Spine Surgery Fellowship

Cleveland Clinic Spine Surgery Fellowship is focused on educating our fellows in a unique academic setting that encourages extensive training in the diagnosis and management of adult spinal disorders. There is emphasis placed on degenerative cervical, thoracic and lumbar disease, spinal deformity, intradural and extradural spinal tumors, spinal trauma, spinal infections, congenital spinal abnormalities, and complex reconstruction/revision cervical and lumbar pathology.

The fellows will gain adequate experience with a multitude of surgical techniques including image guidance, minimally invasive surgery and microsurgery. The primary goal of our fellowship is focused on training the highest quality orthopaedic and neurosurgeons on a personal and professional level in order to prepare them for private or academic practice. Our spine surgery fellowship is a combined orthopaedic and neurosurgical experience that is one year in length with an option to do an additional year of research for selected candidates.

Our clinical education program is comprised of didactic lectures given by staff, conferences, faculty interaction and ambulatory clinics which focus on the evaluation, diagnosis, operative and non-operative decision making, along with results and complications for all spinal treatments.

Fellows are required to participate in core curriculum education throughout the length of the program, which entails weekly conferences occurring every Friday. Topics include general spine indications, core curriculum, controversies in spine care, and biomechanics.

In addition to weekly conferences, there are monthly journal club meetings, fellow organized grand rounds, and visiting professor lectures on various topics four times per academic year. Our weekly conferences consist of presentations directed by our spine fellows with faculty input relating to various spinal pathology and surgical treatment options. Our journal clubs are organized every month, with attendance by both faculty and fellows. Articles for journal club are selected by the presenting fellow, with discussion of content, methods, results and conclusions of each article presented amongst the group. Fellows are also encouraged to participate in the education and clinical teaching of residents in and out of the operating room throughout the year.

Research plays a vital role in our spine surgery fellowship. Fellows will have the opportunity to engage in clinical research with the intent to publish peer-reviewed articles under the direction of our faculty. Fellows will be expected to apply the principles of spinal research, with strong focus on the use of evidence-based medicine in their surgical decision making. Fellows will have access to our spine research lab at Lutheran Hospital which is minutes away from our main campus. Some of our research interests include biomechanics, biologics, spine kinematics, and spinal cord injury and clinical research. Each fellow will be required to complete and present one research project at the end of the year as part of their requirement for program graduation. These projects will be prepared for submission prior to completion of the fellowship and are expected to be submitted for publication.

In order to apply to our program applicants must have successfully passed USMLE Steps 1, 2CK and 2CS. Applicants requesting an H-1B visa must also have successfully passed USMLE Step 3. International Medical Graduates must have received a currently valid ECFMG certificate in order to apply to our program.

Orthopaedic and Neurosurgery applicants applying to Cleveland Clinic Center for Spine Health Fellowship follow two different processes.

Orthopaedic Surgeons

All Orthopaedic trained surgeons must apply through the SFMatch. Applicants must be eligible for Board Certification in Orthopaedic Surgery or Neurosurgery.

The timeline for the match is as follows:

July 15, current year

• SFMatch begins accepting registration for the Spine Surgery Fellowship Match. Applicants can view the Program Directory once registration is concluded. It is recommended that you check this directory on a regular basis since it is updated by programs year round.
• Please note the individual deadline dates of each program to which you will apply.

September 15, current year

• SFMatch Central Application Service becomes available to all Spine Surgery Fellowship Programs around the country.

December 15, current year

• Cleveland Clinic Spine Surgery Fellowship Application Deadline date

January and February, current year

• Interviews take place

April 29, current year

• Interview period ends

May 3, current year

• Rank List Submission Deadline

May 10, current year

• Match results are available

Please note: These dates may vary, as will the deadline dates of each individual program.

Neurological Surgeons

Interested candidates must send the following application documents directly to the Program Coordinator via e-mail or fax:

• Neurology Fellowship Application
• CV
• Personal Statement
• Letter from Residency Program Director in lieu of Dean’s Letter
• At least 2 letters of recommendation from physicians whom have supervised you in a clinical setting
• USMLE/COMLEX Score Reports
• Medical School Diploma
• Certified copy of your currently valid ECFMG certificate (applicable for International Medical Graduates only)

Neurosurgery applicants are encouraged to apply before September 30th to be included in the interview day scheduled each year in autumn.

Applications are processed two years in advance and accepted year round.

Candice Cross
Coordinator, Spine Surgery Fellowship
Phone: 216.445.9234
Fax: 216.636.2040

• E-mail: spinefellowship@ccf.org