Message from the Director

Rush University Medical Center Programs Ranked Among the Nation’s Best in 10 of 16 Categories in U.S.News & World Report Annual Best Hospitals Rankings

Ten Rush University Medical Center programs are ranked among the best in the nation according to the July 17 issue of U. S. News & World Report magazine. The magazine lists the top hospitals across the country for 16 medical specialties as part of the magazine’s annual “America’s Best Hospitals” issue. Just 176 out of 5,189 hospitals scored high enough this year to rank in even a single specialty, according to the magazine. In three of the specialty areas, no other hospital in Illinois ranks higher than Rush. These include Orthopedics (#6 in the nation), Neurology and Neurosurgery (#12 in the nation), and Kidney Disease (#21 in the nation).

Our nursing staff received the prestigious Magnet designation in 2002 with a four-year designation and has continued with that excellence by receiving the Magnet designation again in 2006, for improving patient care through specialized training and quality improvements, a national award for nursing excellence given to only 2 percent of the hospitals in the country.

We provide an excellent curriculum with dedicated faculty that provides the balance of autonomy and supervision that are the foundation for an outstanding post-graduate medical education program. The program is demanding and stimulating. You can expect to work hard and gain a wealth of experience and knowledge, leaving the program well prepared to enter into academics, private practice or a subspecialty fellowship.

Our program was reviewed in April 2004 by the Residency Review Committee for Neurological Surgery operating with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and was approved for a resident complement increase to 8 with continued full accreditation for four more years.

The Department of Neurosurgery, Graduate Medical Education and the Rush University Medical Center take pride in proving a full range of support services for trainees and a nurturing learning environment.

Richard W. Byrne, MD
Chairman and Program Director