Be the future of British Neurosurgery

A Junior Clinical Fellowship with Oxford Neurosurgery is more than just a job, its your best opportunity to secure your future as a neurosurgeon.

"Having come to Oxford Neurosurgery on the Junior Clinical Fellow programme with a view to obtaining a NTN, and to now be staying in Oxford for eight years as a trainee I can certainly vouch for its effectiveness.I had never worked in neurosurgery before though I learnt quickly on the job through supportive colleagues and registrars. As a result I now feel comfortable assessing and managing neurosurgical patients, reviewing radiology and performing a range of procedures and operations.You very much get out what you put in and if you put yourself in a position to learn I have found training opportunities abound.
One of the big draws to Oxford is the Getting into Neurosurgery (GiN) course and through this, working closely with my JCF compatriots this year there were 5 NTN’s offered, which is a testament to the clinical exposure, training, and extracurricular mentoring that is present at Oxford Neurosurgery.

Will, JCF and now NTN

Get into a training program

Our statistics speak for themselves:

Our JCF program and GIN course both started in 2018.
From our 2018 intake 5 doctors gained an NTN in neurosurgery, including the top rank.
From our 2019 intake 4 doctors gained an NTN in neurosurgery, including the top rank.
From our 2020 intake 4 doctors gained an NTN in neurosurgery.
From our 2021 intake 2 doctors gained an NTN in neurosurgery, including the top rank.
From our 2022 intake 3 doctors gained an NTN in neurosurgery, including the top rank.

Oxford Neurosurgery is shaping the future of British Neurosurgery and we know our graduates will make us proud.

Separately from neurosurgery we have seen our programme graduates go on to do incredible things around the region and country, including gaining excellent CST programmes, setting up medical courses, and enrolling in PhDs.

We know our JCF programme is not a training role, and we know most of the applicants have previously lost out at national selection. This has happened to many of us as well, and we have learned what works and what does not from the state of non-training roles in Britain. Our JCFs may not be “in training”, but we still train them.

junior clinical fellows in neurosurgery training with the microscope

Learn new skills

All of our JCFs learn a range of clinical skills including lumbar puncture, advanced suturing, valve modulation, and CSF drain management.

Many of our JCFs also get the opportunity to learn neurosurgical operations; including burr hole drainage, external ventricular drain placement, and assisting with craniotomy or shunt placement.

junior clinical fellows in neurosurgery training with navigation

Learn and progress

Our JCFs experience curriculum based teaching at least weekly.
JCFs can build their interview confidence through our game changing GIN program.
Our JCFs can confidently manage and escalate a range of neurosurgical problems, including the emergency and ward care of adult and pediatric neurosurgery patients.
The rota is firm based, and our consultants and registrars both provide JCF supervision and mentoring, allowing constant progress through case based learning.

Objectives

Craniospinal JCFs are nominally placed with a neurosurgical firm for 4 months before rotating to another neurosurgical firm. They get to experience the full range of neurosurgical and spinal work. They are expected to invest in their unit by developing teaching and leadership skills. They are expected to work on projects and actively move their career forward during their time with us. All of our csJCFs develop excellent neuroscience ward care skills, as well as basic surgical skills in theatre.

Knowledge Objectives

Basic neurosciences.
Basic spinal care including mechanics.
Perioperative care (for a JCF this should include prepping the patient, operating under supervision, and post op care).
Management of sick, deteriorating, or poly-injured patients.
Ethics and law.
Leadership including supervising and teaching the FY2s.

Skill Objectives

Advanced suturing.
Managing a range of CSF devices.
Lumbar puncture and lumbar drains.
Basic surgery is a must and should include ICP monitors, burr holes, and perhaps EVDs, as well as assisting in theatre for bigger cases.

Long term career objectives

Our csJCFs tend to apply to neurosurgery training as well as core surgical training.
They have extremely high success rates.
This is down to team work. Our JCFs work together to lift each other up, and work with their supervisors and mentors to achieve their goals.
The GIN course is a vital part of this success.

Interested

Oxford Neurosurgery have been running this highly successful and innovative program since 2018. We currently have seven one-year JCF posts, and are looking to extend this to more.

Timeline

Posts start annually on the first Wednesday of August.
Adverts for the post should appear on NHS jobs in March.
Applications are through NHS jobs.
Applications will close shortly after national selection job offers, to allow unsuccessful candidates an opportunity to apply for our program.
Shortlisting, virtual interviews, and offers will all occur shortly after applications close (predicted to be April).

Please be aware we may not have time to respond to queries but we will let you know when the advert is up so that you can consider your application. We look forward to hearing from you.