University of Washington Program

Neurological Surgery Analyst Verified · Oct 28, 2026

University of Washington Program

University of Washington Program is a residency program specializing in Neurological Surgery, located in Seattle, Washington, directed by Richard G. Ellenbogen, MD and coordinated by Megan Osika-Dass. The program accepts applications through September 30, 2027. International Medical Graduates interested in this program may contact the program coordinator directly at [email protected] or (206) 744-9321. IMGPrep analysts have verified and compiled this program’s IMG acceptance rate, USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 score requirements, Visa Sponsorship Policy, graduation year cutoff, and ECFMG certificate requirements — available to IMGPrep subscribers.

Program Identity & Fit

The University of Washington Neurological Surgery Residency is an academic, quaternary-care program whose stated mission is to train the "neurosurgeon-scientist," combining comprehensive clinical exposure across nine subspecialty domains with dedicated, protected research time and formal support for grant and publication development. Training spans four distinct affiliated sites (Harborview Level I trauma center, UW Medical Center, Seattle Children's, and the VA Puget Sound), giving residents responsibility for a regional referral population spanning the entire WWAMI catchment area (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho). The program maintains deep cross-departmental research infrastructure (bioengineering, informatics, radiology, neurology, pathology) and a track record of residents securing independent extramural funding (NIH, AANS, AHA, ACS), signaling that scientific productivity is a core expectation, not an elective add-on. Eligibility screening emphasizes exceptional academic and clinical performance markers alongside strong away-rotation letters, reflecting a highly selective, achievement-oriented culture.

Who it fits

An applicant with a demonstrated, hypothesis-driven research trajectory (grants, first-author publications, or funded fellowships) who is pursuing an academic neurosurgeon-scientist career anchored in a high-acuity, multi-site quaternary referral system.

Research intensity

Central - research is framed as core to the program's mission of producing independent neurosurgeon-scientists, with protected time, dedicated research staff, and expectation of extramural funding.

Career orientation

Academic Medicine

Important

At least one of the three required letters of recommendation must specifically pertain to a clinical away rotation.

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