Third Year of the Neurology Residency Program (PGY-3)
The third-year neurology resident spends most of the year on the adult and pediatric neurology consultation services. One month of psychiatry and two months of electives round out the second-year experience.
Strong Memorial Hospital General Neurology Service
The third-year neurology resident spends approximately 10 weeks on this busy service. Neurological consultations are provided throughout Strong Memorial Hospital, most commonly involving the ED, ICUs, and the internal medicine, psychiatry, and surgical services. Approximately three new consultations are requested daily. The general neurology consultation team consists of the third-year neurology resident, two medical students, and a full-time neurology faculty member, plus any internal medicine residents on elective. A wide range of acute and chronic neurological disorders is seen during this time period.
Strong Memorial Hospital Stroke Service
The Strong Memorial Hospital Stroke Service provides consultations to all patients with cerebrovascular disorders throughout SMH, including the ED, medical and surgical ICUs, and general medical and surgical services. Approximately two new consultations are requested daily. The third-year neurology resident spends approximately 10 weeks on this busy service. The stroke team consists of the third-year neurology resident, two medical students, and the designated stroke attending, plus any neurosurgery residents on elective.
Pediatric Neurology Service
Residents spend 12 weeks on the busy Pediatric Neurology Service at Strong Memorial Hospital. The service covers 124 pediatric beds, 12 pediatric intensive care beds, and 52 neonatal intensive care unit bassinets. There are approximately 40 consultations requested each month and 50 outpatient visits weekly. Children with a wide variety of neurological disorders are evaluated and treated in both inpatient and outpatient clinic settings.
Psychiatry Rotation
The four-week psychiatry rotation for neurology residents has been designed to teach fundamentals of psychiatry most beneficial for the practice of neurology. This rotation is directed by a board-certified psychiatrist and consists of two 2-week experiences: the SMH Psychiatric Emergency Department and the SMH Inpatient Consult Liaison Service.
During the psychiatry ED component, the neurology resident will play a primary role in the evaluation of a wide range of individuals with varying degrees of psychopathology. With direct supervision by attending psychiatrists, along with an experienced staff of psychiatric nurses and social workers, the resident will develop emergency room skills, such as rapid acquisition of data through directive interview techniques.
During the Inpatient Consult Liaison component, the neurology resident will develop skills in the assessment of psychiatric problems in a medical setting, master the understanding of the interaction of medical and neurological conditions with psychiatric disorders, and begin to develop the skills of a specialty consultant.
Electives
Elective schedules, including the choice and duration of particular electives, are arranged to meet the career plans of the individual resident and to satisfy requirements of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. A wide range of electives is available, including neuroradiology, neurorehabilitation, neuropathology, neuro-oncology, cognitive and behavioral neurology, EEG, EMG, neuro-ophthalmology, headache medicine, sleep disorders, palliative care, and pain medicine. In addition, a wide range of opportunities is available for residents to participate in clinical or basic neurological research.
