Spinal Neurosurgery Fellowship

The CAST-certified Spinal Neurosurgery Fellowship at University Hospitals, led by fellowship director Gabriel Smith, M.D., provides advanced training in all components in the management of complex spine disorders.     

Our faculty have advanced training in all anterior and posterior reconstructive techniques of the spine. Upon completion of the fellowship, our fellows perform over 250 total cases annually with 100 cases involving deformity, infection, and oncology. Upon completion of the 12-month fellowship, graduates will be context experts in the management of basic and complex spinal disorders.   Emphasis is placed on counseling and understanding of the natural history of spinal disorders with patients, appropriate workup and indications for surgery, and operative approaches and techniques to treat pathology ranging from degenerative disc disease to spinal deformity.   Fellows will learn the appropriateness criteria for surgery versus conservative care.  Fellows will spend time in the clinical practice setting outside the operating room.

The fellow will actively participate in the training and education of residents and medical students via daily supervision on the clinical service and operating room as well as through Spine conference, Oncology Tumor Board, and other multi-specialty conferences of the department.

The fellow will develop and enhance research skills in clinical and laboratory settings. The program will familiarize the fellow with outcome tools and necessary programs to perform outcome research and provide basic research experience integrated into clinical rotation.  Ongoing contribution to the academic literature and completion of at least two projects to peer reviewed publication will be required.