Curriculum

The Child & Adolescent Neurology Residency Program rotation schedule is structured so that your responsibilities in teaching and patient care increase as you gain greater experience. You will follow patients longitudinally throughout your residency.

Clinical Training
A typical schedule includes the following rotations:

Rotations
The first rotation is in pediatric neurology so you can become oriented to Mayo Clinic and our Section of Child and Adolescent Neurology. Your time will be divided between the inpatient and outpatient services. You also will attend an intensive course in basic neurology.

Child and Adolescent Neurology - Inpatient Service
During hospital rotations you will provide neurological consultations for the general pediatric and adolescent medicine service, the pediatric medical subspecialties, emergency room and pediatric surgical subspecialties, such as otorhinolaryngology, urology, ophthalmology, cardiovascular surgery and orthopedics. You will gain experience with a wide variety of acute and subacute neurological diseases, from common to unusual pediatric neurological problems.

Child and Adolescent Neurology - Outpatient Service
The child and adolescent neurology outpatient clinic serves both primary and consultative patients from other pediatric services. Under the supervision of an attending child neurologist, you will have the opportunity to see and manage a broad spectrum of pediatric neurological problems, and have access to all diagnostic capabilities except complex invasive procedures. You will gain experience in the evaluation and treatment of common and unusual neurological disorders in children and adolescents of all ages.

During your last year of training, you will be assigned to the outpatient clinic as a first assistant (chief resident). In that capacity, you will serve as the primary neurologist to several new patients each day.

Adult Neurology - Inpatient Services
During your inpatient assignments, you will learn to evaluate and treat neurological emergencies in the Saint Marys Hospital emergency room. You also will evaluate neurological disorders in the inpatient setting, including the intensive care unit. You will participate in teaching rounds each day in the hospital.

Adult Neurology - Outpatient Services
While on outpatient rotations, you will evaluate patients with common and unusual neurological conditions. You will participate in daily case discussions and have outpatient education opportunities on special outpatient teaching services.

Core Clinical Neurophysiology
You will spend at least two months in a clinical neurophysiology rotation. This assignment includes didactic instruction and practical experience in the basics of:

• Autonomic function testing
• Electroencephalography (EEG)
• Electromyography (EMG)
• Electronystagmography
• Evoked potentials
• Nerve conduction studies (NCS)
• Polysomnography

After completing this rotation, you can spend elective time in EEG, EMG or the EEG/EMG sleep service.

Neuropathology
You will spend three months training in neuropathology during the PGY-4 year. This rotation will give you direct experience with autopsy material under the direction of a full-time neuropathologist. Your training also will include case reviews, brain cutting and the study of microscopic materials.

Electives
You will have nine months of elective rotations to use throughout your residency. In addition to further training in child and adolescent neurology, your elective options include the following related clinical and laboratory specialty areas:

Didactic Training
Clinical conferences, seminars, small discussion groups, journal clubs and one-on-one instruction are all an integral part of Mayo Clinic's Child & Adolescent Neurology Residency Program. Although most of the didactic training in the Child and Adolescent Neurology Residency Program is shared with the Adult Neurology Residency Program, special emphasis is given to child and adolescent neurology rounds and weekly child neurology conferences.

Throughout your residency you will participate or make presentations in teaching conferences. Weekly clinical neurology hospital conferences are held at Saint Marys Hospital . They alternate between the adult and the child and adolescent hospital services. Clinico-pathologic conferences are held several times a year. Seminars and lectures are presented throughout the year on the principles of neurochemistry, neuropharmacology, neuroimmunology and diseases related to these disciplines. Additional subspecialty conferences are presented regularly by all divisions of the neurology department.

Formal didactic courses also are required during your residency. You will take basic neurology, neuroanatomy and neuroradiology courses during the PGY-3 year. Although you can schedule the clinical neurophysiology course at any time, most residents take it during the PGY-4 year.

Research Training
You will be encouraged to complete one or more research projects in clinical, laboratory and/or basic investigation during your neurology residency. You can focus on:

• Cerebrovascular disease
• Electroencephalography
• Electromyography
• Epilepsy
• Neurogenetics
• Metabolics
• Muscle disease
• Neurochemistry and neuropharmacology
• Neuroepidemiology
• Neuroimmunology
• Neuromuscular junction diseases
• Neuro-oncology
• Neuropharmacology
• Neurosurgery
• Neurovirology
• Peripheral nerve disease
• Psychopharmacology
• Sleep medicine

To fulfill this requirement and offer additional research opportunities, Mayo Clinic has short- and long-term research projects, one-year research positions and a doctoral degree in biomedical sciences.

Short-Term Research Projects
Short-term research projects require a two- to six-month commitment and do not take time away from your residency responsibilities. You will have ample opportunity to pursue projects such as patient-generated case reports and chart reviews.

Long-Term Research Projects
Long-term research projects (typically longer than six months) require time away from your residency responsibilities. You can apply for a long-term project any time during your residency. You must first obtain permission from the Neurology Research Committee and identify a staff research mentor.

One-Year Research Positions
Each year Mayo Clinic offers three one-year, funded research positions for those who wish to extend their residency training. Under this option, you will learn the procedures used to identify important research questions, formulate hypotheses and critically test them. You will work with an experienced investigator, using appropriate research and statistical methods, in one of the research laboratories. Similar opportunities are available in the neurology department's clinical laboratories.

You must have the support of a faculty member before you apply at the PGY-5 level for a formal, one-year research position.

Ph.D. Program
Mayo Graduate School offers a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences with specialization several tracks. Though these Ph.D. program tracks emphasize research, they also include a core curriculum for a strong foundation in the basic sciences and neuroscience. You do not need to declare an interest in this option when you first apply to Mayo Clinic's Child & Adolescent Neurology Residency Program.

Clinician-Investigator Program
Those candidates applying for the Child & Adolescent Neurology Residency Program who have a particular interest in research may wish to inquire about Mayo Clinic's Clinician-Investigator Program. More details about this program can be forwarded to you upon request.

Rotations
As part of your training, you will be encouraged to spend some of your clinical adult neurology rotation time at Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale and/or Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville . Rotations at these sites offer a unique opportunity to work in a small group practice that integrates clinical neurology, neurophysiology, imaging and a variety of neurological subspecialties. Your training will emphasize outpatient activities and your call responsibilities will be limited.

Mayo Clinic funds the authorized additional costs of your travel, housing, auto rental and licensure fees for these rotations. A child neurology elective at Nemours Hospital in Jacksonville , Fla. , is also available.

Also see …

• Mayo Graduate School
• Clinician-Investigator Program