The fellowship is a 12-month program. Our goal is to prepare highly trained neuroanesthesiologists who have the knowledge and skills to provide leadership in the management of basic and complex neurosurgical cases. We strongly believe that neuroanesthesiology addresses the rising challenge of providing optimal care for the growing neurosurgical patient population who are increasingly aged and ill. Cases include:

• Craniotomy for intracranial vascular lesions, including intracranial aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations and moyamoya.
• Craniotomy for tumor resection
• Awake craniotomy for seizure foci localization or excision
• Suboccipital craniotomies
• Carotid endarterectomy
• DBS placement for Parkinson’s Disease
• Endoscopic Pituitary procedures
• Intracranial cerebrospinal fluid shunt surgery
• Basic and complex spine surgeries

Fellows will spend 8 months of combined intracranial and spine surgeries and 3 months in external rotations (neurointerventional radiology, neurophysiologic monitoring, neurosurgical ICU). They will have approximately 22 academic days (non-clinical) per calendar year for scholarly activities. Fellows are expected to present at national meetings and/or submit a manuscript for publication before completion of training. US applicants who have completed residency and are board eligible in anesthesiology have the opportunity to serve as attending faculty 1 day per week to supplement their fellowship income.

Candidate qualifications

Completion of residency/board eligibility in anesthesiology for US applicants or foreign equivalence for international applicants. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Start date is flexible. To apply, please submit:

• An updated CV
• A personal statement describing your reasons to pursue neuroanesthesiology fellowship (please limit to one page)
• 2-3 letters of recommendation, including one from the residency program director
• USMLE and ITE scores
• For additional information, please contact the program director, Benjarat Changyaleket at benjarat@uic.edu.

Weekly schedule

• 4 days in neuroanesthesia (5 days for foreign trainees)
• 1 day in general clinical anesthesia as a supervising attending (N/A for foreign trainees)
• 1 academic day biweekly for scholarly activities
• Attend weekly neuroanesthesiology conferences on Mondays and Tuesdays
• Fellows will meet with Dr. Changyaleket regularly or at least once a month to discuss progress. A quarterly meeting with the program director will take place with written evaluation from divisional faculty.

External rotations

Fellows will rotate for 1 month in the following areas:

• Interventional Neuroradiology for patients undergoing acute stroke management, embolization of ruptured aneurysms and AVMs as well as angioplasty and stent placement of intracranial vascular stenoses.
• Neurophysiologic monitoring. Fellows will work with neurologists and neurophysiologists to learn how to interpret intraoperative monitoring of EEG EMG, SSEP, MEP, etc.
• Neuro-Intensive Care Unit.
  Fellows will learn the management of ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, their presentations, diagnostic modalities, and complications under supervision of neuro-intensivists.
• Research and academic activities.
  Fellows will be given approximately 22 days in a calendar year to pursue scholarly activities which include but are not limited to preparing manuscripts, teaching lessons, giving lectures and grand rounds.

• Rishabh Jindal, MD (2024)
• Evelyn Yeh, DO (2021)
• Krysta Peters, MD (2019)
• Marion Bussay, MD (2016)
• Rachel Kramer, DO (2016)
• Lisa Adiutori, DO (2015)
• Desiree Ekundayo, MD (2015)
• Sabine Kreilinger, MD (2013)
• Benjarat Changyaleket, MD (2012)
• Louis Llamas, MD (2010)