Sub-Internship Program

Our neurosurgery sub-internships allow fourth-year medical students to spend a four-week rotation with our department across Penn Medicine's major locations. These would be the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP), Pennsylvania Hospital (PAH), Penn Presbyterian Medical Center (PPMC) and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).  These hospitals are all easily accessible as they are located within a 3-mile radius of each other in the heart of Philadelphia. Our goal during your sub-internship is to help you learn more about neurosurgery, the inner workings of how our top-ranking department functions, and to shed light on what a career in neurosurgery will be like.

During your time with us, you will spend two weeks at HUP and then another two weeks split between PPMC, PAH, and CHOP where you will take call every 4 to 5 nights. This unique opportunity will allow you to be exposed to each of our different sub-specializations and interact with many of the clinical faculty and residents within our department. While gaining extensive clinical experience on the hospital floor and in surgery suites, you'll also be able to attend each of our many conferences and grand rounds. By the end of your rotation with us, you are expected to give a 5-minute presentation on your clinical or basic science research to the department.

Our rotations typically run from July through October, but accommodations may be made for select people needing to complete their sub-internship outside of this time frame. Anyone interested in applying for the sub-internship should do so through the VSLO website or to contact Susan Small for more information.

All students should choose NSG300 for our program. You will still get the choice to do one week at CHOP as part of your rotation with us.

2026 Sub-Internship Dates

Applications for Summer 2026 rotations are open in VSLO; applications close 90 days before rotation start dates.

Applications for Fall 2026 rotations are open in VSLO starting in mid-May.

For specifics regarding housing, fees, and requirements, please refer to the Perelman School of Medicine Visiting Student Overview.

Susan Small
Neurosurgery Residency Coordinator
Email: susan.small@pennmedicine.upenn.edu