The Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Fellowship Program at The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine provides a unique environment for exceptional candidates to pursue advanced training in diagnosis and treatment of traumatic brain injury.
During your training, your responsibilities increase with your experience, capability, and performance. You will become highly skilled in the multi-disciplinary management of TBI, including scalp injury, skull fracture, epidural hematoma, subdural hematoma, brain contusion and laceration, brain edema and intracranial hypertension, et al, and gain extensive experience with the clinical, surgical and research tools needed for a successful academic career in this field.
From the moment you step foot to the center, you’ll notice we care about people differently. Our firm belief that the needs of the patient come first is the foundation of a culture that unites every health care provider, scientist, student, and trainee in a singular mission to provide hope and healing to the world — one person at a time.
We take note of where you came from and what led you here. Everything we do is centered around mentoring you in medical research and patient care to have the impact you’ve always known you could have.
1. Learning about and performing both the basic and surgical skills (ICP implantation, intracranial hematoma evacuation, decompressive craniectomy, et al) with our surgeons.
2. Having direct access to faculty members that, in addition to caring for patients in their clinical practices, are committed to teaching and facilitating the growth of medical knowledge. Our faculty members are recognized leaders in their fields.
3. Participating in rounds each morning as part of a small team working with one staff surgeon. During rounds, new patients are presented, inpatient management is reviewed, and teaching sessions are held.
4. Outstanding research opportunities
5. Participating in rounds and clinical practice in neurosurgical intensive care unit (NICU) to master the management of patients of severe TBI
6. Advanced treatments for patients with severe neurological conditions, such as intracranial pressure monitoring and therapeutic hypothermia, are also included in the project.
The goal of our program is to prepare trainees to achieve excellence in the multidisciplinary clinical care of patients with simple and severe TBI including ambulatory care, inpatient management, NICU management, and procedures. Through exposure to a range of investigators engaged in diverse clinical, translational, and basic research in TBI, we also aim to provide our advanced trainees a strong foundation in clinical investigation to launch them into successful careers in academic medicine. Dedicated research time and resources will allow our trainees to develop and execute independent research projects with the appropriate mentorship.
The program provides a full-time, 2-week to 3-month training experience. In special circumstances, arrangements can be made for other lengths of training depending on your needs and interests.
• Fellows: Qualified applicants for the Neurosurgery of Trauma Surgery Fellowship must have completed a neurosurgery or general surgery residency program at an accredited institution.
• Residents: To be eligible for the Neurosurgery or Trauma Surgery residency, you must have successfully completed a board-approved program in neurosurgery or general surgery. Your surgery program may be completed either through Zhejiang University School of Medicine or another accredited program.
• Students:
1. Must be a final-year medical student when you are scheduled to participate in the rotation. This means all your core / required clerkship rotations are complete at the time of the clinical elective.
2. Medical School Approval - Letter of good standing from the dean’s office of your medical school indicating you are in the final year with your expected graduation date, in good academic standing and meet all requirements to complete an elective for academic credit.
Focus Areas & Subspecialties:
1. Scalp injury
2. Skull fracture
3. Brain injury
1) Primary brain injury
Concussion
Brain contusion
Primary brain stem injury
Diffuse axonal injury
2) Secondary brain injury
Epidural hematoma
Subdural hematoma
Intracerebral hematoma
Cerebral edema
4. Chronic subdural hematoma
5. Cranial defect
6. Post-traumatic hydrocephalus
Skills:
1. ICP implantation
2. intracranial hematoma evacuation
3. decompressive craniectomy
Monday
1st Week: Introduction & welcome, program overview and objectives, department introduction
Weekly: MDT conferences, complicated case study
Weekly: Mentor one-on-one training:
-Topics:
1. Anatomy of central nervous system
2. Imaging of central nervous system
3. Basis of TBI
4. Basis of neurosurgical intensive care
5. Management of ICP
6. Surgical skills of TBI
Tuesday
Weekly: Outpatient observation, academic lecture, basic surgical skills training
Biweekly: Mentor one-on-one training
-Major themes:
1. Risk assessment
2. Management of ICP
3. Surgical skills of TBI
Wednesday
Weekly: Clinical rounds, surgery observation
Biweekly: Simulated surgery training
Thursday
Weekly: Complicated case study, case-based discussion
Biweekly: Surgery hands-on
Weekly: Lectures
Friday
Weekly: Clinical rounds in NICU, clinical skills training, special task training, journal club,
Last Week: Wrap-up & reflection, participant presentations or discussion of key takeaways, feedback session (e.g. online survey or live Q&A)
After each rotation, each faculty member evaluates each fellow according to core competencies of patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, and system-based practice. Faculty members meet with fellows individually for verbal feedback and evaluation. For surgical skills of fellows and residents, technical competence is evaluated through a real case. Monthly, an aggregate evaluation of a fellow’s clinical progress is conducted through a clinical competency faculty committee.
Chief of Emergency Trauma Center, Associate Chief of Department of Neurosurgery.
Dr. Yang Xiaofeng is a leader in the area of TBI through the province and China. He is dedicated to clinical management and basic research of TBI and neurosurgical intensive care.
Dr. Xu's research focuses on the diagnosis and Gamma Knife treatment of brain metastases.
Attending of Department of Neurosurgery.
Dr. Wang Hao is a main member of the subspecialty of TBI. He has mastered kinds of basic knowledge and surgical techniques of TBI and NICU patients.
The program is free of charge.