Neurosurgery Residency Program

Residency Applicant Information

Thank you for your interest in the neurosurgery residency program at Duke. Duke University Medical Center offers excellent training in neurosurgery with two or three positions per year. The residency at Duke is a six-year program (one year of surgery internship + five years of neurosurgery) which includes one year of basic science or clinical research. Two years of research in a seven-year program can usually be arranged for those interested. Duke participates in the Neurosurgery Residency Matching Program (NRMP) and accepts applications through the Electronic Resident Application Service (ERAS). Please note that there has been a national change in policy regarding passing USMLE step examinations, and all residents must now pass steps 1, 2 CS and 2 CK prior to starting thier internship (PGY1) year. See http://www.gme.duke.edu/hsmanual/usmlepolicy.htm for more details about this policy.

Each year we receive over 100 applications for our two or three resident positions in neurosurgery. Based on these applications, we select approximately 30 applicants to come for an interview. We have two interview periods each year which are scheduled over two days each. Applicants arrive in the early afternoon on a Friday and are given a brief introduction to the residency program followed by a resident-led tour of the research and hospital facilities. This tour is followed by a neuroradiology conference where recent inpatients are discussed. This conference includes neuroradiology and neurosurgery faculty as well as neurosurgery residents. All the applicants and their guests are invited to attend an informal dinner that evening at a local restaurant with the neurosurgery residents and their significant others. Interviews with faculty members are carried out Saturday with a break for lunch with the neurosurgery residents. Dinner on Saturday evening is provided at The University Club with faculty, residents, applicants, and significant others/guests.

Reminder: Deadlines are approaching soon, for details please see the NRMP website. Applicant registration deadline is November 30, 2008. February 25, 2009 is the rank order list certification deadline.

Duke interview dates are in January and February, 2009.

Maps of the Duke University Medical Center Campus are available on-line.

For more information please contact Maggie Denny, our residency coordinator, at:

Maggie Denny

Department of Surgery,

Division of Neurosurgery

DUMC Box 3807
Durham, North Carolina 27710

Email: maggie.denny@duke.edu
Phone: 919-684-3053

Visiting Student Rotations

If you are a fourth year (or a rising fourth year) medical student and would like to rotate on the Neurosurgery service at Duke, you need to register for a 4th year elective entitled "Surgery -435C Clinical Neurosurgery" so that you officially get credit (and a grade). This information is all explained on the Duke Registrar's website: Visiting Student Program Policy. You can see a short description of the elective under the "4th year electives" document (page 56) on that website. Also, if you scroll to the bottom of this registrar website page, beneath the section entitled "Information for Visiting Medical Students at LCME (US Medical) and AOA (Osteopathic) Institution," you will find the link to the application. First, please contact Steven Wilson, the director of visiting student rotations, in the registrar's office at (919)684-2304, or wilso141@mc.duke.edu. Steven will register you for the desired dates and then will contact our residency coordinator Maggie Denny (919-684-3053) to make sure the dates are available. Maggie will communicate with our faculty and residents about your rotation. For further information, please see our Visiting Medical Students page.

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