University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Program

Program Identity & Fit

This is a 7-year academic neurosurgery program at a tertiary/quaternary university hospital, structured with a dedicated PGY-1 fundamental clinical skills year, rotations at Meriter Hospital and the VA, and a built-in 12-month block of research/elective time spanning PGY-4 and PGY-5 plus an enfolded fellowship option in PGY-6. Research is embedded institutionally rather than optional: faculty labs span basic/translational neuroscience (stroke, spinal cord regeneration, brain tumor immunology, epigenetics) and a dedicated outcomes-research group (WONDER Lab), reflecting an expectation that residents engage in scholarly work alongside clinical training. The clinical mission emphasizes comprehensive coverage of cerebrovascular disease, brain tumors, spine, pediatric, and functional/epilepsy disorders across multiple hospital sites, with graduated autonomy visible in the call structure (from in-house primary call as a junior to backup-only call as a senior). The department's chair message and aims foreground both clinical excellence and a pipeline of resident-scientists intended to "spearhead" changes in neurosurgical care.