University of California Davis Health Program

Program Identity & Fit

UC Davis is an academic, university-based, 7-year neurosurgery program anchored in a Level 1 adult and pediatric trauma center, comprehensive stroke center, NCI-designated cancer center, and a nationally recognized skull base program, giving residents exposure to high-acuity tertiary/quaternary neurosurgical pathology and enfolded CAST fellowships (endovascular, skull base, spine, functional). The program is explicitly bifurcated into a Research Stream (1-2 years dedicated time, eligibility for the NINDS-funded UE5 training grant, expectation of frequent national presentation and publication, framed as preparation for academic positions) and a Clinical Stream (elective-based subspecialty training for hospital-based, private, or education-focused academic practice), signaling that research is not a uniform expectation but a structured career fork. Distinctive features include international neurosurgery rotations in PGY4/PGY6, dedicated surgical skills/cadaver lab facility, brain-computer interface and BCI/neuroprosthetics research (BrainGate2), robotic cranial/spine/endovascular platforms, and Kaiser rotations for senior/chief years broadening operative volume outside the primary academic center. The program's structure and named grant pathway indicate it values residents who can articulate a clear intended trajectory (academic/physician-scientist vs. clinical/subspecialist) early, given the PGY3 stream decision point.