Dr. Roger Härtl, Spine Fellowship Director, Weill Cornell Medicine
In collaboration with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medicine is proud to offer a minimally invasive and complex spinal surgery and 3D navigation fellowship. Created in 2015, the fellowship complements residency training to promote further expertise in the growing fields of minimally invasive spinal surgery, navigation and complex spinal surgery. The successful incorporation of Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) techniques and navigation requires specialized training and preparation rarely offered during regular neurosurgical or orthopedic residency. We train the future leaders of spinal surgery to advance the field and expand our horizon based on the principles of technical excellence, sound clinical judgment and compassion for our patients.
Surgeons who complete our program are able to apply the principles and techniques of minimally invasive surgery and navigation to all types of surgery - including degeneration, trauma, tumor and deformity surgery in all regions of adult and pediatric patients - facilitating career paths in either academic or private practice.
About the Program
MIS and navigation surgery greatly expand the range of pathologies and patients that can be successfully treated with surgery. We believe that the best spinal care can only be delivered in a multidisciplinary setting. Our ability to excel with MIS is dependent upon our surgical team being interwoven with the other specialties in our Center for Comprehensive Spine Care. We are committed to training spinal surgeons that are not only technically excellent but who also understand that surgical success is based on precise diagnosis and sound judgment. Once a pathology has been determined as surgical, technical MIS and navigational excellence allow us to minimize the extent and side effects of surgery while maximizing its efficiency.
Minimally invasive spinal surgery fellows are exposed to all aspects of spinal care, from diagnosis to treatment to aftercare, and provided with complex spinal surgery training with a focus on MIS and navigation. Fellows are expected to engage actively in ongoing research projects as well as present and publish research work. The extent of responsibility assigned to a fellow depends upon the fellow's skills and engagement and the complexity of particular patient pathologies.
Fellow's Responsibilities
Fellows are responsible for covering operating room cases as well as outpatient examination with attending physicians. With the ability to participate in a variety of prospective outcome studies and basic science projects, fellows are also required to complete at least two projects or papers. Our educational process includes a core curriculum of lectures, case conferences and journal clubs. Formal conferences for residents and fellows are held weekly and involve a variety of didactic topics, case presentations and interactive discussions.
For applicants interested in applying, more information is available through the North American Spine Society (pages 81-82 of this PDF) Interested orthopedic and neurosurgery trainees can apply through the SF match website (applications close March 1 each year).
Contact
Erma Bell
Administrative Coordinator
elb2014@med.cornell.edu
(212) 746-5543