This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Local Voices

Advanced Neurosurgery Associates (ANA) Welcomes Dr. Allison Rathmann

Advanced Neurosurgery Associates welcomes Dr. Allison Rathmann to our practice. Dr. Rathmann comes to us from her recent pediatric neurosurgery fellowship at the prestigious Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio, ranked sixth nationally in neurosurgery by U.S. News & World Report. 

ANA is fortunate to have Dr. Rathmann, who represents women in the top ranks of a rarefied position. Women total a mere 10 to 12 percent of the neurosurgery residency positions in the U.S. (whereas 49% of medical school graduates are women). As of the last available statistics, there are only 219 board-certified female neurosurgeons in the country, or 7 percent of the roughly 3,3000 board certified neurosurgeons.*

Dr. Rathmann, who is 35 years old, was raised in Ashland, Kentucky (population 21,506). She always excelled in the sciences, and dissecting a cadaver in high school inspired her to study surgery. It was working in a neuroscience lab in medical school that drove her to her specialty field of neurosurgery.

Find out what's happening in Morristownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Her parents were always supportive of her aspirations. Dr. Rathmann’s mother, a kindergarten teacher, and her father, who worked for an oil refinery but never attended college, were her early foundation. ”They never really limited me in anything. They always supported and never doubted what I wanted to do. When it came to school and education, they never let anything get in the way,” says Dr. Rathmann.

And while she never initially saw her talent as being in pediatrics, it was a pivotal event during her training at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in New Jersey that solidified her decision to work with children. She tells the story below.

Find out what's happening in Morristownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“Some of the physicians at Saint Barnabas told me I was good with families and kids. In my fourth year, I came across a little girl patient with a brain tumor. We operated on her many times. She was very stand-offish, afraid of everyone, and wouldn’t allow anyone to touch her. I spent a lot of time with her and her mom. There was a breakthrough moment when she talked to me, and made me a bracelet. She always wanted me to be the one to do any of the procedures. The breakthrough moment for me was the realization that if I can get through to her, pediatric neurosurgery is for me. By my fifth year, I decided I only wanted to do pediatrics. I went from thinking I didn’t do particularly well with children to reaching this little girl. I’ll never forget her; if I hadn’t met her, I probably wouldn’t have a future in pediatric neurosurgery.”

Dr. Rathmann is specially trained in pediatric endonasal endoscopic neurosurgery. This is an innovative surgical technique used to remove brain tumors and lesions through the nose and nasal passages. A specially designed endoscope provides light and a lens for viewing and transmitting internal images. Highly crafted instruments are used alongside the endoscope for removing the tumor.

A first-of-its-kind study published in the February, 2007 issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics suggests endoscopic brain surgery has the potential to be safer and often more effective than conventional surgery in children with life-threatening conditions.**

Dr. Rathmann is a member of Women in Neurosurgery (WIN). The mission statement of WIN is: To educate, inspire, and encourage women neurosurgeons to realize their professional and personal goals, and to serve neurosurgery in addressing the issues inherent to training and maintaining a diverse and balanced workforce.


Concludes Dr. Rathmann, “I feel I’m very lucky because neurosurgery is a very male-driven profession. I’m very fortunate, because there are so few women in this field.”

*http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3205553/

**http://thejns.org/doi/abs/10.3171/ped.2007.106.2.75

About Advanced Neurosurgery Associates (ANA)

Advanced Neurosurgery Associates (ANA) provides world-class care for a comprehensive range of neurological conditions for adults, children, and their caregivers and families. ANA has offices located throughout New Jersey & New York, and works in various hospitals throughout the area. Renowned locally, nationally, as well as globally, ANA is known for its collaborative approach and compassionate care. The ANA mission is to provide the best care possible to all patients regardless of income, background, geography or other concerns.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?