University of Florida Program

Program Identity & Fit

UF's Lillian S. Wells Department of Neurosurgery is a large academic, university-based program built around a high-volume tertiary/quaternary practice—over 900 combined beds across UF Health Shands and the Malcolm Randall VA, with roughly 4500 neurosurgical cases annually spanning tumor, cerebrovascular, complex spine, epilepsy, pediatric, movement disorder, and trauma care. Research is deeply embedded in training through the McKnight Brain Institute, with residents formally presenting original work at an annual Research Day and pursuing translational and basic-science projects alongside eleven clinical and nineteen basic-science faculty. The program explicitly prepares residents for either academic or private practice careers, but its infrastructure—dedicated research laboratories, extramural funding opportunities, and resident research awards—signals a strong pull toward academic neurosurgery and subspecialty fellowship training. The department also invests heavily in structured resident wellness and leadership curricula, suggesting it values residents who can sustain rigorous productivity over a long seven-year training arc.