Fellowship Details & Requirements

Our GME Office has preliminary eligibility requirements that all prospective trainees must meet before applying for a training program at our institution.

In addition to these criteria, our program also the following requirements:

• Applicants should have completed or be nearing completion of a board-accredited residency program in neurosurgery.
• Candidates are required to submit a paper application comprised of a curriculum vitae, letters of references, documentation of upcoming completion of neurosurgical training along with previous academic transcripts. These applications are then reviewed by the program director and final candidates are interviewed by the clinical faculty within the department.
• The interview process is designed to assess candidates on specific aspects of their application: clinical fund of knowledge/experience, academic potential in the field, the ability to work in teams, leadership abilities and coachability.

Neurosurgical Oncology Fellowship

Send a combined PDF document with the application and required documents by email to  DepartmentofNeurosurgeryEducation@mdanderson.org.

The subject line should read: Neurosurgical Oncology Fellowship AY 2027–2028.

The application period is February 1, 2025–September 1, 2025.

Please provide the following in your application:

• completed application
• a copy of current ECFMG certification if you completed medical school outside the United States
• acopy of your USMLE Step I and USMLE Step II CK, or Comlex scores.
• current curriculum vitae (CV)
• three letters of recommendation:
  • one letter from the residency program director
  • two letters from an attending physician and/or teaching faculty
• letter of good standing
• diploma of highest degree
• statement of intent
• transcript of highest degree
• headshot

Spine Fellowship

(Application is open to PGY 5 level applicants.)

Send a combined PDF document with the application and required documents by email to DepartmentofNeurosurgeryEducation@mdanderson.org.

The subject line should read: Spine Fellowship

The application period for AY 2026-2027 has expired. The AY 2027-2028 application period is forthcoming.

Please provide the following in your application:

• completed application
• a copy of current ECFMG certification if you completed medical school outside the United States
• a copy of your USMLE Step I and USMLE Step II CK, or Comlex scores.
• current curriculum vitae (CV)
• three letters of recommendation:
  • one letter from the residency program director
  • two letters from an attending physician and/or teaching faculty
• letter of good standing
• diploma of highest degree
• statement of intent
• transcript of highest degree
• headshot

Skull Base Fellowship

For applicants interested in our Skull Base Track: We participate in the Neurosurgery Skull Base Fellowship administered via the North American Skull Base Society.

Use the NASBS online application system to apply. The application period for 2026-2027 has expired. The 2027-2028 application period is forthcoming.

Our fellowship program has four overarching goals:

1. To provide the trainee with a heightened experience in all areas of tumor and pain-related surgery.
2. To assist the trainee in developing an approach and philosophy for treating either patient with neoplastic diseases that affect the central nervous system or patients in pain.
3. To prepare the trainee for an academically based career in the field of surgical neuro-oncology.
4. To provide the trainee with clinical research experience related to tumors.

Clinical Objectives

Fellows will acquire a thorough understanding of surgical technique, management of newly diagnosed and recurrent diseases, multimodality
therapy, translational science, application of EMB and quality improvements.

Research Objectives

Fellows will gain experience in clinical trial design, comparative effectiveness research, and translational study design.

Education Objectives

Fellows will develop effective teaching strategies for patients, residents, APNs and other stakeholders.

Administrative Objectives

Fellows will gain management skills.  They will collaborate to gain an understanding of the development of multidisciplinary teams and understanding of the "Business of Medicine”.  They will understand practice development. 

Patient Care Responsibilities

The neurosurgical oncology fellow will have patient care responsibilities in the operating room and in both inpatient and outpatient settings. The fellow will function under the supervision of one of the neurosurgical faculty where emphasis will be placed on special operative techniques and procedures.

The fellow will assume progressively greater responsibility according to his/her level of education, ability, and experience.

The fellow is expected to attend the outpatient clinic where assessment and treatment planning of the patients take place.

Integrated into the patient care and operating room responsibilities will be the gathering of the necessary clinical and operative data needed to initiate a complete and clinically based research project. Several important studies are ongoing, and the fellow is invited to participate and take the lead in these studies if he/she wishes. The fellow may devise and execute their own clinical research study under the supervision of one of the
faculty. This will guarantee the integration of clinical duties and education with the development of the fellow’s clinical research project.

The fellow will attend the weekly neuro-oncology, neuropathology, neuroradiology, and neurosurgery conferences. The fellow will participate and is expected to present at the multidisciplinary tumor board.

The fellow is also expected to participate in medical student and resident education.

An exception to this one-year program will be the preparation of at least one research report suitable for publication.

Moonlighting during the neurosurgical oncology fellowship is discouraged and, in general, will not be allowed unless there are extenuating circumstances and approval is given by the department director and department chair.

Supervision

All inpatient, outpatient, surgical and research activities of the fellow will be performed under the supervision of one of the neurosurgical faculty at MD Anderson.

Educational Experiences

Clinical Objectives - Surgical Technique, Disease Management (Newly Diagnosed and Recurrent), Multimodality Therapy, Translational Science, Application of EBM, Quality Improvements.

Research Objectives - Clinical Trial Design, Comparative Effectiveness Research, Translational Study Design.

Education Objectives - Development of effective teaching strategies for patients, residents, APNs, etc.

Administrative Objectives - Management Skills, Development of Multidisciplinary Teams, Understanding of the ‘Business of Medicine’, Practice Development.

The Department of Neurosurgery offers a one-to-three-month research elective in neurosurgical oncology in the following subspecialties:

• Cranial
• Skull base
• Spine
• Radiosurgery

This is not an enfolded fellowship. Residents are expected to participate in a clinical or basic science research project. While any level resident or fellow may apply, we typically accept PGY3 and above.Residents observe outpatient clinic with faculty of their selected subspecialty. Radiosurgery rotation participates in the Andrew M. McDougall Brain Metastasis Clinic. Residents also participate in multidisciplinary conferences including:

• Neurosurgery Case Conferences (weekly)
• Tumor Board and Radiosurgery Conferences

Residents do not participate in call, inpatient service, or operative responsibilities.

For more information, or to apply, please email DepartmentofNeurosurgeryEducation@mdanderson.org. The subject line should read: Research Elective.

Graduates of our fellowship have gone on to practice around the country and the world, in Singapore, India, Lebanon, USA, Canada, Australia, Turkey, Israel and beyond.

Several of our fellows have gone on to leadership positions in neurosurgery and neurosurgical oncology in the United States and beyond, including:

• Maarouf Hammoud, M.D., 1993 – 1995: Division Chair, Neurosurgery, Al-Zahraa Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon
• Frederick F. Lang, M.D., 1995 – 1996: Chair, Department of Neurosurgery, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
• Andrew E. Sloan, M.D., 1997 – 1998: Chair, Neurosurgical Oncology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
• Daryl Fourney, M.D., 2001 – 2002: Director of Research, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
• Stephen Hentschel, M.D., Head of Neurosurgery, Vancouver Island Health Authority, Victoria, BC, Canada
• Kevin Yao, M.D., 2003 – 2004: Chief of Neurosurgery, Englewood Hospital, Englewood, NJ
• Ganesh Rao, M.D.,2005 – 2006: Chair, Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
• John Floyd, M.D., 2007 – 2008: Chair, Department of Neurosurgery, Long School of Medicine, UT Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
• Zeena Dorai, M.D., 2004 – 2005: Chief, Neurosurgery at MedStar Good Samaritan and MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore, MD
• Andrew Tsung, M.D., 2009 – 2010: Director, Neurosurgery, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL
• Mustafa Aziz Hatiboglu, M.D., 2010- 2011: Head of Department, Neurosurgery, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey
• Danny Liang, M.D., 2010 – 2011: Director of Neurosurgical Oncology, University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center, Glen Burnie, MD
• Tal Shahar, M.D., 2011 – 2013: Director, Neurosurgical Oncology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
• Rohan Ramakrishna, M.D., 2013 – 2014: Chief, Neurological Surgery, New York Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, Brooklyn, NY
• Ali Jalali, M.D., 2016 – 2017: Surgical Director, Pituitary Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX

Lazaro TT, Katlowitz KA, Karas PJ, Srinivasan VM, Walls E, Collier G, Raza SM, Curry DJ, Ropper AE, Fuentes A, Gopinath SP, Rao G, Patel AJ. The impact of a night float system on operative experience in neurosurgery residency. J Neurosurg 138(4):1-7, 2023. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 36087325.

Snyder R, Gadot R, Gidley PW, Nader ME, Hanna EY, Su SY, DeMonte F, Raza SM. Patient, Disease and Treatment Related Factors Affecting Progression-Free and Disease-Specific Survival in Recurrent Chondrosarcomas of the Skull Base. Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown) 24(1):33-43, 2023. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 36519877.

Schur SE, Hanna EY, Su SY, Kupferman ME, DeMonte F, Raza SM. Impact of salvage surgery for recurrent sinonasal cancers with skull base and intracranial involvement. J Neurosurg 137:961-968, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35120325.

Bishop AJ, Amini B, Lin H, Raza SM, Patel S, Grosshans DR, Ghia A, Farooqi A, Guadagnolo BA, Mitra D, Akdemir KC, Lazar AJ, Wang WL, Alvarez-Breckenridge C, Bird J, Rhines LD, Somaiah N, Conley AP. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Have Clinical Activity in Patients With Recurrent Chordoma. J Immunother 45(8):374-378, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35943386.

Schur S, Passer JZ, Hanna EY, Su SY, Kupferman ME, DeMonte F, Raza SM. The impact of expanded endoscopic approaches on oncologic and functional outcomes for clival malignancies:a case series. J Neurooncol 159(3):627-635, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35972674.

Habib A, Edem I, Bell D, Su SY, Hanna EY, Kupferman ME, DeMonte F, Raza SM. Soft Tissue Sarcomas of the Head and Neck Region with Skull Base/Intracranial Invasion: Review of Surgical Outcomes and Multimodal Treatment Strategies: A Retrospective Case Series. Curr Oncol 29(9):6540-6550, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 36135083.

Mehta GU, Passer JZ, Raza SM, Kim BYS, Su SY, Kupferman ME, Hanna EY, DeMonte F. The neurosurgical management of sinonasal malignancies involving the anterior skull base: a 28-year experience at The MD Anderson Cancer Center. J Neurosurg 136(6):1-9, 2022. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34624857.

Muir M, Rhines L, Demonte F, Tatsui C, Raza SM. Impact of Radiation Therapy on Outcomes After Spinal Instrumentation for Craniocervical Junction Malignancies. Neurospine 19(2):434-440, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35577332.

Abdelmeguid AS, Bell D, Roberts D, Ferrarotto R, Phan J, Su SY, Kupferman M, Raza S, DeMonte F, Hanna E. Long-Term Outcomes of Olfactory Neuroblastoma: MD Anderson Cancer Center Experience and Review of the Literature. Laryngoscope 132(2):290-297, 2022. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34272876.

Breshears JD, DeMonte F, Habib A, Gidley PW, Raza SM. Management of Recurrent or Progressing Skull Base Chondrosarcomas: Predictors of Long-Term Outcomes. J Neurol Surg B Skull Base 82(Suppl 3):e155-e165, 2021. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 34306931.

Baiomy A, Schellingerhout D, Chapin BF, Weinberg JS, Raza SM, Macapinlac H, Ravizzini G. Rate of incidental central nervous system meningioma detected in patients undergoing 18F-fluciclovine PET/CT imaging for evaluation of prostate cancer. Nucl Med Commun 42(7):755-762, 2021. PMID: 33741867.

Traylor JI, Christiano LD, Esmaeli B, Hanasono MM, Yu P, Suki D, Zhang W, Raza SM, Hanna EY, DeMonte F. Outcomes of orbital exenteration for craniofacial lesions. Cancer 127(14):2465-2475, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 33799313.

Abdelmeguid AS, Teeramatwanich W, Roberts DB, Amit M, Ferraroto R, Glisson BS, Kupferman ME, Su SY, Phan J, Garden AS, Raza SM, DeMonte F, Hanna EY. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for locoregionally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the paranasal sinuses. Cancer 127(11):1788-1795, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 33567468.

Choi KY, Amit M, Tam S, Bell D, Phan J, Garden AS, Williams MD, Ferrarotto R, El-Naggar AK, Raza SM, DeMonte F, Kupferman ME, Hanna EY, Su SY. Clinical Implication of Diagnostic and Histopathologic Discrepancies in Sinonasal Malignancies. Laryngoscope 131(5):E1468-E1475, 2021. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32946597.

Traylor JI, Sheppard HE, Ravikumar V, Breshears J, Raza SM, Lin CY, Patel SR, DeMonte F. Computational Drug Repositioning Identifies Potentially Active Therapies for Chordoma. Neurosurgery 88(2):428-436, 2021. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 33017025.

Habib A, Hanasono MM, DeMonte F, Haider A, Breshears JD, Nader ME, Gidley PW, Su SY, Hanna EY, Raza SM. Surgical Management of Skull Base Osteoradionecrosis in the Cancer Population - Treatment Outcomes and Predictors of Recurrence: A Case Series. Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown) 19(4):364-374, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32324878.

Amit M, Bell D, Hunt PJ, Hanna E, Su SY, Kupferman M, Aashiq M, Takahashi H, Gidley PW, Nader ME, DeMonte F, Raza SM. Surgical management of carcinomas of the infratemporal fossa and skull base: patterns of failure and predictors of long-term outcomes. J Neurosurg 134(5):1-7, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32534492.

Abdelmeguid AS, Raza SM, Su SY, Kupferman M, Roberts D, DeMonte F, Hanna EY. Endoscopic resection of sinonasal malignancies. Head Neck 42(4):645-652, 2020. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31875340.

Evans LT, DeMonte F, Grosshans DR, Ghia AJ, Habib A, Raza SM. Salvage Therapy for Local Progression following Definitive Therapy for Skull Base Chordomas: Is There a Role of Stereotactic Radiosurgery? J Neurol Surg B Skull Base 81(1):97-106, 2020. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 32021756.

Raza SM, Habib A, Wang WL, Gildey PW, Conley AP, Nader ME, Hanna EY, Su SY, DeMonte F. Surgical Management of Primary Skull Base Osteosarcomas: Impact of Margin Status and Patterns of Relapse. Neurosurgery 86(1):E23-E32, 2020. PMID: 31515560.

Amit M, Abdelmeguid AS, Watcherporn T, Takahashi H, Tam S, Bell D, Ferrarotto R, Glisson B, Kupferman ME, Roberts DB, Su SY, Raza SM, DeMonte F, Hanna EY. Induction Chemotherapy Response as a Guide for Treatment Optimization in Sinonasal Undifferentiated Carcinoma. J Clin Oncol 37(6):JCO1800353, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30615549.

Freeman JL, Kaufmann AB, Everson RG, DeMonte F, Raza SM. Evidence-Based Optimization of Post-Treatment Surveillance for Skull Base Chordomas Based on Local and Distant Disease Progression. Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown) 16(1):27-36, 2019. PMID: 29912434.

Mays AC, Hanna EY, Ferrarotto R, Phan J, Bell D, Silver N, Mulcahy CF, Roberts D, Abdelmeguid ASA, Fuller CD, Frank SJ, Raza SM, Kupferman ME, DeMonte F, Su SY. Prognostic factors and survival in adenoid cystic carcinoma of the sinonasal cavity. Head Neck 40(12):2596-2605, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 30447126.

Everson RG, Hashimoto Y, Freeman JL, Hodges TR, Huse J, Zhou S, Xiu J, Spetzler D, Sanai N, Kim L, Kesari S, Brenner A, De Monte F, Heimberger A, Raza SM. Multiplatform profiling of meningioma provides molecular insight and prioritization of drug targets for rational clinical trial design. J Neurooncol 139(2):469-478, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29846894.

Raza SM, Bell D, Freeman JL, Grosshans DR, Fuller GN, DeMonte F. Multimodality Management of Recurrent Skull Base Chordomas: Factors Impacting Tumor Control and Disease-Specific Survival. Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown) 15(2):131-143, 2018. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 29040778.

Mehta GU, DeMonte F, Su SY, Kupferman ME, Hanna EY, Raza SM. Endoscopic endonasal transpterygoid transnasopharyngeal management of petroclival chondrosarcomas without medial extension. J Neurosurg 131(1):184-191, 2018. PMID: 30074455.

Raza SM, Gidley PW, Kupferman ME, Hanna EY, Su SY, DeMonte F. Site-Specific Considerations in the Surgical Management of Skull Base Chondrosarcomas. Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown) 14(6):611-619, 2018. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28962038.

Mays AC, Bell D, Ferrarotto R, Phan J, Roberts D, Fuller CD, Frank SJ, Raza SM, Kupferman ME, DeMonte F, Hanna EY, Su SY. Early Stage olfactory neuroblastoma and the impact of resecting dura and olfactory bulb. Laryngoscope 128(6):1274-1280, 2018. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 29226334.

Mehta GU, Raza SM. Endoscopic endonasal transpterygoid approach to petrous pathologies: technique, limitations and alternative approaches. J Neurosurg Sci 62(3):339-346, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29327863.

Amit M, Tam S, Abdelmeguid AS, Kupferman ME, Su SY, Raza SM, DeMonte F, Hanna EY. Patterns of Treatment Failure in Patients with Sinonasal Mucosal Melanoma. Ann Surg Oncol 25(6):1723-1729, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29626308.

Our trainees have the opportunity to work alongside leading  cancer experts at MD Anderson and institutions across the Texas Medical Center. Additionally, our trainees receive exceptional support from the fellowship leadership team: 

Our unique surgical expertise allows us to offer fellows exposure to all aspects of neurosurgical oncology, including:

• Surgery of primary and metastatic brain tumors
• Surgery of primary and metastatic spinal tumors and reconstruction
• Trans-sphenoidal surgery
• Skull base surgery
• Surgical treatment of pain
• Advanced brain mapping techniques
• Endoscopic neurosurgery
• Pediatric neurosurgery 
• Intraoperative MRI
• Proton Beam Therapy 
• Brain (Gamma Knife) and Spinal Stereotactic Radiosurgery  
• Endovascular neurosurgical oncology

Fellows will also have access to a robust offering of academic and hands-on, practical training. Neurosurgery offers an annual Skull Base Course with acclaimed speakers and guest lecturers. The annual Leavens Lecture welcomes leading neurosurgical minds from around the country and world. And bimonthly seminars offered by the Brain Tumor Program bring renowned experts to speak at MD Anderson and mentor our fellows.

In addition to gaining unparalleled education and training experience, MD Anderson trainees have access to exceptional resources and benefits to help them build meaningful careers and lead fulfilling lives.

Institutional benefits and support

GME trainees’ salary stipends are updated every year based on the ACGME’s recommendations, and because our trainees are considered workforce members, they also enjoy MD Anderson’s employee benefits, including health insurance, retirement planning, disability insurance and six weeks of parental leave.

Our GME House Staff Senate offers trainees the opportunity to experience a leadership role in a medical field career, and the institution’s Academic Mentoring Council provides avenues to secure tailored academic mentoring from faculty. Our GME trainees benefit from the extensive support offered to our research trainees, too; they are invited to participate in grant application workshops, apply for pilot grants to support their research ideas and receive monetary awards for securing extramural grant funding.

Trainee wellness is also of utmost importance at MD Anderson.

Our trainees have access to MD Anderson’s employee networks, fitness center and other wellness resources provided by the institution. Additionally, our Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC), which provides oversight of our accredited programs, regularly assess our trainees’ needs and implements various initiatives, such as providing free call meals and discounted parking to GME House Staff, to address those gaps. The committee even has a subcommittee entirely dedicated to supporting the wellness of our trainees.

Our efforts to ensure a welcoming and supportive education and training experience have been commended nationally. In 2023, the Office of Graduate Medical Education received the DeWitt C. Baldwin, Jr. Award, a prestigious national award that recognizes our institution for its respectful and supportive environment for delivering medical education and patient care.

Beyond MD Anderson

MD Anderson’s location has many benefits, too. Our main campus is nestled inside the Texas Medical Center, the world’s largest medical center which boasts about 10 million patient encounters each year. Many of our faculty are involved in interorganizational research collaborations, both within the TMC and across the nation, exposing trainees to groundbreaking advancements in medical care in real time.

Most importantly, the city of Houston is a great place to call home and raise a family. We are one of the most culturally diverse cities in the nation. More than 145 different languages are spoken across the city, placing us behind only New York and Los Angeles. In fact, about 30% of the city’s population speaks a language other than English at home. And, paychecks here stretch farther than most U.S. metro areas, thanks to our low cost of living.

Visit our Why Houston page to learn more about our city’s affordable housing, fine dining, entertainment scene, nationally renowned museums and other great attributes.