vascular neurology fellowship
About our Program
The University of Florida Department of Neurology and the UF Health Comprehensive Stroke Program is proud to offer three ACGME-accredited fellowship positions in cerebrovascular disease.
Mission and Aims of the Program
Through flexible and innovative education in our busy Comprehensive Stroke Center, the mission of our program is to train vascular neurologists who are well-prepared for their desired future careers, whether as a clinical vascular neurologist, research-focused academician who will advance the science of stroke care, or neurohospitalist.
Clinical training
Acute inpatient stroke
Fellows refine their knowledge of state-of-the-art acute stroke management on our busy inpatient stroke service, including critically ill patients in our open neuro-ICU. Fellows develop leadership and educational skills on service by working closely with board-certified vascular neurology attendings to lead a team of neurology residents, stroke ARNPs, rotators, and medical students.
During any given week, one fellow is assigned to the inpatient stroke service and a second is assigned to the Acute Care service, which responds to acute stroke alerts during rounds and also assists the team with clinical trial recruitment and other activities. Call is only taken by the fellow on the inpatient stroke service.
Neurocritical Care
Fellows rotate on a multidisciplinary team with residents from neurology, neurosurgery, and anesthesia, under the guidance of neurology-trained neurointensivist faculty members. Fellows are exposed to a broad neurocritical care curriculum essential for management of vascular neurology patients, including management of malignant infarction, elevated intracranial pressure, and intraparenchymal and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Fellows have the opportunity to participate in formal Emergency Neurological Life Support certification with hands-on simulations conducted on campus.
Endovascular Neurosurgery
Fellows participate in the robust clinical cases of the UF neurointerventional program led by 4 endovascular neurosurgeons and an endovascular fellow. Cases include mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke, repair of cerebral aneurysm and vascular malformations, and carotid endarterectomy and stenting. There is opportunity to spend additional elective time on the endovascular neurosurgery clinical rotation, as interest dictates.
Neurorehabilitation
During this rotation, fellows learn state-of-the-art methods for rehabilitation of acute stroke. Educational opportunities take place in multiple locations and with multiple patient populations – in consultation on acute stroke inpatients at UF, with subacute stroke patients admitted to the UF Health Rehabilitation Center, and with chronic stroke patients in the NMH neurology clinic. The fellow will study the application and benefits of various neurorehabilitation techniques and gain clinical experience managing patients in all phases of recovery following stroke.
Neurovascular Continuity Clinic
Fellows refine their longitudinal management of stroke patients by following select patients after inpatient discharge in a dedicated fellow continuity clinic (1/2 day per week except when rotating on inpatient stroke/neurocritical care). Fellows also have an opportunity to see new patients in stroke attending clinic.
Optional Rotations
There are numerous possible electives, and fellows are encouraged to customize their elective choices based on career interests. Popular options have included neuroradiology, transcranial doppler, carotid ultrasound, echocardiography, geriatrics, palliative care, non-vascular neurology rotations (eg EEG interpretation or serving as inpatient fellow on the General Ward/Consult services, for fellows intending to pursue a career as a neurohospitalist), Internal Medicine consult services (eg, Cardiology, Rheumatology, Infectious Disease, etc), or research. Fellows can also design an individualized rotation (requires a supervising faculty mentor and written goals/objectives submitted in advance).
Education
In addition to robust clinical training in a thriving stroke program, the fellowship also provides weekly fellow-oriented didactic education, as well as opportunities for fellows to teach and participate in clinical research and quality improvement.
UF fellows and attendings participate in a dedicated weekly fellowship curriculum that includes stroke journal club, stroke guideline review with emphasis on application to real world cases, neuroradiology review, interesting case conference, topical lectures, and stroke guest speakers. Fellows are provided protected time from clinical obligations to attend. All fellows attend the annual International Stroke Conference in the spring. There is also a monthly transition-to-practice curriculum for all fellows in the Department of Neurology.
Teaching
All fellows are invited to give an oral presentation during UF’s regional Annual Stroke CME Conference held each spring. Fellows join faculty in providing stroke didactic lectures to neurology residents and participate in the education of clerkship medical students rotating on the stroke team, either informally in the afternoons or as part of the dedicated problem-based learning curriculum. The inpatient fellow also leads the weekly stroke Morning Report presentation. Fellows are also strongly encouraged to participate in local EMS and public stroke education.
Research
Fellows participate actively in UF’s robust stroke multicenter clinical trial program, which includes trials for hyperacute stroke therapy, novel neuroprotective strategies, antithrombotics, and secondary stroke prevention. Fellows are also encouraged to pursue their own individualized projects. The stroke team also has multiple ongoing group research projects involving faculty, neurology residents, and medical students in which fellows can participate. This allows fellows the opportunity for very productive scholarly activity despite the short duration of stroke fellowship.
Quality Improvement
Fellows are active members in the UF Stroke Committee and attend a monthly interdisciplinary meeting to review acute stroke metrics and opportunities for quality improvement. Fellows are also responsible for presenting faculty-selected cases at a monthly interdisciplinary conference case review. Fellows are encouraged to participate in UF Neuromedicine quality committees and initiatives related to stroke and to develop their own quality improvement projects.
Our graduates
| Name | Graduation Year | Current Position |
|---|---|---|
| Natalie Buchwald, MD | 2022 | Epilepsy Fellowship, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL |
| Justin De Prey, MD | 2022 | Vascular Neurologist, Advent Health, Daytona Beach, FL |
| Kyrillos Eskander, MD | 2022 | Assistant Professor, UT Houston, Houston, TX |
| Robert Rodriguez, MD | 2021 | Vascular Neurologist, Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford, Murfreesboro, TN |
| Yoram Roman Casul, MD | 2021 | Vascular Neurologist, Tennova Healthcare, Knoxville, TN |
| David Stone, MD | 2019 | Vascular Neurologist, Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Sarasota, FL |
| Mary-Ann Fares, MD | 2018 | Director Stroke Division, Northeast Georgia Health System, Gainesville, GA |
| Supreet Kaur, MD | 2018 | Vascular Neurologist, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ |
| Scott Dellorso, MD | 2017 | Vascular Neurologist, Baptist Health, Jacksonville, FL |
| Swetha Renati, MD | 2017 | Assistant Professor, College of Medicine Neurology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL |
| Christian Rosado, MD | 2015 | Vascular Neurologist, Neurological Services of Orlando, PA, Orlando, FL |
| Jindong Xu, MD, PhD | 2015 | Vascular Neurologist, Guilford Neurologic Associates, Cone Health Medical Group, Greensboro, NC |
| Ganesh Asaithambi, MD | 2014 | Vascular Neurologist, John Nasseff Neuroscience Specialty Clinic, St. Paul, MN |
| Arnaldo Velez, MD | 2014 | Vascular Neurologist, Neurological Services of Orlando, PA, Orlando, FL |
| Paul MacDonald, MD | 2013 | Neurologist, Brain & Spine Center, Chandler, AZ |
| Walter Morgan, MD | 2013 | Vascular Neurologist, Florida Hospital, Orlando, FL |
application requirements
Important Dates and Deadlines
Applicants interested in a Vascular Neurology fellowship position apply through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) approximately eighteen months prior to anticipated matriculation. Applicants will be invited to interview in December through March. Please visit the ERAS website for complete information about application, schedules, and regulations & the NRMP website for NRMP deadlines.
Qualifications
To be eligible for a Vascular Neurology fellowship program, applicants must have successfully completed (or be on track to complete) an ACGME-accredited adult Neurology Residency prior to matriculation. Applicants must have passed USMLE Step 3 prior to application.
Visa Sponsorship
We will sponsor J-1 visas and in certain circumstances, we will port an existing H1-b visa. In order to get approval, an H-1B visa must have been issued not more than 3 years prior to projected start date with our program.
For more information Contact:
Christina A Wilson MD, PhD