Education

Residency Training Goals & Objectives

Acquire a knowledge and skill base that:
- Satisfies the requirements of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN);
- Confers a level of expertise worthy of “specialty” status;
- Ensures successful specialty board examination and certification; and
- Allows for continuation of specialization within neurology in the form of fellowships, if so desired.
Receive certification of clinical competence by the residency training director. The clinical skills evaluation will be completed during residency. Residents must complete five mini-NEX (Neurology Evaluation Exams) with satisfactory performance, during their final two years of training, in order to be declared competent.
Possess the ability to correlate medical knowledge with the physical diagnosis of neurological disorders and articulate a thoughtful differential diagnosis and therapeutic plan.
Gain the necessary experience in teaching neurology to colleagues through informal discussion and by means of formal presentation and publication.
Pursue knowledge in a specific area of neurology interest, if so desired.
Demonstrate, throughout the three years of residency, the highest ethical standards and integrity in patient care, neurological learning, and interaction with faculty, peers, students and ancillary staff.
Facilitate in learning via electronic literature access and other computerized means of learning such as slide preparation and presentation.

Residents must be able to provide patient care that is compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the treatment of health problems and the promotion of health.

Residents must demonstrate knowledge of established and evolving biomedical, clinical, epidemiological and social-behavioral sciences, as well as the application of this knowledge to patient care.

Residents must demonstrate the ability to investigate and evaluate their care of patients, to appraise and assimilate scientific evidence, and to continuously improve patient care based on constant self-evaluation and life-long learning. Residents are expected to develop skills and habits to be able to meet the following goals:

identify strengths, deficiencies, and limits in one’s knowledge and expertise;
set learning and improvement goals;
identify and perform appropriate learning activities;
systematically analyze practice using quality improvement methods, and implement changes with the goal of practice improvement;
incorporate formative evaluation feedback into daily practice;
locate, appraise, and assimilate evidence from scientific studies related to their patients’ health problems;
use information technology to optimize learning; and
participate in the education of patients, families, students, residents and other health professionals.

Residents must demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills that result in the effective exchange of information and collaboration with patients, their families, and health professionals. Residents are expected to:

communicate effectively with patients, families, and the public, as appropriate, across a broad range of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds;
communicate effectively with physicians, other health professionals, and health related agencies;
work effectively as a member or leader of a health care team or other professional group;
act in a consultative role to other physicians and health professionals; and
maintain comprehensive, timely, and legible medical records.

Residents must demonstrate a commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities and an adherence to ethical principles. Residents are expected to demonstrate:

compassion, integrity, and respect for others;
responsiveness to patient needs that supersedes self-interest;
respect for patient privacy and autonomy;
accountability to patients, society and the profession; and
sensitivity and responsiveness to a diverse patient population, including but not limited to diversity in gender, age, culture, race, religion, disabilities, and sexual orientation.

Residents must demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and system of health care, as well as the ability to call effectively on other resources in the system to provide optimal health care. Residents are expected to:

work effectively in various health care delivery settings and systems relevant to their clinical specialty;
coordinate patient care within the health care system relevant to their clinical specialty;
incorporate considerations of cost awareness and risk-benefit analysis in patient and/or population-based care as appropriate;
advocate for quality patient care and optimal patient care systems;
work in inter-professional teams to enhance patient safety and improve patient care quality; and
participate in identifying system errors and implementing potential systems solutions.

Competence in the comprehensive diagnosis and management of all forms of neurologic disease. PC
Ability to correlate medical knowledge with the physical diagnosis of neurological disorders and articulate a thoughtful differential diagnosis and therapeutic plan. PC, MK
Acquisition of a rich knowledge base in clinical and basic neuroscience that:
- satisfies the requirements of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) and ensures successful board certification; MK
- provides a strong foundation in the basic neurosciences; MK
- allows for continuation of sub-specialization within neurology in the form of fellowships, if so desired. MK
Certification of clinical competence by the residency training director. The clinical skills evaluation is done during residency by completing five mini-NEX (Neurology Evaluation Exams), with satisfactory performance, in order to be declared competent. PC, MK, IPCS, P
To prepare the physician for the independent practice of clinical neurology by providing training based on supervised clinical work with increasing responsibility for outpatients and inpatients. PC
Experience in the teaching of neurology to colleagues and students through informal discussion and by means of formal presentation and publication. MK, IPCS, PBL
To provide an opportunity to develop and maintain an investigative career in the basic neurosciences and in clinical neurology. MK
To demonstrate, throughout the three years of residency, the highest ethical standards and integrity in patient care, neurological learning, and interaction with faculty, peers, students and ancillary staff. IPCS, P
To develop the personal attributes necessary for becoming an effective physician, including honesty, compassion, reliability, and effective communication skills. IPCS, P
To use information technology and other computerized means as learning tools. PBL
To develop awareness of, and learn to incorporate, considerations of cost and risk-benefit analysis in patient management as appropriate, and to advocate for quality patient care. SBP

To learn the skills of obtaining an accurate neurological history and performing and interpreting a neurological examination in adults. PC
To learn how to manage hospitalized and ambulatory patients under close supervision by senior residents and supervisory attending. PC
To get introduced to obtaining a neurological history and performing an examination in infants and children under supervision. PC
To learn the indications for ordering laboratory studies in neurology including appropriate blood tests, vascular studies, EEG, EMG, evoked potentials, lumbar puncture, and imaging studies of the brain and spinal cord. PC, MK
To learn how to perform lumbar punctures. PC
To learn how to evaluate and treat common neurological problems:
- neurological emergencies: coma and mental status changes, stroke, seizures, acute/subacute neuromuscular weakness, increased intracranial pressure. MK, PC
- common outpatient neurological problems: headache, dizziness, back and neck pain, peripheral neuropathies. MK, PC
To develop and improve written and oral communication skills. IPCS
To continue to develop skill at interpersonal communication and begin developing basic teaching skills. IPCS
The resident will solidify their foundation of the professional and ethical practice of medicine. P
The resident will continue to learn how the health care system functions, especially as relevant to the patient with neurologic disease. SBP

To begin to attain a more sophisticated and deep knowledge base in neurology and the neurosciences. MK
To transition from a junior role to a senior role as a team leader on the consult service. IPCS
To learn how to diagnose, evaluate and treat a variety of neurological disorders including demyelinating diseases of the CNS, Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders, neuromuscular diseases, dementia and other neurodegenerative conditions, central nervous system infections, epilepsy, and tumors of the nervous system. PC, MK
To learn to manage critically ill neurological patients. PC, MK
To continue to perfect history-taking and neurological examination skills in adults as well as infants and children. PC
To learn the interrelationship of abnormalities of the nervous system with normal growth and development of the nervous system. PC, MK
To gain experience in performing and interpreting Nerve Conduction Studies and needle EMG, EEGs and evoked potential testing. PC, MK
To learn to function as a consultant by managing a broad array of acute and chronic neurological disorders in the hospitalized general medical population and selecting appropriate therapies. PC, SBP
To learn to interact and communicate effectively with colleagues in other medical disciplines. IPCS, P, SBP
To provide the resident with an exposure to and a forum for discussion of a wide variety of neurological problems in adults and pediatric patients. PBL
To continue to master skill at interpersonal communication. IPCS
To continue to demonstrate a professional and ethical practice of medicine and help more junior residents to foster their professionalism. IPCS, P
To continue to master teaching skills. IPCS
To learn how to best manipulate the health care system for the welfare of their patients. SBP

To develop an extensive knowledge base in neurology and the neurosciences that is broad and deep. MK
To develop competence at using the medical literature to guide patient care decisions (evidence based medicine). MK, PC, PBL
To become independent in the evaluation and management of patients presenting with a wide variety of inpatient and outpatient neurological disorders and to demonstrate preparedness for practice after graduation. PC
To gain more in-depth knowledge of major categories of neurological disease by participating in subspecialty clinics. MK, PC
To learn the pathogenesis and morphologic pathology for the entire spectrum of diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system and skeletal muscle. MK
To acquire teaching skills by giving lectures to medical students, presenting at resident teaching conferences and participating as laboratory instructors in the medical student neuroanatomy course. PBL
To demonstrate skill at teaching medical professionals and non-medical persons including patients and families. IPCS
To gain experience supervising junior residents and medical students on the inpatient neurology service. PBL, SBP, P, IPCS
To demonstrate competence at clear and succinct interpersonal communication with colleagues, patients, and families. IPCS
To demonstrate professionalism at all times. P
To demonstrate self-evaluation skills, and continuous desire for self-improvement and life-long learning. PBL
To have competence at understanding the health care system, and to work efficiently and effectively within it for the benefit of patients. SBP

In addition to the goals for the PGY4 Resident:

Two PGY4 residents are chosen to serve as chief residents during the final year of Neurology training. The Chief Residents are individuals who are accomplished academically and possess excellent clinical and leadership skills. The Chief Residents are selected by the faculty with input from the residents. They provide clinical and personal guidance to junior colleagues, participate actively in the academic programs of the department, and with the Program Director, manage the Residency Training Program. They are expected to attend regularly scheduled meetings of the Department Education Committee as resident representatives. Goals for the Chief Residents are as follows:

To develop administrative skills by organizing the yearly and monthly schedules for all residents. IPCS, P
To develop administrative and educational skills through scheduling and organizing teaching conferences. MK
To develop some leadership skills by attending and participating in monthly education committee meetings. PBL, IPCS
To develop necessary skills to handle problems that may arise with other residents. IPCS, P, PBL
To develop administrative skills by participating in the residency interview process. PBL, P, IPCS

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