Residency Structure and Training

Training by Year

Interns

PGY 1

Our program prides itself on early integration into the field of neurology – this allows interns the opportunity to immediately embark on their chosen career path, feel at home in our department, and have extra neurology elective experience to make well-informed decisions about eventual fellowships.  Neurology interns spend 8 months on internal medicine inpatient rotations, as required by the ABPN, but the remainder of the year is spent on neurology rotations. Interns rotate on an inpatient neurology service for 1 month (usually Stroke and/or Consult), spend 1 month either in a general neurology outpatient clinic or on Epilepsy/EEG, and use the rest of the time on their choice of a wide selection of neurology electives.

Although they do not yet have their own continuity clinics, they spend time with a PGY4 in clinic to gain familiarity with the longitudinal clinic process, become certified in lumbar punctures in a low-stress environment, and meet the patient population they will be caring for as residents. Vacation is taken during the neurology blocks. Neurology interns are also paired with faculty and peer mentors and encouraged to get an early start on research projects.

2023 PGY 1

Junior residents

PGY2

Junior residents have maximal exposure to inpatients, spending several months on the wards (Stroke, General, Consults, VA, and NICU), but also have multiple selective and elective months to continue their exploration of subspecialty interests. Residents rotate early on Epilepsy (if they have not already done so as an intern) to become comfortable reading EEGs. Residents with a strong interest in research may complete research rotations during their PGY2 year.

During this period, residents learn to obtain reliable histories, complete a thorough and accurate neurological examination, and to manage common neurological problems. They become comfortable responding to neurological emergencies, such as status epilepticus, acute stroke, respiratory compromise in neuro­muscular disorders, acute encephalopathy, meningitis and encephalitis, spinal cord compression, raised intracranial pressure and space-occupying lesions. Residents also refine skills in neuroanatomy and neuroradiology to understand clinical localization and interpretation of CT and MRI scans.

2023 PGY2

senior residents

PGY3 & PGY4

Senior residents lead the inpatient teams by supervising junior residents, rotators and medical students and gain additional experience in the evaluation and management of complex neurological disease. Their EEG interpretation is further refined during a second month on the Epilepsy service, and familiarity with EMG/nerve conduction studies is acquired on the Neuromuscular rotation.  Residents spend 3 months over their final two years rotating on pediatric neurology and also complete their psychiatry rotation on one of the inpatient wards at the VA. The remainder of the time is spent on a wide variety of selectives and electives to ensure a broad education in neurology. Senior residents also spend one or more months on dedicated research electives to complete their longitudinal research project.

During the first half of the PGY3 year, most residents start to think seriously about their fellowships and career plans and may tailor their elective experiences to help with final decisions. During the second half of the PGY3 year, those residents who elect to pursue subspecialty fellowship will apply and go on interviews.

Senior residents have the opportunity to spend 6 weeks in the fall as part of the UF Medical School Neuroscience course, during which they refine their knowledge of neuroanatomy and localization by teaching preclinical medical students.

2023 PGY3s

Inpatient Rotations

Stroke

Two neurology residents (generally one junior and one senior) rotate on the vascular neurology service, led by a board-certified vascular neurologist. The team also includes fellows from our ACGME-accredited vascular neurology fellowship program, dedicated stroke ARNPs, off-service rotators from neurosurgery, anesthesia, and pediatric neurology, and medical students. The stroke team manages all vascular neurology inpatients (including stroke patients in the neuro-ICU), hospital stroke consults, and emergent stroke alerts. Residents become adept in acute stroke treatment decisions, inpatient stroke workup, and post-stroke recovery.

Marcos and Ramsha

General Neurology

Two neurology residents (generally one junior and one senior) rotate on the General neurology inpatient service with a board-certified neurology attending, an inpatient ARNP, off-service rotators from neurosurgery, anesthesia, and pediatric neurology, and medical students. Residents manage patients admitted to the primary neurology service with a non-vascular diagnosis. Only a select group of attendings with particular strengths in inpatient neurology rotate on the service, ensuring an optimal educational experience for the residents.

Freddy and Riley

Neurology Consult

Neurology residents rotate on the Consult service under the guidance of two neurology faculty (a board-certified neurology attending who staff floor/ED consults, as well as a neurocritical care attending who staff ICU/critical care consults). The Consult team also consists of off-service rotators from internal medicine, anesthesia, and pediatric neurology, a neurocritical care fellow, and medical students and is responsible for all non-vascular ED and inpatient consults. This is a great opportunity for residents to learn how to approach new patients and expand their differential diagnosis.

Patio photo

Neurology Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

Residents spend 2-4 weeks annually on the NICU service, under the guidance of neurology-trained intensivists on a team with critical care fellows, PAs, and anesthesia and neurosurgery residents. Residents rotate on 12-hour shifts during either daytime or night hours and learn to manage the critical care needs of neurological and neurosurgical patients under close supervision. This is one of our most popular rotations, even for those planning an outpatient career, due to the strength of the teaching from our neurointensivists.

NCC Simulation

VA General Neurology

Two neurology residents (generally one junior and one senior) rotate on the VA service, led by a board-certified neurology attending. The team also includes off-service rotators from psychiatry and medical students. The team manages consults and also sees consults.

VA Building

Night Float

Two residents cover the inpatient services (with the exception of the NICU) from 6 pm – 7 am daily and see new consults and stroke alerts. Junior residents are always paired with a senior resident on night float, to allow in-house supervision and help with complicated cases.

Night Sky
msu

Continuity Clinic

Junior and senior residents have continuity clinics at both Shands and the VA. Residents pick up the continuity clinic from a graduating resident and also acquire patients on inpatient rotations. Continuity clinics are supervised by dedicated clinic attendings, ensuring continuity of care and optimal teaching. Interns do not have their own patient pool but rather attend several clinics with the PGY4 whose clinic they will inherit.

Selective and Elective Rotations

Residents spend one month on each selective rotation (noted with * below) over the course of the residency to ensure a well-rounded neurology education. The remainder of time may be spent on their choice of a wide variety of other electives, including:

  • Behavioral*
  • Epilepsy (including electroencephalography)*
  • General Clinic*
  • Headache
  • Intra-operative monitoring
  • Movement disorders*
  • Multiple sclerosis/neuroimmunology
  • Neuromuscular disease (including electromyography/nerve conduction studies)*
  • Neuro-oncology
  • Neuro-ophthalmology
  • Neuropathology
  • Neuroradiology
  • Neurorehabilitation
  • Neurosonology
  • Neurosurgery/endovascular neurosurgery
  • Neurotrauma/TBI
  • Research
  • Sleep disorders
  • Interventional pain (off-site outpatient clinic in Tallahassee, FL)

Residents may also create their own individualized elective based on interest, with approval from the program director. Off-site rotations may be set up, provided there is sufficient lead time to obtain a formal agreement with the other institution and for the resident to obtain a state-specific training license if the rotation is outside of the state of Florida.