Residency Training Program
Neurology Residency Program
The Neurology Residency Program at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital aims to provide outstanding training in clinical care, neuroscience research, and medical education to the next generation of practitioners and academic neurologists. As of July 2011, we are the second largest training program in the US, with 42 Residency positions, and 18 Fellowship positions.
The Jackson neurology service works continuously to excel in neurological care of patients and their families, striving to create new methods for evaluation and management of diseases of the nervous system, fostering strategic alliances with allied clinical disciplines, competing for cutting-edge clinical and basic neuroscience research funding, and preparing its trainees for life-long medical teaching and learning.
-
To View the Applicant Newsletter 2011-12 Click here
-
Click Here to View Recent Photos from our Resident Retreat! (July 2011)Click here
Service and Program Overview:
Jackson Memorial Hospital and the Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, both located at the University of Miami Medical Campus, provide over 2300 hospital beds, making UM/Jackson the largest hospital facility in the southeast United States, and the #1 rated hospital (US News and World Report) in Miami. Jackson is the main referral hospital for communities in South Florida and in Central and South America and is one of the nation's busiest hospitals. Its strength is a broad range of tertiary services and clinical programs designed to serve the entire community, and a medical staff that is recognized nationally for the quality of its patient care, teaching and research. The depth and breadth of cases, and the diverse pathologies make Jackson an ideal place to train in Neurology. In addition, the recent addition of the University of Miami Hospital (located directly across the street from JMH), allows our trainees to see a variety of cases in a private, community-based setting. The combination of JMH, the Miami VA and UMH provides a unique and comprehensive training enviornment that is second to none.
Fifty-six full-time clinical attendings (and twenty-one research faculty) of the UM School of Medicine's Department of Neurology serve as attending physicians in Jackson's residency training program in neurology and provide the latest knowledge and experience in clinical neurology and neuroscience research. Every subspecialty area of neurology is represented in our staff, and active recruitment is always under way to broaden the program. In fact, the Department has hired over eighteen new faculty members in a variety of specialties over the last two years.
Areas of particular strength in patient care, research and teaching within the neurology service include: cerebrovascular diseases, neuromuscular disorders, movement disorders, epilepsy and EEG, multiple sclerosis and neuroimmunology, behavioral neuroscience and cognitive disorders, neuro-oncology, neurovirology, and sleep medicine. There are also well-funded basic research programs in cerebrovascular disease, cerebral metabolism, neurotrauma, cell biology and molecular genetics, mitochondrial biology, neurovirology, neuroimmunology, and several other research fields. The Department is ranked #10 in funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and our Chair, Dr. Ralph Sacco, was recently honored as the recipient of the NIH Javits Award, for his landmark study, NOMAS. The School of Medicine's Gordon Center for Research in Medical Education provides innovative neurological clinical teaching at undergraduate and graduate levels, and is nationally recognized.
Neurology Residency Training Program
Jackson is home to the second largest neurology residency training programs in the United States, with a total complement of 42 residents approved by the ACGME. The program offers training in both adult and pediatric neurology. The program provides intensive clinical training on the neurology services of two large general hospitals, detailed instruction in basic and related clinical neurosciences, exposure to investigative laboratory science, and a variety of conferences and specialized neurological clinics. The residency training schedule is designed for flexibility. After the first year of basic clinical neurology training, every effort is made to accommodate the request of each resident for elective rotations that are chosen in concert with individualized career goals.
For hands-on experience in clinical or bench research, each resident is assigned to a mentor under whose guidance the residents pursue scholarly research projects during the period of their residency. Substantial elective time is provided in the final years of training. The program emphasizes excellence in clinical neurology and has produced academic neurologists, practitioners of neurology, researchers, and teachers of national and international repute.
Residency Program Statistics for the Match, 2011:
USMLE Step 1, 2011 - Range 210s-260s
USMLE Step 2, 2011 - Range 210s-270s;
MD/PhD or other graduate degree 20%
AOA: 20%
Male/Female: 5/5
Medical Schools: Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York; Howard University, Washington DC; Indiana University School of Medicine; Medical College of Georgia; Meharry Medical College, Nashville; University of Miami Miller School of Medicine; University of Minnesota Medical School; Universidad del Pais Vasco; Tulane University, Washington University, St. Louis.
General Program Statistics:
Neurology Boards Pass Rate (Class of 2009 and 10): 100%
Resident In-Service Training Exam Scores: 85th %-tile (Clinical Adult Neurology)
Recent Fellowship placements (Classes of 2007-2011):
ALL GRADUATES HAVE RECEIVED THEIR #1 CHIOICE
Neuro-Critical Care, Columbia University
Vascular Neurology, Harvard Medical School/BIDMC
Neuro-Critical Care, Johns Hopkins University
Vascular Neurology, Columbia University
Clinical Electrophysiology, John Hopkins
Neuromuscular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester
Vascular Neurology, University of Pennsylvania
Neuro-Critical Care, University of Texas-SW
Neuro-Opthalmology, Bascom Palmer, University of Miami)
Neuromuscular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic
Movement Disorders, Cleveland Clinic
Neuro-Critical Care, University of Miami
Neuromuscular Medicine, University of Miami
Sleep Medicine, University of Miami
Movement Disorders, University of Miami
Clinical Electrophysiology, University of Miami
Vascular Neurology, University of Miami
Pain Management/Spine, University of Miami
Neuro-Rehabilitation, University of Miami
Goals and Objectives:
The primary goals of the training program are to provide:
- Excellent clinical training in the practice of neurology
- Opportunities to take part in clinical research
- Opportunities to develop and pursue an investigative career in basic neuroscience
- Foundation of knowledge from which future educational activities can grow
Program Strengths:
- The breadth and depth of attending physicians, including many nationally and internationally recognized clinician-teachers and clinician-researchers.
- Wide spectrum of neurological disorders are treated, including tropical neurological disorders and at large tertiary care.
- Significant outpatient and ambulatory neurology experience in the context of changing market forces and community needs.
- Mentorship for each resident to pursue scholarly research project.
- A unique resident clinician researcher program for career in research-oriented academic neurology.
- A close-knit atmosphere among attendings and residents.
- A large amount of elective time in senior years allowing residents to develop individualized educational programs.
- A reasonable hospital 'night call' schedule for residents, on average of every 6th night. PGY-1s rotating on their Neurology rotations do not take overnight call.
- Affordable and high quality lifestyle in the truly exceptional South Florida area.
- Innovations in education – we use an interactive audience response system (buzzer system) in many of our lectures. We integrate multiple choice questions into PowerPoint presentations (see picture below) and this is ideal for Boards and In-Service exam review.
Neurology Residency Program
Application Information:
Please complete an application form (ERAS) and submit the documents requested in the application information. The application requires a personal statement, your medical school transcript, USMLE scores for steps 1 and 2, three letters of reference, and the dean's letter. It is preferred to have your Step 2 completed, with scores available for review, by February 1st.
All correspondence concerning the Neurology Residency Training Program should be addressed to:
Violeta Maldonado and Terry Crugnale
Neurology Residency Program Coordinators
1120 NW 14th Street, CRB 1387
Miami, FL 33136
You may also contact the program office via telephone, fax or through electronic mail
Tel (305) 243-3902
Fax (305) 243-6546
Email vmaldona@med.miami.edu / tcrugnale@med.miami.edu
To Contact the House Staff Office at JMH, please address correspondence to:
House Staff Office
Jackson Memorial Hospital
1611 NW 12th Avenue
Miami, FL 33136-1094
Eligibility Requirements:
Each applicant to the neurology residency training program at Jackson Memorial Hospital must be a graduate of an approved United States or Canadian medical school, or a foreign medical graduate who has been certified through the ECFMG and who is eligible for an a J-1 visa. All applicants will be applying for the 4-year Categorical Neurology Program (PGY 1-4).
Interviews:
Interviews for invited applicants take place from late October through January. The interview begins with a Welcome Dinner on Thursday evening at 5:30 pm. We will meet on the medical campus and then travel together as a group to South Beach. Dress is casual, and please remember to wear comfortable shoes!
On Friday, the day begins at 8 AM and concludes no later than 4:15 PM. The applicant's interview begins with an Orientation Meeting with the Program Director, and this is followed by a one-hour tour of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Medical Campus. Our Chief Residents will take applicants on a tour of the inpatient units at Jackson Memorial Hospital (including the state-of-the art Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit), and resident call and conference rooms. The tour is followed by attendance at Grand Rounds from 10-11 am, and then lunch with the Program Director and residents. Interviews begin at 12 pm and are conducted with 4-5 members of the Faculty.
When invited for the interview, applicants are encouraged to indicate any special clinical or research interests so that additional interviews can be scheduled. A two-day interview can be arranged for applicants to the Resident Clinician Researcher Program in Neurology (RCRPN), who wish to interact with additional research faculty or who desire site-visits to the research laboratories. [return to top]
To View the Applicant Newsletter 2010-11 Click here
Core Curriculum
Internship (PGY-1):
The core curriculum for preliminary medicine/neurology Residents is similar to that of first year categorical medicine residents and there is no overnight call. It includes experience in inpatient general medicine (5 months), emergency medicine (1 month), cardiology or critical care medicine (1 month), ambulatory medicine (1 month), inpatient oncology (1 month) and neurology (2 months). All core experience during internship takes place at Jackson and VA Center. Throughout the year, preliminary medicine/neurology residents have a one half-day each week of ambulatory continuity clinic. [return to top]
First-Year Neurology Residency (PGY-2):
During the first year of the neurology residency training program, the resident is exposed to wide spectrum of neurological disorders, including those that are common and rare, acute and chronic. A two-month introductory lecture series (two hours each Friday) is organized for new residents and covers management of acute and emergent neurological conditions. First-year neurology trainees (PGY-2) spend five months at the Jackson inpatient services, two months at VA Center's inpatient services, one month on Neurophysiology/Neuroradiology, one month in the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit, and one month at the University of Miami Hospital on the consult service (working with a PGY-4 resident).
Jackson Memorial Hospital is a 1567-bed tertiary care hospital. It is the major teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Miami School of Medicine. The hospital has a wide referral base, including south and central Florida and Central and South America, providing exceptional selection of teaching cases.
The Jackson inpatient neurology service consists of staff and private patients in approximately 40 beds located in the west wing. There are about 1500 adult neurology admissions to Jackson each year. The neurorehabilitation service has 30 beds and the intermediate head-injury service another 10 beds. Extensive outpatient facilities are available at Jackson clinics, with over 6000 adult neurology outpatient visits per year.
The Veterans Affairs Center is located across the street from Jackson and is an 800-bed hospital facility. The inpatient neurology service at the VA Center has approximately 10 inpatient beds and admits over 400 patients each year. The neurology outpatient clinic at the VA Center handles about 4000 patients per year. [return to top]
Second-Year Neurology Residency (PGY-3):
The second year neurology resident spends much of the year in consultation services at the Jackson and the VA Center. Two PGY-3 neurology residents, several interns, rotating residents from other medical specialties, medical students, and a neurology attending comprise a typical neurology consultation team. The PGY-3 residents (under attending staff supervision) cover the hospital-wide consultation service round the clock, seven days a week.
Elective schedules during PGY-3, 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 elective rotations are available (2 months in the PGY-3 year), including neuroradiology, neuropathology, neurorehabilitation, neuro-ophthalmology, neuro-oncology, neurosurgery, psychiatry, neurophysiology, sleep medicine, and basic neuroscience research.
One month is spent at the VA and two months is dedicated for Pediatric Neurology at the Holtz Children’s Hospital at JMH. [return to top]
Third-Year Neurology Residency (PGY-4):
The third year neurology resident spends 1.5 months each of chief residency each at Jackson and the VA Center inpatient services, one month in pediatric neurology, one month on Psychiatry, one month at the University of Miami Hospital on the consult service and the remaining months (6) on advanced clinical or research electives.
Responsibilities of the chief resident include supervision of junior residents at Jackson and the VA Center, overseeing the care of acutely ill patients with neurological disorders in the intensive care units, and teaching residents and medical students. The chief resident conducts daily early morning service rounds and evening sign-out rounds, during which clinical care of the patients on the neurology service is reviewed. The chief resident also monitors hospital admissions and discharges, conducts teaching conferences, and is responsible for maintaining an overall high quality of neurological care provided by residents on all the neurology services.
The advanced neurophysiology rotation during PGY-4 is a two-month block devoted to the study of EEG, EMG, and evoked potentials. The resident also develops skills in interpreting EEGs and long-term EEG monitoring videos of patients with intractable epilepsy. The EMG rotation is devoted to the study of EMG and disorders of the nerves and muscles. During this rotation, the resident learns how to use nerve conduction studies and EMG to precisely localize lesions of the motor unit and determine the pathophysiology of these lesions. Nerve and muscle pathology sessions and didactic lectures and rounds in neurophysiology provide the breadth and depth of the learning experience for the resident. [return to top]
Summary of Daily Resident Conference Schedule:
MONDAY
- 7:15 AM Work rounds with chief resident
- 8:00 AM Neuroradiology conference
- 8:30 AM Attending rounds
- 11:00 AM Chairman’s Rounds (Live Patient Presentation)
- 12:15 Noon Conference
- 1:30 PM Interdisciplinary clinical rounds
- 3:00 PM Bedside Teaching with Drs. Adams and Isaacson
- 4:30 PM Sign-out rounds
TUESDAY
- 7:15 AM Work rounds with chief resident
- 8:00 AM Neuroradiology conference
- 12:30 PM VA outpatient clinic
- 3:00 PM Neurology tumor board conference
- 4:30 PM Sign-out rounds
WEDNESDAY
- 7:15 AM Work rounds with chief resident
- 7:45 AM EEG conference
- 8:00 AM Attending rounds
- 9:00 AM Jackson general neurology clinic
- 11:00 AM VA ward discharge rounds
- 3:30 PM Neuro-ophthalmology case conference
- 4:30 PM Sign-out rounds
THURSDAY
- 7 AM: Neurosurgery grand rounds (optional)
- 7:15 AM Work rounds with chief resident
- 8:00 AM Neuroradiology conference
- 8:30 AM Attending rounds
- 10:00 AM Brain cutting session
- Neuro-ophthalmology grand rounds
- 12:30 Noon Conference
- 2 PM: Nerve and muscle biopsy session
- 4:30 PM Sign-out rounds
FRIDAY
- 7:15 AM Work rounds with chief resident
- 7:45 AM EEG conference
- 8:00 AM Attending rounds
- 1:00 PM Introductory neurology lecture series (Summer) or Neurology Grand Rounds
- 2:00 Quality assurance conference, CPC, or Faculty meeting (alternating)
- 4:30 PM Sign-out rounds
SATURDAY
- 9:00 AM Service rounds
- 12:00 Noon Sign-out rounds
SUNDAY
- 9:00 AM Service rounds
- 12:00 Noon Sign-out rounds
