Neurosurgery Residency Program

We accept foreign graduates who are highly qualified and have competitive USMLE scores. Please see the Frequently Asked Questions section for more information regarding requirements for IMGs.

For more information, visit:

• http://www.usmle.org
• http://www.ecfmg.org

The Tufts Medical Center Neurosurgery Program is a seven-year program and includes:

• Fifty-one months of clinical neurosurgery
• Twelve months of research or enfolded fellowship
• Six months of elective time (neuropathology, neuroradiology, neuro-opthalmology)
• Three months of radiosurgery and interventional neurosurgery and outpatient clinics
• Residents have two off-site rotations: 3months of functional and deep brain simulation at Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts and six months of dedicated pediatric neurosurgery at Boston Children's Hospital

Physician extenders (eight physician assistants) help with inpatient discharge paperwork, progress notes, inpatient and ED consults and day-to-day patient management. Four nurse practitioners and one physician assistant work in the outpatient clinic and also help with notes, phone calls and outpatient patient management.

Residents are given progressive clinical responsibility both in and out of the operating room. Mentors are assigned in the research areas to facilitate residents’ research goals. The resident may develop his or her own project or participate in ongoing projects. The medical school core neuroscience group and the basic scientists in the neurosurgery department serve as teachers and consultants for this research.

What’s it like to live in Boston? It’s an epicenter for health, science and medical research – where visions are born and discoveries are made. With universities on every corner, intellectuals, scientists and artists mingle to create an exceptional culture.

It’s also a fun city that takes its sports teams seriously, but not much else. In the spring and summer, you can enjoy festivals, outdoor concerts and cultural gatherings. Plus, many neighborhoods are booming with art, restaurants and music. Need to get away? Boston is a short trip from beautiful beaches, mountains and lakes.

It’s the perfect mix of urban culture, a small town feel and outdoor beauty.

Learn more about what it’s like to live in Boston

About the Department of Neurosurgery

The Department of Neurosurgery has recently completed a renovation and expansion program supported by the Cam Neely Foundation. The hospital is located in the center of a rapidly changing area of Boston. The center abuts the theater district and Chinatown near the financial district. The medical center campus is adjacent to the Jean Mayer Regional Nutrition Center and the Tufts Dental School. The Tufts Medical School is also in the same campus facilitating research and interdisciplinary conferences.

For Salary/Benefits information, please visit the the GME Applicants page.

Ron I. Riesenburger, MD
Title(s): Interim Chairman and Director, Spine Center; Co-Chief, Division of Spinal Surgery, Department of Neurosurgery, Tufts Medical Center; Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine
Department(s): Neurosurgery
Appt. Phone: 617.636.8484
Fax #: 617.636.7587
Minimally invasive spine surgery, spinal deformity and scoliosis, complex and reconstructive spine surgery, pinched nerves, sciatica, spinal stenosis, disc herniation, spondylolisthesis, spinal tumors, radiculopathy, and myelopathy

Julian K. Wu, MD
Title(s): Associate Chairman, Neurosurgery; Chief, Neurosurgical Oncology; Neurosurgery Residency Program Director; Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine
Department(s): Neurosurgery
Appt. Phone: 617.636.4500
Fax #: 617.636.7587
Neuro-oncology, Gamma Knife radiosurgery, meningiomas, pituitary tumors, gliomas, brain metastasis, trigeminal neuralgia

Carl B. Heilman, MD
Title(s): Chief of Skull Base Surgery, Department of Neurosurgery, Tufts Medical Center; Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine
Department(s): Neurosurgery
Appt. Phone: 617.636.5860
Fax #: 617-636-7587
Meningiomas, acoustic neuromas, skull base surgery, pituitary surgery, Chiari surgery

Jason M. Frerich, MD, MPH
Title(s): Neurosurgeon
Department(s): Neurosurgery, Spine Surgery Center
Appt. Phone: 617.636.8686
Fax #: 617.636.7587
Management of all spinal conditions, from the straightforward to the complex, and with the goal of providing compassionate care and the least aggressive treatment option for a particular condition.

James Kryzanski, MD
Title(s): Chief, Division of Epilepsy Surgery; Co-Chief, Division of Spine Surgery; Assistant Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine
Department(s): Neurosurgery
Appt. Phone: 617.636.8585
Fax #: 617.636.7587
Epilepsy neurosurgery, skull base surgery, pituitary surgery, neurovascular surgery, minimally invasive spine surgery, neurosurgical disorders in patients with achondroplasia, neurosurgical disorders in patients with Down syndrome

Adel M. Malek, MD, PhD
Title(s): Chief, Neurovascular Surgery; Director, Cerebrovascular & Endovascular Division Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine
Department(s): Neurosurgery
Appt. Phone: 617.636.8200
Fax #: 617.636.7587
Aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, dural fistulas, subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracranial atherosclerosis, arterial dissection

Marie Roguski, MD, MPH
Title(s): Neurosurgeon; Assistant Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine
Department(s): Neurosurgery
Appt. Phone: 617.636.5878
Fax #: 617.636.7587
Neurosurgical oncology, degenerative spinal disorders, brain and spinal tumors, including primary, metastatic, and benign conditions (glioma, metastasis, meningioma, schwannoma), degenerative spinal disorders, including myelopathy, herniated spinal discs, and lumbar stenosis, and their treatment with minimally invasive spinal surgery, spinal fusion, and microdiscectomy,

Mina Safain, MD
Title(s): Chief of Neurosurgery,  Melrose Wakefield Hospital; Neurosurgeon, Department of Neurosurgery, Tufts Medical Center; Assistant Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine
Department(s): Neurosurgery
Appt. Phone: 617.636.5860
Fax #: 617.636.7587
Pituitary tumors, brain tumors, meningiomas, minimally invasive spine surgery, complex and reconstructive spine surgery, spinal microsurgery, spinal trauma

Michael Yang, MD
Medical School: University of Colorado School of Medicine
Undergrad: University of Colorado

Jacob Kosarchuk, MD 
Medical School: Eastern Virginia Medical School of the Medical College of Hampton Roads 
Undergrad: University of California Santa Cruz

Alper Dincer, MD 
Medical School: Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine 
Undergrad: Bucknell University

John Herendeen, MD 
Medical School: Rutgers New Jersey Medical School 
Undergrad: Boston College

Matthew Harrison Snyder, MD 
Medical School: University of Virginia School of Medicine 
Undergrad: Brigham Young University

Anthony Yu, MD
Medical School: Tufts University School of Medicine
Undergrad: Case Western Reserve University

Scott Flynn
Medical School: Tufts University School of Medicine
Undergrad: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Omar Sorour
Medical School: University of Massachusetts Medical School
Undergrad: Harvard University

Luna Zeanaaronevan
Medical School: University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine
Undergrad: University of Texas at Austin

*= Tufts Medical Center Faculty