In-training Educational Program

A) Each hospital provides an in-training educational program including rounds. Residents should prepare material for these rounds with diligence as such a program paces self-learning and also provides an opportunity for the practice of public speaking.

B) Lecture Program Surgical Foundations is provided during Prep Camp in early July of PGY1 and on Tuesday mornings. All PGY1s must attend this program. The Royal College Surgical Foundations Examination should be attempted as early as possible in the training sequence.

C) Surgical Skill Centre Training

D) Neurosurgery Core Curriculum: These are held from 9:00 am to 12:00 am every Friday. All neurosurgical residents must attend these rounds, including those on research rotations. These meetings provide a venue for a joint meeting of all neurosurgical residents and thus promote a feeling of collegiality. Residents are required to give these meetings the utmost priority. Lectures are given by both faculty and resident members of the Training Program. Lecture notes and presentations are posted on the internet.

E) Electronic Communications and Information: Each month, an electronic communication entitled “Neurosurge” is produced by the Office of the Chairman of Neurosurgery. Contained within Neurosurge are hi-lites of the month, postings of up-coming events and meetings, a review of recent publications and awards, educational website listings for neurosurgery residents and faculty, and a Question of the Month.

F) Lougheed Microsurgical Course: This is held at the Surgical Skill Centre, Mount Sinai Hospital every spring and fall. Approximately two residents at a time from our program attend the course which is one week in duration. It is for trainees in the mid to senior clinical years. The Program Director selects those who will attend.

G) The W.S. Keith Visiting Professorship in Neurosurgery: This event is held every June and is based at the Toronto Western Hospital. The Visiting Professor usually conducts a series of lectures, rounds and seminars. Residents participate fully in this academic occasion, either in the presentation of research projects or in the presentation of clinical material. Attendance is obligatory. The Keith Dinner also serves as the graduation ceremony for the year’s Chief Residents.

H) The E.H. Botterell Professorship in Neurosurgery: This event is held in the fall of each year. The Visiting Professor usually conducts a series of lectures, rounds and seminars. Residents participate fully in this academic occasion, either in the presentation of research projects or in the presentation of clinical material. Attendance is obligatory.

I) The E.B. Hendrick Professorship in Pediatric Neurosurgery: This event is held each spring at the Hospital for Sick Children. The Visiting Professor usually conducts a series of lectures, rounds and seminars. Residents participate fully in this academic occasion, either in the presentation of research projects or in the presentation of clinical material. Attendance is obligatory.

J) The Marshall Professorship in Neurotrauma: This event is held each winter and is jointly sponsored by the Department of Anesthesiology and the Division of Neurosurgery. Emphasis is placed on an academic program in neurotraumatology. Attendance is highly recommended for all neurosurgery residents.

K) The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Academic Lecture in Neuro-Oncology: This lecture is held each winter at The Hospital for Sick Children. The invited Lecturer will give a lecture on a basic science topic in neuro-oncology. Attendance is highly recommended for all neurosurgery residents.

L) Resident Platform and Poster Presentations: Trainees are encouraged to attend and present papers at national and international neurosurgical meetings such as the Canadian Neurological Sciences Foundation, The American Association of Neurological Surgeons, and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The financial support policy can be found at: http://neurosurgery.utoronto.ca/edu/residency/support.htm.

M) A.T.L.S. The Chair fund will pay for each resident to take this course, preferably early in their training.

N) Awards: Trainees are encouraged to apply for the various awards which are available for investigative work done during training, such as:

The Gallie Bateman Award in the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto
The K.G. McKenzie Award of the Canadian Neurosurgical Society
The Morley Prize at the University of Toronto
The Resident Awards of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons
The Horsey Prize at the University of Toronto

Other awards given by the Division of Neurosurgery include the AR Hudson Awards for Teaching Excellence for neurosurgical faculty and residents, and the Warren Ho Humanitarian Award.

O) Resident self-learning: The major component of the educational program will be self-learning by the resident. Each hospital has a satisfactory library, and there are excellent facilities for obtaining any text or journal which the residents might require, through an inter-library service. Furthermore, all residents are encouraged to establish links with the University of Toronto Library Services for on-line journal access. All residents are provided with a copy of the “Toronto Neurosurgery Notes” at the beginning of their training. If the resident reviews the appropriate material concerning their cases, and conscientiously prepares for various in-hospital rounds, the candidate will thereby cover all aspects of Neurosurgery by the completion of the training program. It is presumed that residents are of sufficient maturity that they will maintain a learning program in a disciplined fashion throughout their stay at the University of Toronto.

P) Resident teaching: In addition to their responsibility to their patients, the residents in the Neurosurgery Training Program have responsibilities to teach junior residents, interns and clerks on the service. The neurosurgical resident should ensure that these individuals are appropriately guided and educated, so that they benefit from the rotation on the neurosurgical service. Special courses which instruct residents on proper teaching methods are available on an annual basis through the Department of Surgery. Residents are strongly encouraged to attend these teaching seminars.

Q) Practical “Hands-On” Courses in Neurosurgery: Throughout the year, in addition to the Lougheed Microvascular Course, practical courses will be offered to all neurosurgery residents to increase their skills with select neurosurgical procedures, or to learn new techniques. Examples include Midas Rex Power Drill training, PGY1 Crash Course, PGY3 Microsurgical Skills Course, PGY5 Cadaver Course, and Neuro-Endoscopy courses.

R) Ambulatory Care: Residents should attend hospital outpatient offices. The resident should also take advantage of specialty clinics. Junior residents (those with less than 18 months of clinical neurosurgical training) must attend patients in an ambulatory setting at least one half day per week.

S) Undergraduate Teaching: U. of T. Staff members teach this program. Senior residents may occasionally be asked to substitute for a staff neurosurgeon and should, at all times, facilitate the delivery of the program by assisting in the selection of cases suitable for teaching. A Department of Surgery prize is given to a resident who is the best undergraduate teacher. Several of the hospitals have a prize for outstanding undergraduate teaching by a resident.

T) Resident Responsibility to Non-Neurosurgical Resident: The neurosurgical residents must fulfill their obligations to their colleagues training in other surgical disciplines.