensive resident training.
- This educational model addresses the challenges posed by case volume concentration in specialized centers.
