Clinical exposureDegenerative disorders, deformity, complex fractures, infections and tumours, with advanced instrumentation, minimally invasive techniques, intraoperative image guidance and imaging, rotations with each key faculty member, teaching conferences, a resident spine-anatomy cadaver course and protected research time
Funding · not publishedSalary is not published on the reviewed programme page
DestinationUnited States
Participation levelClinical participation and hands-on restrictions must be confirmed directly with the host.
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANT CHECK
What the official evidence currently supports
Decision-critical fields are separated into confirmed facts, partial information and points requiring direct confirmation.
≈Partially published
International applicant eligibility
Graduates of a foreign residency equivalent to an ACGME neurosurgery residency may apply; visa and licensing requirements are not published.
✓Published by official source
Required training level
Completed the chief residency year in an ACGME-accredited neurosurgery residency or its foreign equivalent
✓Published by official source
Programme classification
Clinical or combined training pathway; exact duties remain appointment-specific.
?Confirm directly with host
Hands-on restrictions
Hands-on participation and operative restrictions are not explicitly published.
—Not published
Medical registration
Registration requirements are not published by the cited source.
?Confirm directly with host
Licensing examinations
No licensing-examination information is published.
—Not published
Language requirements
No formal language requirement is published by the cited source.
≈Partially published
Visa or work authorisation
Visa sponsorship is not published on the reviewed programme page
✓Published by official source
Funding availability
Salary is not published on the reviewed programme page
DATA QUALITY & AVAILABILITY
69% of core application fields verified
Checked 3 Oct 2026. Next scheduled editorial review: 2027-04-01. Every unresolved field keeps its exact evidence state—unpublished, not yet researched, historical, conflicting, inaccessible or not applicable—so an absence is never converted into a fact.
✓ programme title✓ institution / department✓ city and country✓ programme classification✓ subspecialty✓ current status evidence✓ duration✓ eligibility✓ international eligibility✓ application process✓ required documents✓ application portal✓ official contact✓ faculty✓ verified faculty photograph✓ verified institution logo✓ official source✓ institutional source✓ accreditation / organisation source✓ verification date— positions · not published by the cited official source— commencement / intake · queued for source review— Funding information not published · not published by the cited official source— benefits · queued for source review— accommodation / relocation · queued for source review— Language requirement not published · queued for source review— Registration information not published · queued for source review— visa / work authorisation · not published by the cited official source— Current deadline not yet published · not published by the cited official source
APPLICATION TIMELINE & CONTACT
Plan the application
Application deadlineNo current deadline published in the cited evidence
Commencing dateIntake date not published
Application route / cycleEmail the completed application and attachments to Dr John O'Toole
Deadlines and intake dates can change between cycles. The data-quality ledger above explicitly labels application fields that the cited official source does not publish.
ELIGIBILITY & REQUIREMENTS
Published entry requirements
Clinical / academic eligibility
Completed the chief residency year in an ACGME-accredited neurosurgery residency or its foreign equivalent
Registration, licence & examinations
AHPRA, USMLE/COMLEX, ECFMG, medical-board or local-licence requirements are not stated by the cited source.
Visa / work authorisation
Visa sponsorship is not published on the reviewed programme page
Application documents
Completed application form
Curriculum vitae
USMLE scores
Three letters of recommendation
Personal statement
Personal photograph
Licensing, visa and document rules depend on the individual programme and application cycle. OrthoFellow does not infer USMLE, AHPRA, ECFMG, recommendation-letter or visa requirements from the country alone.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
What this program offers
A one-year CAST-accredited neurosurgical spine fellowship at Rush covering degenerative, deformity, fracture, infection and tumour surgery with minimally invasive and image-guided techniques; applications by email.
HOST INSTITUTION
About Rush University Medical Center Department of Neurosurgery
Rush Neurosurgery's spine fellowship is accredited by the Society of Neurological Surgeons Committee on Advanced Subspecialty Training (CAST) and rotates the fellow through each key spine faculty member.
Vincent C. Traynelis is listed in the cited programme evidence as spine fellowship faculty for Rush Neurosurgery Spine Fellowship. The verified individual profile describes a focus in Spine training and clinical practice. This association does not by itself confirm personal supervision, operative privileges or availability for a future intake.
Vincent C. Traynelis is listed by the official programme source as spine fellowship faculty. A separate individual short CV has not yet been verified by OrthoFellow.
Christopher J. DeWald is listed in the cited programme evidence as spine fellowship faculty for Rush Neurosurgery Spine Fellowship. The verified individual profile describes a focus in Spine training and clinical practice. This association does not by itself confirm personal supervision, operative privileges or availability for a future intake.
Christopher J. DeWald is listed by the official programme source as spine fellowship faculty. A separate individual short CV has not yet been verified by OrthoFellow.
Richard G. Fessler is listed in the cited programme evidence as spine fellowship faculty for Rush Neurosurgery Spine Fellowship. The verified individual profile describes a focus in Spine training and clinical practice. This association does not by itself confirm personal supervision, operative privileges or availability for a future intake.
Richard G. Fessler is listed by the official programme source as spine fellowship faculty. A separate individual short CV has not yet been verified by OrthoFellow.
Ricardo B. V. Fontes is listed in the cited programme evidence as spine fellowship faculty for Rush Neurosurgery Spine Fellowship. The verified individual profile describes a focus in Spine training and clinical practice. This association does not by itself confirm personal supervision, operative privileges or availability for a future intake.
Ricardo B. V. Fontes is listed by the official programme source as spine fellowship faculty. A separate individual short CV has not yet been verified by OrthoFellow.
Spine fellowship faculty and application contactOfficial profile & photo verified
Current position
Teaching faculty / co-leadership
Affiliation
Rush University Medical Center
Clinical focus
Spine training and clinical practice
Qualifications
Not published on the cited profile
John E. O'Toole is listed in the cited programme evidence as spine fellowship faculty and application contact for Rush Neurosurgery Spine Fellowship. The verified individual profile describes a focus in Spine training and clinical practice. This association does not by itself confirm personal supervision, operative privileges or availability for a future intake.
John E. O'Toole is listed by the official programme source as spine fellowship faculty and application contact. A separate individual short CV has not yet been verified by OrthoFellow.
Timothy Wang is listed in the cited programme evidence as spine fellowship faculty for Rush Neurosurgery Spine Fellowship. The verified individual profile describes a focus in Spine training and clinical practice. This association does not by itself confirm personal supervision, operative privileges or availability for a future intake.
Timothy Wang is listed by the official programme source as spine fellowship faculty. A separate individual short CV has not yet been verified by OrthoFellow.
Adewale Bakare is listed in the cited programme evidence as spine fellowship faculty for Rush Neurosurgery Spine Fellowship. The verified individual profile describes a focus in Spine training and clinical practice. This association does not by itself confirm personal supervision, operative privileges or availability for a future intake.
Adewale Bakare is listed by the official programme source as spine fellowship faculty. A separate individual short CV has not yet been verified by OrthoFellow.
Names and fellowship roles come from the cited programme source. A green “individual profile verified” label means the position, qualifications and biography were also checked against an official personal or institutional profile. OrthoFellow displays a portrait only when it can be tied to an official profile or faculty source; otherwise the host institution brandmark is shown, with initials retained only when neither image is available. Faculty rosters may change.
APPLICANT PROFILE
Neurosurgeons who completed the chief residency year in an ACGME-accredited neurosurgery residency or its foreign equivalent
◎
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS
Published international eligibility information
Graduates of a foreign residency equivalent to an ACGME neurosurgery residency may apply; visa and licensing requirements are not published.
This note is shown only when the official source publishes information relevant to overseas applicants. Applicants should confirm licensing and visa eligibility directly with the host.
