Clinical Training & Experience

Hands-on clinical training will make up the majority of time each fellow spends at the University of Minnesota.

Training Sites

  • Fellows will spend most of their time at the University of Minnesota Medical Center (UMMC).
  • Fellows will also spend time at Southdale Hospital, a community hospital in the suburban Twin Cities.
  • Opportunities at Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) in downtown Minneapolis may also be available.

Required Training

Rotations are scheduled in two-week blocks to provide optimal opportunity & variety for fellows.

All fellows are required to rotate in the UMMC NeuroICU, on the Southdale stroke service, in the UMMC MICU and additional ICUs, with anesthesia, with clinical neurophysiologists (EEG), and participate in research. Most other time is spent completing elective rotations. See our program's breakdown below.

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Background in neurology, internal medicine, surgery, emergency medicine, pediatric critical care, child neurology

  • 2-year program with at least 12 months spent in critical care settings, at least 50% of which is in the neuroICU.
  • UMN Program Breakdown:
    • 9 months on service in the UMMC NeuroICU
    • 2 months at Southdale Stroke/NeuroICU (consults)
    • 1+ month in the UMMC MICU
    • 2 months in other ICUs: SICU, CVICU, CSI
    • 2+ weeks with Anesthesia
    • 2 weeks of EEG/Neurophysiology
    • 1+ month of research
    • 9 months of electives

Background in neurosurgery

  • 1-year program with at least 10 months spent in critical care settings, at least 50% of which is in non-neuroICUs.
  • UMN Program Breakdown:
    • 5 months on service in the UMMC neuroICU
    • 1+ month in the UMMC MICU 
    • 3+ months in other ICUs: SICU, CVICU, CSI 
    • 2-4 weeks with Anesthesia
    • 2-4 weeks on Southdale stroke service (consults)
    • 2 weeks of EEG/Neurophysiology
    • 2-4 weeks of research
    • 2-6 weeks of electives

Possible Electives

  • Neuroendovascular Intervention
  • Neuroradiology
  • Pulmonology
  • Nephrology
  • Cardiology
  • Trauma; SICU (HCMC)
  • Infectious Disease
  • PM&R/Neurorehabilitation
  • Others upon discussion

What will my time look like on service in the UMMC NeuroICU?

Common Pathologies & Patients

  • ICH, SAH, SDH, EDH
  • Post-TNK/thrombectomy
  • Status epilepticus & seizures
  • CNS infections (meningitis, encephalitis, abscess, etc.)
  • Neuromuscular emergencies (Myasthenia, AIDP)
  • Autoimmune (NMDA encephalitis, transverse myelitis)
  • Coma: post-cardiac arrest/ECMO
  • Brain tumors, including perioperative neurosurgical care
  • Trauma: spinal cord injuries, TBI

Clinical Trial Screening

All faculty, fellows, APPs are study-trained and actively screening 24/7

  • Proactive screening for acute care trials begins prospectively at code activation with a low threshold to activate the research team (coordinator on call 24/7).
  • Reactive screening for prevention/rehabilitation trials also takes place daily.

Team & Coverage

From 7AM to 7PM, the UMMC NeuroICU is staffed by a team that includes 

  • a neurointensivist attending, 
  • a neurocritical care fellow, 
  • a neurology resident, 
  • 1-2 medical students, and 
  • 1-2 NCC NPs. 

There maybe additional rotators from other critical care fellowships as well.

From 7PM to 7AM, an NCC fellow takes home call for neuroICU inpatients. 

  • An NCC attending is available 24/7 as back-up and is available to take first call when necessary.

UMMC has separate neurocritical care, stroke, and general neurology inpatient services.