Education

In addition to required conferences, the fellow’s educational experience is enhanced by attendance at national meetings. As part of the fellowship, we send the fellow to a practical anatomy course, typically the PASE-CSRS cervical anatomy course in St. Louis. In addition, the fellow attends one national spine meeting (NASS, CSRS, or SRS). The costs of these conferences are covered by the program. Lastly, as an AOSpine North America Fellowship Site, the fellow attends the AOSpine Advanced Concepts Spine Course in the summer or fall, and presents his or her research at the annual AOSpine Fellows Forum in the spring.

The fellow is encouraged to take advantage of the Department’s cadaveric teaching lab for further self-directed learning. Cadaveric specimens and spinal implants are available to allow the fellow to practice surgical approaches, bony procedures (e.g. decompression, osteotomy), and placement of instrumentation.