Resident Training Program Policies and Procedures 2012-2013 (PDF)

Eligibility | Selection

Eligibility

TRAINEE ELIGIBILITY AND SELECTION Updated August 10, 2011

PURPOSE: To define eligibility criteria for the selection of trainees for enrollment in the Neurosurgery Residency Program.

POLICY:

I. Eligibility
To be eligible to enroll in the Neurosurgery Resident Training Program, applicants must fulfill the following criteria:
1. A diplomate of a medical school in the United States or Canada which has been accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) or;
2. A graduate of a college of osteopathic medicine in the United States accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA).
3. Graduates of medical schools located outside of the United States or Canada must obtain certification from the Education Council for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) and a letter of evaluation from the Medical Board of California indicating that they are eligible to participate in postgraduate training.
4. Eligible to obtain medical licensure in the State of California by virtue of successful completion of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), Parts I and II, by the first day that postgraduate training is to begin with successful completion of USMLE, Part III by the end of the Surgical Intern year.

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Selection

I. Selection
1. The selection of trainees for first-year training positions will be made via participation in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).
2. Applicants will submit, via the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS), the following information, which will form the basis for selection:
a. CAS Common Application Form
b. Personal Statement demonstrating appropriate written communication skills
c. Medical school transcript
d. Letter of recommendation from the Dean, or his designee, of the applicant's medical school
e. Letters of recommendation from four (4) faculty members of the applicant's medical school or clerkship rotations. Two (2) letters must be from faculty members with clinical responsibilities and appointment to a department of surgery or a surgical subspecialty.
f. Examination scores from the USMLE, Part I, and, if available, Part II at the time of application.
g. 2 X 2 inch color photograph of the applicant (to include head and shoulders only).
h. Curriculum Vitae
3. Applicants are selected to receive an invitation to interview after applicant file review by the Neurosurgery selection committee comprised of faculty, chief residents, and education office administrators.
4. Applicants will select one of three interview dates that are filled on a first come basis. Each applicant will be separately interviewed by several small groups of Neurosurgery faculty and residents. Each interview will be twenty (20) minutes.
5. In the setting of the interview, faculty members will refrain from discussing an applicant's age, race, sex, religion, sexual orientation or marital status.
6. Participating faculty and residents meet to determine the rank order of applicants following the final date of interviews.
7. In the case of vacancies following the match, applicants may be interviewed at any time. The residency director will decide whether to offer a position specifying the post-graduate year at the time of hire. The applicant must provide a competency-based evaluation of satisfactory performance from his previous program.

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