The Department of Neurology at Johns Hopkins is distinguished by its collegial and investigative atmosphere. Formal teaching takes place in weekly didactic sessions by faculty, Chairman's Rounds, Grand Rounds and numerous subspecialty conferences. The residents also have their own daily teaching sessions where they present cases to each other in Morning Report. To augment the clinical experience, residents are exposed to numerous subspecialty rotations such as neuromuscular disease, electroencephalography, and neuropathology. Furthermore, some residents may choose to individualize their training by utilizing their elective time to pursue clinical and laboratory research in the Department of Neurology as well as in the basic science departments of the School of Medicine.

The First Year (PGY-2)
The aim of the first year is to give residents a comprehensive exposure to clinical neurology including inpatient and outpatient diagnosis and management. The year consists of several inpatient rotations including the Meyer Adult Neurology Service, the Neurosciences Critical Care Unit at Hopkins, the Adult Neurology Service at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, and the Pediatric Neurology Consultation Service at Hopkins. Additionally, several months are spent on the Neurology Consultation Service at The Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center which diversifies the first year experience and helps residents build confidence in neurologic examination skills, differential diagnosis, and patient care. This is also accomplished by spending one month on the Sinai Hospital Neurology consultation service working directly with a full-time faculty member.

The Second Year (PGY-3)
The second year presents the opportunity for residents to apply knowledge acquired from the first year in positions of greater responsibility. This is accomplished by assuming a leadership role on both the Neurology Consultation Service and the Meyer Adult Neurology Service. The Consultation Service at Johns Hopkins consists of two teams, each comprised of one second or third year neurology resident and an attending physician. This tutorial arrangement provides an opportunity for the resident to participate in complex diagnostic and decision making situations that arise on the many diverse medical, emergency, intensive care and surgical services at the Hospital. While on the Meyer Adult Neurology Service, the resident supervises a team that cares for a variety of patients admitted from the emergency room, the outpatient clinic, transferred from the Neurological Critical Care Unit or other hospitals.

During the second year, one month is spent participating in the Outpatient Pediatric Neurology Clinics. This is an exciting opportunity to evaluate patients with diseases such as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, epilepsy, developmental disorders, Tourette Syndrome and many other pediatric disorders. The balance of the second year is spent on various subspecialty rotations or electives. Required subspecialty rotations include neuromuscular/EMG, epileptology/EEG, and neuropathology which can be completed over the course of the second and third years.

The Third Year (PGY-4)
Third year residents function primarily in a leadership role on the inpatient service at The Johns Hopkins, on the Neurology Consultation Service at Johns Hopkins, and on the inpatient service at The Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. The Bayview inpatient service is a busy, primary care neurology service with a small number of beds devoted to neurologic intensive care. This mix gives the resident numerous diagnostic and management challenges in a position of greater responsibility and helps reinforce and solidify the basic elements essential for the successful practice of clinical neurology.

The remaining months of the residency are divided among consultation services at Sinai, subspecialty requirements, and elective rotations. Electives include neuro-ophthalmology, neuro-AIDS, neuroradiology, intensive care, neuro-oncology, cerebrovascular, cognitive neurology, and movement disorders.

Research Opportunities