McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University Program

ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

Chicago, ILLast Updated: 8/20/2026

About This Program

The 12-month Spinal Cord Injury Medicine Fellowship offers advanced training in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of traumatic and nontraumatic spinal cord injuries. Open to those with relevant residency training, the program fulfills eligibility for subspecialty board certification. Fellows train across Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. -

Program Length

1 Year

First Year Positions

1 Position

Program Starts Reviewing Applications

Jun 15, 2026

Avg Work Hours

40 Hours/Week

Program Setting

University

Application Service

Direct to Program

Program Statistics

View All

Compensation

$93K

20 Vacation Days
10 Sick Days

View All Benefits

Types of Graduates

Resident Gender

Contact Information

Program Director

Ki (Alex) Kim, MD
Shirley Ryan Abilitylab

Primary Program Contact

Jamie Byrne, BA
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab

[email protected]
(312) 238-2870

Survey Received: 6/12/2026

Program ID: 3451612020

Locations

Sponsor Location

McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University

420 E Superior St
Chicago, IL 60611

Participant Locations

PRIMARY TEACHING SITE

Shirley Ryan AbilityLab

355 E Superior St
Chicago, IL 60611

Northwestern Memorial Hospital

251 E Huron
Chicago, IL 60611

Application Information

Applicant Interview Format

Virtual

Interviews Conducted Last Year

1 Interviews

Interviews/First Year Positions

1:1

Program Participation

Participates In

NRMP Main Match

None

Doesn't Participate In

San Francisco Match
Military Match (i.e., Joint Service Graduate Medical Education Selection Board, Military Selection Board)
SAU/AU Match (i.e., Urology Match)

Program Offers

Does not offer open house or second look

Medical Exam Licensing Requirements for Interview Consideration

U.S. MD Applicants

Must Have Passed USMLE Step 1

Yes

Must Have Passed USMLE Step 2 CK

Yes

IMG Applicants

Must Have Passed USMLE Step 1

Yes

Must Have Passed USMLE Step 2 CK

Yes

DO Applicants

Must Have Passed COMLEX Level 1

Yes

Must Have Passed COMLEX Level 2

Yes

Requires the USMLE Step 1 and/or Step 2 CK

Specialty-Specific Standardized Letter Required

Specialty-specific standardized letter requirements

Recommendation Letter Requirements

Total required letters of recommendation (excludes MSPE and Deans letter)

Minimum

3 Letters

Maximum

4 Letters

Required Letter Writers

Letter(s) from someone within the specialty (e.g., faculty, attending)

Additional Eligibility Information

Requires Previous GME

Yes

Number of previous GME years required

3 year(s)

Required Supplemental Information

Osteopathic Recognition

Medical School Graduation Timeline

No cap on the number of years.

Gap Experience Requirement

Data not provided by program

Resident / Fellow Characteristics

Three year averages. Medical school type does not include graduates of Canadian schools.

Types of Graduates

Resident Gender

Program Faculty

Faculty/Resident Ratio

7:1

Program Faculty

Female Faculty

42.9%

Faculty Distribution

Physicians (7)

Non-Physicians (--)

Work Environment

Work Schedule

Program Start Dates

July 1

Avg Hours/Week on Duty (During First Year)

40 Hours

Maximum Consecutive Hours on Duty (During First Year)

10 Hours

Avg Number of 24 Hour Off Duty Periods Per Week (During First Year)

2.00

Program Allows Moonlighting (Beyond PGY-1)

Yes

Night Float System

Call Schedule

Most Taxing Schedule & Frequency Per Year

Beeper or Home Call (Weeks / Year)

Year 1 - N/A

NA = Not Applicable

NGO = Negotiable

OTH = Other

Visa Status

This program will consider an appropriately qualified applicant with the following visa or visa status. Contact the program for additional information.

J-1 visa sponsorship through ECFMG

H-1B visa

F-1 visa (OPT 1st year)

Program Size

Current Residents

Year 11

PGY-1 Positions Not Offered

PGY-2 Positions Not Offered

Key Dates & Timelines

2026 - 2027

JUN15

Program Starts Reviewing Applications

Jun 15, 2026

JUN1

Interview Offer Dates

Jun 1, 2026 - Sep 30, 2026

Average PGY-1 Educational Environment

Structured Didactic Activities

2 Hours

Hospital Outpatient

40%

Non-Hospital Ambulatory Care

N/A

Employment Policies & Benefits

Subsidized child care

iPads, tablets, etc., or technology allowance

Educational Benefits

Offered

Curriculum to develop health systems leadership skills (e.g., QI project leadership, community/organizational advocacy)

Yes

Formal program to foster interprofessional teamwork

Yes

International experience/global health

Yes

Resident/fellow retreats

Yes

MPH, MBA, PhD or other advanced degree training

Yes

Research rotation

Required (8 wks)

Not Offered

Integrative medicine curriculum

Instruction in medical Spanish or other non-English language

Alternative/complementary medicine curriculum

Economics of health care systems curriculum

Debt management/financial counseling

Academic support for USMLE Step 3 and/or COMLEX-USA Level 3 preparation

Off-campus electives

Hospice/home care experience

Tracks & Educational Features

Offered

Academic or clinician educator track

Yes

Another track

Yes

Not Offered

Primary care track

Hospitalist track

Research track/non-accredited fellowship track

Rural track

Women's health track

Offers additional training or educational experience beyond accredited length

Evaluations

Program Evaluations

Aggregate resident Milestone achievements

Graduates board certification pass rates

Performance-based assessment scores (e.g. OSCE, patient or computer simulations)

Resident Evaluations

Patient surveys

Yes

Portfolio system

Yes

Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE)

Medical Insurance Coverage

Institution & Resident Share Cost

Major medical for residents
Major medical for dependents
Dental insurance

Fully Paid by Institution

Salary Compensation

$93K

Year 5

$92,697

Salary paid by a non-profit institution.

Vacation & Sick Days

Residents receive 20 Vacation Days and 10 Sick Days annually to support work-life balance and personal well-being.

Vacation Days20

Sick Days10

Family & Medical Leave Policy

Maximum # of paid days

NGO

Maximum # of unpaid days

NGO

For more information, view the program's leave policy on their website.

Quality of Life Information*

Chicago, IL

Purchasing Power Index

Safety Index

Health Care Index

Climate Index

Cost of Living Index

Property Price to Income Ratio

Traffic Commute Time Index

Pollution Index

Estimated Monthly Costs

Estimated cost does not include rent.

Family of 4

Single Person

*Source: Numbeo

Members Only Content

Become a member to access this content.

Member Benefits

Full access to program details to make smarter, faster decisions.
Full access to member only dashboard where you can save, rank & compare programs.
Online course to help you select, apply and get admitted to residency programs.

McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University Program

About This Program

Program Statistics

Compensation

Types of Graduates

Resident Gender

Contact Information

Program Director

Primary Program Contact

Locations

Application Information

Participates In

Doesn't Participate In

Does not offer open house or second look

U.S. MD Applicants

IMG Applicants

DO Applicants

Total required letters of recommendation (excludes MSPE and Deans letter)

Required Letter Writers

Medical School Graduation Timeline

Gap Experience Requirement

Resident / Fellow Characteristics

Types of Graduates

Resident Gender

Program Faculty

Faculty Distribution

Work Environment

Visa Status

Program Size

PGY-1 Positions Not Offered

PGY-2 Positions Not Offered

Key Dates & Timelines

2026 - 2027

Program Starts Reviewing Applications

Interview Offer Dates

Average PGY-1 Educational Environment

Employment Policies & Benefits

Educational Benefits

Tracks & Educational Features

Evaluations

Medical Insurance Coverage

Salary Compensation

Vacation & Sick Days

Quality of Life Information*

Estimated Monthly Costs