2020 Neurosurgery Annual Report Neurosurgery Annual Report 2019-2020-FOR WEB | Page 27

EDUCATION Neurosurgery Residency Program The UAB Department of Neurosurgery boasts a highly competitive and sought-after residency program. This seven-year residency is dedicated to the clinical, surgical, and professional development of our residents. Trainees participate in a contemporary neurosciences educational paradigm and enjoy a graduated level of experience and responsibility in the care and management of neurosurgical patients. In addition to providing superior technical training, the program is uniquely structured to the professional development of our residents, with the goal of creating leaders in the field of neurosurgery. Graduates pursue fellowships, academic neurosurgical junior faculty positions, and private practice opportunities throughout the country. The formalized, structured curriculum centers on the six Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) core competencies, as outlined and defined by the ACGME and the seven major sub-specialty areas within neurosurgery. We utilize didactic teaching, self-directed learning, computer- based education, anatomic cadaveric dissection, and apprentice opportunities to enrich each resident’s educational experience. 3 RESIDENTS PER YEAR A TOP 20 RESIDENT TRAINING PROGRAM EVIDENCE-BASED CURRICULUM Formalized didactic training in interpretation of medical evidence is directly incorporated into the resident curriculum. Beverly Walters, MD, coordinates this initiative and conducts a monthly medical evidence conference and a resident-led journal club. The purpose is to teach the resident-in-training how to systematically and critically appraise scientific papers in the medical literature with regard to study design, bias, validation of assessment, common types of errors, and introductory statistical assessment. Residents are introduced to these concepts through a standardized curriculum and use these concepts to direct monthly journal clubs, according to contemporary standards of evidence-based medicine. uabmedicine.org 25