| Overview: |
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| Neurosurgeons for Children is a pediatric neurosurgical group practice that was organized in 1987 by Drs. Derek Bruce, Kenneth Shapiro, and Frederick Sklar. Expanding on a very active pediatric neurosurgical practice in Dallas dating back to 1976, this group (now comprised of five full time Board certified/eligible pediatric neurosurgeons) has provided pediatric neurosurgical coverage for the Dallas metroplex with referrals from all of Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. It is the strength of this clinical practice that is the basis for a superlative fellowship program. Prior to 1990, several pediatric neurosurgical fellows were trained in Dallas by special arrangement. This group has trained 24 fellows, who currently practice in 11 states and 7 countries. |
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| The surgical experience of the fellowship program is based on a total of 900 plus pediatric neurosurgical operations done annually at two full service pediatric hospitals in Dallas: Children's Medical Center of Dallas and North Texas Hospital for Children at Medical City Dallas. |
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| The goal of the fellowship program is to provide subspecialty training in pediatric neurosurgery to qualified neurosurgeons. This training encompasses all aspects of pediatric neurosurgery, including treatment of hydrocephalus, congenital birth defects and dysraphic conditions, craniofacial malformations, brain and spinal cord tumors, skull base surgery, epilepsy surgery, brachial plexus and peripheral nerve surgery, and trauma. |
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| The fellowship program is approved for one accredited pediatric neurosurgery fellowship position per year. Accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pediatric Neurosurgery Fellowship (ACPNF), successful participants become eligible for a diploma issued by the American Board of Pediatric Neurological Surgery. The fellowship program is linked closely to the accredited neurological surgery residency program of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. |
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| Program Information: |
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| The fellowship provides focused clinical experience in pediatric neurosurgery under the supervision and training by five full time pediatric attending neurosurgeons, clinical faculty of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dallas. The surgical experience at Children's Medical Center of Dallas, a 250 bed pediatric hospital, accounts for approximately two thirds of the clinical activity. Children's Medical Center is a nationally renown pediatric hospital with a very active multispecialty neuro-oncology program, four pediatric neuroradiologists, 2 neurointerventionalists, and 61 ICU beds. Medical City Dallas is a large tertiary care hospital with an active neonatal intensive care, a busy pediatric ICU, and dedicated pediatric anesthesia. Both centers will provide the fellows a wide spectrum of pediatric neurosurgical cases. |
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| The pediatric neurosurgical service in Dallas is comprised of 5 attending pediatric neurosurgeons, one fellowship position accredited by the ACPNF, an international fellowship position, a neurosurgery resident from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Residency Training Program, and five pediatric neurosurgery clinical nurse practitioners. It is intended that the majority of patient care issues be handled by the nurse practitioners to provide comprehensive pediatric care, and therefore not detract from the educational experience of fellowship and residency training. Nurse practitioner coverage currently extends into late evening hours and weekends, and is in the process of being expended to 24 hour support. The fellows and resident provide physician back up to the pediatric neurosurgical nurse practitioners in their handling of in-patient and emergency room issues. Attendings are always available for guidance. |
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| Fellows participate in daily didactic and work rounds with at least one of the attendings present. The Fellows and resident share emergency call and always have attending back up. In addition, they participate in outpatient clinics. The fellows and resident rotate weekly through 3 rotations: the Children's Medical Center service, the Medical City service, and a "floating" assignment in which he or she is free to participate in interesting surgical cases at either hospital and still have sheltered time to read and do research. All trainees are under the supervision of an attending pediatric neurosurgeon at all times. The trainees provide initial assessments of clinical issues, but it is expected that these be reviewed with the responsible attending. Operative experience is supervised by the attending staff; fellows do not have independent operating privileges. |
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| Fellows attend an organized series of educational conferences, of which some are their responsibility to organize and present. They are encouraged to do research and are expected to attend and present papers at national/international meetings. |
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| Prerequisite Training/Selection Criteria: |
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| Enrollment and successful completion of a neurosurgical residency training program are required. Fellow candidates must submit their training information, CV, and three letters of reference of which one is from the candidate's program chairman. Candidates who meet the training requirements are encouraged to visit our fellowship program, see the facilities, and interview with the attending staff. |
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| International candidates must have certification from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). This certification allows the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center to sponsor such candidates on a J-1 Visa. For more information on the ECFMG certification and a checklist of requirements for the J-1 Visa, please review www.ecfmg.org. |
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