Neurosurgery Spine Leadership Position - Professor or Associate Professor

The Department of Neurosurgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) is seeking a board-certified neurosurgeon to join our academic practice serving the greater Milwaukee area and eastern Wisconsin.

This is an outstanding opportunity to lead a pioneering, comprehensive, multi-disciplinary spine practice within one of the Midwest's leading academic health systems. Spine Care at MCW has a rich history, being one of the earliest multi-disciplinary spine programs in the country. The MCW Department of Neurosurgery was the first to train a spinal surgery fellow in the U.S. The Spine Care and Pain & Spine programs include various clinicians in the Departments of Neurosurgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Anesthesiology. These departments offer a broad range of services, including the breadth of spinal surgery, rehabilitation, chiropractic medicine, pain medicine, sports medicine, diagnostic and interventional procedures, physical and occupational therapies, patient education, pediatric care, and more.

The Department of Neurosurgery Faculty includes 28 actively practicing neurosurgeons, 5 chiropractors, 11 research faculty, and numerous adjunct and emeritus faculty. Our ACGME-accredited residency has enjoyed excellent reviews from the ACGME and just this year expanded from 2 residents per year to 3 residents per year. We offer CAST-accredited fellowships in Complex Spine, Neuroendovascular Neurosurgery, Skull Base, Functional Neurosurgery, and Neurocritical Care, and we plan to apply for Neurotrauma in 2027.

FMLH (also known as Froedtert Hospital) is a 781-bed quaternary academic medical center with consistent Magnet nursing designation and Top 20 Vizient rankings. It is among America’s 50 Best Hospitals ranked by HealthGrades and one of 100 Great Hospitals by Becker’s Hospital Review. FMLH admits over 40,000 patients per year and provides more than 1 million outpatient visits annually. Both FMLH and Children’s Wisconsin (CW) are designated Level I trauma centers and FMLH is a Comprehensive Stroke Center. All physicians providing care at FMLH are MCW physicians and the majority of physicians practicing at CW are MCW physicians. CW (formerly known as Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin) is a free-standing children’s hospital and operates 298 beds.

The successful candidate will join a collaborative team primarily at MCW and Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital (FMLH) and affiliated regional sites, where the teams are dedicated to providing advanced surgical care for patients with complex spinal disorders, including innovative treatments options. With the expansion of our service area to the Froedtert ThedaCare health system and networks, there is an opportunity to lead the coordination of services throughout the region.

This is also a leadership opportunity to contribute to MCW and the Neurosurgery Department's missions of clinical excellence, education, research, and community engagement. Specific goals of the position will be to grow the team of surgeons and co-lead the team of multidisciplinary experts in a landscape of increasing demand for specialized spine care. Specific opportunities include expansion of collaborative relationships within the healthcare system, development of more formalized telehealth and second opinion programs, and advancement of training opportunities (including spine surgery for the growing neurosurgical residency and CAST-accredited complex spine fellowship).

Research opportunities are available and supported by a large team of research administrators, coordinators, and other staff in the Department of Neurosurgery. Neurosurgery PIs have the highest rate of extramural funding on campus and enjoy significant support from our internal infrastructure as well as that of the Wisconsin Institute of NeuroScience (WINS).

Position Highlights:

A growing and highly collaborative academic spine program within the Medical College of Wisconsin and Froedtert Health.

Opportunity to develop a comprehensive elective and complex spine practice supported by a strong regional referral network.

Access to advanced surgical technologies, dedicated operating room resources, neurocritical care, and multidisciplinary care teams.

Opportunity to lead student, resident, and fellow education through MCW's nationally recognized training programs.

Engage in clinical research, quality improvement initiatives, and program development based on individual interests and career goals.

Dedicated advanced practice provider and administrative support to optimize clinical efficiency and patient access.

Performs other duties as assigned by Chair or Chair-Designate

Department/Division Highlights:

The MCW Department of Neurosurgery advances the field of neurological surgery through world-class adult and pediatric clinical care, groundbreaking research, and innovative education.

Our renowned team provides the breadth of neurosurgical services with specialists in all subspecialty areas of neurosurgery.

Qualifications

Medical degree (MD, DO, or equivalent) from an accredited institution

Graduation from an ACGME-accredited residency program

Spine fellowship preferred, particularly for applicants who trained after the implementation of CAST accreditation

Board certification from the American Board of Neurological Surgeons

State medical licensure, or eligibility to obtain a license, in Wisconsin.

Rank of Associate Professor or Full Professor at existing institution

Prior leadership experience with multidisciplinary care teams

Medical degree (MD, DO, or equivalent) from an accredited institution.

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Procedure for Candidacy

To submit your application, please click on “Apply Now.” You will create a candidate profile, and you will be prompted to upload your CV and your cover letter, describing your interest and qualifications. References will be required at an appropriate time in the process. All interactions will remain confidential, and no inquiries will be made without the consent of the applicant. Application review will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

For inquiries or to learn more, please contact:

Jen Van Abel Thibodeau, Physician & APP Recruiter

jvathibodeau@mcw.edu

#LI-JV1

Medical College of Wisconsin

The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) is the state’s only private medical school and health sciences graduate school. MCW consists of a School of Medicine with campuses in Milwaukee, Green Bay and Central Wisconsin, a School of Graduate Studies, and a School of Pharmacy. MCW is a major national research center ranking in the top third of U.S. medical schools in NIH funding and is the second largest research institution in Wisconsin. Academic medicine is at the core of everything we do at MCW, bringing together scientists, clinicians, students and community members to solve the most complex challenges in health and society. MCW is a diverse group of thought leaders collaborating to pioneer pathways to a healthier world. Every study we conduct and every patient we see leads to new learning and a continuous cycle of life-changing knowledge and innovation.

Approximately 1,780 MCW physicians and approximately 905 advanced practice providers care for more than 484,000 patients of all ages annually at Froedtert Hospital, Zablocki VA Medical Center, Children’s Wisconsin, and many other hospitals and clinics throughout eastern Wisconsin, representing more than 5.1 million patient visits annually.

The beautiful, safe and modern campus of the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center (MRMC) houses Froedtert Hospital, Children’s Wisconsin, Curative Care Network, Versiti Blood Research Institute and the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division. These member entities share a common mission of excellence in patient care, medical education, biomedical research and community service.

Commitment to MCW Values

All of our endeavors at MCW, from our internal operations t