gamma knife-focused residencies??

[adoggie]

So if someone were interested in specializing in Gamma Knife neurosurgery, are there any known residencies this person would be able to focus on the subspecialty at? Pittsburgh, UCSF, Yale, and other places have gamma knife instruments, but I don't really know how much the residency programs take advantage of its availability... anyone familiar with certain programs?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[mpp]

If you wanted to focus on gamma knife you might look into radiation oncology as a specialty also as all neurosurgery residency programs will still focus on general operative neurosurgery.

Gamma knife and/or linac based radiosurgery is a part of most neurosurgery residency programs but definitely not a big focus. The main center for radiosurgery as a true subspecialty within neurosurgery is Pittsburgh. Every major center has some sort of radiosurgery program of which gamma knife is one available instrument to use.

 

[Astrocyte]

If you wanted to focus on gamma knife you might look into radiation oncology as a specialty also as all neurosurgery residency programs will still focus on general operative neurosurgery.

You are right. Most surgeons still operate. There is nothing 'surgical' about radiosurgery. It should remain a subspecialty of rad onc. Kondziolka at Pittsburgh tries to convince otherwise by redefining 'surgery' as manipulation with 'energy', which is funny. I still cannot figure out what neurosurgeon's role is in gamma ray therapy, squeezed between neuro-onc and rad-onc. What a waste of operative training for surgeons to become involved in gamma ray therapy.

 

[TheThroat]

"Radiosurgery" is nothing more than a marketing term.