Neurosurgery Residency

Each academic year, the Neurosurgery Residency Program, through the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City, provides one resident opportunity to train at one of the high-performing neurosurgery hospitals in the country, as recognized by U.S. News & World Report. 

We have fellowship-trained neurosurgeons in all subspecialty areas who train residents at Saint Luke’s Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute.

The Neuroscience Institute provides resident education in the full spectrum of elective and emergency surgical interventions for neurological conditions, including:

• Spine and neck pain
• Brain and spine tumors
• Stroke and aneurysms
• Spinal cord and brain neuro trauma
• Parkinson’s disease and tremor
• Epilepsy
• Spinal deformity and scoliosis
• Robotic surgery for various neurological conditions
• Endovascular treatment of cerebrovascular conditions
• Arteriovenous malformation
• Other brain and spine disorders

Our Neurosurgery Residency Program is designed to expose residents to a wide range of neurological conditions and provide hands-on training and mentorship from nationally recognized neurosurgeons. Exposure to the full range of pathologies allows residents to mold their training to fit their career goals. 

Program training

This residency is designed to advance clinical, educational, and research activities in the field of neurosurgery. Residents will learn to treat highly complex neurological disorders and less complicated clinical issues. Each resident will gain exposure in diverse care settings. While Saint Luke's Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute is the primary site, residents' clinical rotations and training are shared with University Health Truman Medical Center, Children’s Mercy Hospital, and Kansas City VA Medical Center. 

This residency is a seven-year program. Neurological Surgery Rotations and rotation sites are listed below:

Neurosurgery Residency Program Chart

For more information about the University of Missouri–Kansas City Neurological Surgery Residency.

Achievements and accolades

• Saint Luke’s Hospital is recognized nationally by U.S. News & World Report in Neurology and Neurosurgery.
• Saint Luke’s Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute is designated AS an Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center and a Level 1 Time-Critical Diagnosis Center with multiple benchmarks above the national average.
• One of the first hospitals in the region to use the minimally invasive ROSA® surgical robot to treat epilepsy.
• Saint Luke’s Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute is a Level 4 Comprehensive Epilepsy Center.

Training Program Faculty

Saint Luke's Hospital Physicians

• Naveed Akhtar, MD – Interventional Neuroradiology
• Carlos A. Bagley, MD – Neurosurgery
• Jonathan Breshears, MD – Neurosurgery
• Yifei Duan, MD – Neurosurgery
• Gurpreet S. Gandhoke, MD – Neurosurgery
• Samuel A. Goldlust, MD – Neuro-Oncology
• Bartosz Grobelny, MD – Neurosurgery
• Jared Halpin, MD – Interventional Neuroradiology  
• William Holloway, MD – Interventional Neuroradiology  
• Joseph Loeb, DO – Interventional Neuroradiology  
• Coleman Martin, MD – Interventional Neuroradiology  
• Erik Sembroski, MD – Critical Care Medicine
• Monir Tabossha, MD – Neurosurgery
• Tarek El Ahmadieh, MD – Neurosurgery

Children's Mercy Hospital Physicians

• Christian Kaufman, MD – Pediatric Neurosurgery
• Melissa Gener, MD – Pathology

Kansas City VA Medical Center Physicians

• James Wolter, MD – Neurosurgery
• Christopher Meredith, MD – Neurosurgery

University Health Truman Medical Center Physicians

• Heather Klepacz, MD – Trauma

Application process

We participate in the NRMP Residency Match. 

The residency program selects the best qualified candidates regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, cultural background, religion, sexual orientation, color, national origin, handicap, or age. Upon careful review of all applications, we offer interviews to selected applicants. In accordance with UMKC School of Medicine policy, we will not interview, rank, or accept H-1B applicants in the UMKC Neurosurgery Residency Program.

Candidate requirements include:

• U.S. citizen or J-1 visa sponsorship
• Completion of an accredited medical degree
• A completed application form through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS)
• Medical student performance evaluation (MSPE) from the candidate’s medical school
• Recommendation letters from three faculty members
• Medical school transcripts
• Personal statement
• Educational Commision for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) certification, if applicable
• For osteopathic applicants, we accept results of Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination of the United States (COMLEX-USA) and/or United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) exams

About Kansas City

Saint Luke’s is proud to call Kansas City home. With locations on both sides of the state line, the Health System serves more than 2.1 million people and 240 neighborhoods in Kansas and Missouri. Discover why Kansas City is one of the top U.S. cities in which to live and work. USA Today has regularly named Kansas City a top area for affordability, high-quality schools, and low traffic. Learn more at visitkc.com.