Clinical Experience

Inpatient

Atrium Health's Carolinas Medical Center (CMC), in Charlotte, NC, operates a dedicated 32-bed neurosurgical ward, a 22-bed neurosurgical step-down unit, a four-bed neuro-monitoring unit, 14-bed pediatric intensive care unit (ICU), and opened a 28-bed neurological services ICU. Dedicated operating rooms (ORs) include five neurosurgical inpatient and two neurosurgical outpatient ORs as well as a bi-planar neuro-angiography suite. Intra-operative adjuncts include three image guidance surgery devices (stealth), state-of-the-art neurosurgical operating microscopes, intra-operative computed tomography (CT), intra-operative neuromonitoring and two-way high definition telemedicine capabilities. Dedicated LINAC-based radiosurgery device, non-invasive angiography (CTA/MRA), perfusion (pCT, Dyn Susc MR), functional (fMR) imaging study capability and PET imaging are also  available at Carolinas Medical Center.

Carolina Center for Specialty Surgery is an outpatient surgery center performing a high volume of minimally invasive neurosurgery procedures each year, including spinal injections, anterior cervical discectomy, arthrodesis and arthroplasty, posterior cervical decompression and discectomy, lumbar discectomy, thoracic decompression and discectomy, peripheral nerve decompression, shunt/pump and stimulator insertion, spinal endoscopic surgery, kyphoplasty, vertebroplasty, and others. Experience at Carolina Center for Specialty Surgery will be a part of resident training.

Outpatient

Outpatient clinical resources include the main office of Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates located on Baldwin Ave. in Charlotte, NC, exactly one mile from the campus of Carolinas Medical Center. This state-of-the-art facility includes MRI, CT, X-ray, and C-arm with studies stored on the PACS system maintained by Carolinas Medical Center. An in-house physical therapy gym is available to referred patients. An electronic medical record (EMR) system is used and is available remotely. Residents will participate in clinic as assigned with their supervising physician throughout their training.

Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates was established in 1940 and is home to the neurosurgical faculty members of the Neurological Surgery Residency Training Program at Carolinas Medical Center. Fellowship-trained neurosurgeons in the areas of pediatric neurosurgery, complex spine surgery, minimally invasive spine surgery, neurovascular surgery, and pituitary and skull base surgery are part of the neurosurgical team. The practice has been instrumental in developing and implementing minimally invasive and complex brain and spine procedures. Ongoing research through participation in innovative clinical trials is a focus of the practice.

Outpatient experiences during the non-neurosurgical rotations are performed in the clinics of the supervising physician in the adjoining buildings on the Carolinas Medical Center campus. Each facility features modern imaging and lab capabilities. All Atrium Health and Carolinas Medical Center physician offices utilize the same hospital Cerner EMR system. 

See our resident rotation schedule.