Program ElectivesResident ElectivesElective 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, as listed below. In addition, a wide range of opportunities is available for residents to participate in clinical or basic neurological research. Sleep Disorders ElectiveThe Sleep Medicine rotation is conducted in the Sleep Disorders Center, which consists of a multidisciplinary outpatient sleep clinic and a 14-bed diagnostic laboratory. Faculty members from the departments of Internal Medicine, Neurology, and Pediatrics assess pediatric and adult patients with potential sleep disorders at the Center. The goal of this elective is to understand the clinical features of sleep disorders and the modalities used for their diagnosis and treatment; to understand the physiological substrates involved in normal and pathological sleep; and to develop sufficient familiarity with the Polysomnogram (PSG) and Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) to allow basic recognition of sleep stages and fundamental sleep disorders. Neuro-Ophthalmology ElectiveThe Neuro-ophthalmology elective takes place in the ophthalmology clinic, under the direction of two board-certified neuro-ophthalmologists. The goal of this elective is to learn how to perform a neuro-ophthalmic history and examination, focusing on examination techniques that are useful in a general neurologic practice; to learn to differentiate optic nerve disease from other ophthalmic causes of visual loss based on the history and exam; and to become proficient in identifying normal optic nerve anatomy, optic disc edema, papilledema, and optic atrophy. Neuroradiology ElectiveThe Neuroradiology elective takes place in the radiology department at Strong Memorial Hospital, under the direction of the neuroradiology faculty. The goal of this elective is to develop a proficiency in interpreting CT and MR images of the brain and spinal cord; to learn the indications and contraindications for ordering angiography of the head, neck, and spine as well as myelography; and to understand the limitations of each neuroimaging study. Neuropathology ElectiveResidents work with faculty in the division of neuropathology to learn the pathologic basis for neurologic disease. Classic neuropathologic categories of disease are stressed, including vascular, diseases, neoplasms, demyelinating disorders, infectious diseases, head trauma, toxic and metabolic disorders, developmental disorders, and degenerative disorders. Residents present cases at the weekly Brain Cutting conference. Pain Management ElectiveThe Pain Management elective is conducted in a multidisciplinary pain management center. The Pain Center at Strong is an outpatient clinic and a pair of procedure suites with recovery rooms located in the ambulatory care center at Strong Memorial Hospital. In this department, faculty members from the Department of Anesthesiology with training in Neurology, Anesthesiology, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Psychology assess and treat adult patients with chronic pain problems. The goal of the Pain Management Elective is to understand diagnostic and treatment strategies for managing common chronic pain conditions; to identify indications for interventional and surgical therapies for chronic pain conditions; and to develop familiarity with common fluoroscopy-based procedures including epidural interventions, radiofrequency ablation, spinal cord stimulation, and intrathecal drug delivery for the treatment of pain. Palliative Care ElectiveThe Palliative Care elective is integrated within the busy inpatient Palliative Care Program at Strong Memorial Hospital. The PCCS team conducts approximately 600 inpatient consultations per year and approximately 150 in an outpatient setting and/or in the home. The goal of this elective is to understand the role of palliative care in the evaluation and management of patients and families with serious illness, including neurological illness, and to appreciate and demonstrate an ability to effectively work within the palliative care multidisciplinary team; to develop basic knowledge and skill about pain management, including equianalgesic dose conversions; and to develop basic knowledge and skill in the management of other physical symptoms that afflict seriously ill patients, including constipation, dyspnea, depression, and delirium. Headache ElectiveAlthough headache is extremely common and commonly seen, more than 50% of patients report being dissatisfied with medical management of their headaches. Fewer than 10% of patients who are appropriate candidates for preventative therapy for headache actually receive it. The goal of this elective is to learn how to take a focused and detailed headache history; to learn to recognize red flags in the headache history that should prompt a search for a secondary cause of the headache; and to learn different treatment strategies for acute attacks, preventative therapy, chronic daily headache, and rare primary headache disorders. Private Neurology Practice ElectiveThe residency program in Neurology at Strong Memorial Hospital emphasizes academic and research neurology; experience in private practice Neurology is limited. This rotation will provide neurology residents with the opportunity to explore private practice Neurology in a rural setting. Residents will spend 2-4 weeks working with Dr. Daniel Britton in his private neurology practice in Corning, NY. Dr. Britton has been in private practice since l978 in multi-specialty group practice, partnership, and solo practice. Experienced in a variety of non-academic practice opportunities, he will be able to share that valuable perspective with residents. Residents will also learn about insurance and billing issues integral to running a private practice. International OpportunitiesThe Department of Neurology has a formal affiliation encompassing teaching and research with the Neurology Clinic at the Jagiellonian University Collegium Medicum in Krakow, Poland. The Jagiellonian University was founded in 1364 and is situated in one of the most beautiful medieval and renaissance cities in central Europe. Third-year residents have the opportunity to travel to Krakow for four weeks to teach neurology to a group of Polish medical students at this university.
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