UCSF Neurology Residency

University of California, San Francisco

Department of Neurology

Residency Program

UCSF Department of Neurology Main Website

Adult Neurology Residency

The UCSF Adult Neurology Program would like to welcome our newest residents:

Coming to UCSF in 2008 and 2009

Sheila Chan, M.D. from UC Irvine – will complete her R1 year at CPMC

Amar Dhand, M.D., D.Phil. from Harvard – will complete his R1 year at UCSF

Raquel Gardner, M.D. from Harvard – will complete her R1 year at UCSF

Aaron Grossman, M.D., Ph.D. from University of Illinois – will complete his R1 year at UCSF

Erik Johnson, M.D., Ph.D. from University of Chicago – will complete his R1 year at UCSF

Sarah Kempe-Mehl, M.D. from Harvard – will complete her R1 year at UC Irvine

Kelly Mills, M.D. from University of Maryland – will complete his R1 year at UCSF

Maulik Shah, M.D. from Yale University – will complete his R1 year at Santa Clara Valley MC

Amy Tso, M.D. from UCLA – will complete her R1 year at UCSF

Program Description

The UCSF Neurology Residency Program is widely considered among the top Neurology training programs in the country. The program vies with other top ranked programs to attract the brightest and most talented future academic neurologists who will become clinical or laboratory investigators, academic clinical subspecialty experts, or clinician-educators.

Upon completion of residency, trainees become eligible for certification by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN). Based upon data provided by the American Boads of Psychiatry and Neurology provide in late5 2007, 100% of our graduating residents have taken the neurology board examinations (both Parts I and II) and passed over the past 5 years. Residents often choose to pursue further clinical fellowship training in a neurologic subspecialty (such as stroke/critical care, behavior, epilepsy or movement disorders), or enter clinical or laboratory research fellowships that last 1-2 years.

The UCSF Neurology Residency Program is primarily Motivated in training future academic neurology physicians. A recent study of program alumni conducted by Dr. Engstrom found that greater than 75% of UCSF-trained neurologists remained in full-time academic positions (as investigators, clinical neurology subspecialists, or clinician-educators) 20 years after the completion of their residency training.

Organization of the Adult Neurology Residency Program:
Neurology residents at UCSF rotate through three very different hospitals. Moffitt Hospital (or the UC Hospital) is a tertiary care hospital that draws patients from the San Francisco Bay area, Northern California, parts of Nevada, and Hawaii. San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH) serves uninsured and underinsured patients in San Francisco. The Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC) serves predominantly Vietnam and Gulf War veterans. The San Francisco VAMC is the national referral center for movement disorders and Parkinson's disease surgery. UCSF is also affiliated with Mt. Zion, a small hospital where the migraine service is located.

While rotating at each hospital, there is a weekly neuroradiology conference and weekly Chief's Rounds. There is also a weekly Clinic Conference, Pediatric Clinic Conference, and Grand Rounds or Housestaff Conference held at Moffitt that all residents attend.
Every resident has continuity clinics at each hospital once a month. There are also 2-3 months of outpatient clinics that are mostly subspecialty clinics and some general neurology. The subspecialty clinics include spine, neuromuscular, neurovascular, movement disorders, dementia, pain, rehab, sleep, MS, epilepsy, neuro-ophthalmology and neuro-oncology.

Residents also rotate for three months on the Child Neurology service in the R3 or R4 year. Child Neurology is a combination of outpatient clinics (approximately 2000 visits per year at Moffitt and SFGH) and inpatient consults (approximately 500 per year). Residents work with the Child Neurology fellows and attendings. There are opportunities to go to subspecialty clinics like genetics, metabolic, and muscular dystrophy clinics. Over 100 children and adolescents with neurologic disorders are admitted to the Child Neurology Service each year. Patients are admitted to the pediatric ward and, although primarily cared for by the Pediatric Medicine service, remain under the direct supervision of Child Neurology. Clinical research teaching conferences, including Journal Club, Pediatric Neuroradiology, and Pediatric Neurology Clinic Conference, are held weekly.

Other rotations typically include neuropathology as an R4 and two months of EEG/EMG as an R3. Neuropathology includes brain cutting, slide review, and preparing a Clinical Pathological Conference to present to the Department. EEG/EMG consists of didactic teaching about EEG and EMG as well as opportunities to perform EMGs and see outpatients in the neuromuscular clinics. Residents also go to Muscle Biopsy Conferences and present a paper at journal club.

Residents also have four months of electives. These have been spent in various ways. Residents can use this time any way they want - as long as it has something to do with neurology. Recently, residents have done neuro-oncology, neuroradiology, neuro-ophthalmology, dementia/behavioral neurology, MS, epilepsy, neurocritical care (either head trauma at SFGH or neurointerventional at Moffitt), rehabilitation, pain, headache, movement disorders. Some residents have chosen to do away electives either in community settings or at other institutions.

An example of the typical distribution of rotations:

R1:      8 months of Internal Medicine
            1 month of Physicianship-new in 2008
            1 month of Elective
            2 months of Neurology
R2:      1 month as Moffitt Ward Junior
            1 month as Moffitt Consult Junior Resident
            2 months as Neurovascular ICU or Ward Resident
            1 month as Epilepsy Resident
            2 months as VA Junior or Senior
            1 month on the Migraine Service
            1 month of VA Outpatient and Rehabilitation
            1 month of Moffitt Outpatient
            1 months as SFGH Junior Resident
            1 month of vacation/educational leave

R2s are typically on call 10 months of the year, with call frequency ranging from 1 in every 4 nights for most months, and 1 in every 7-10 nights for two months.

R3:      3 months as SFGH Consult or Senior
            1 month as VA Senior
            1-2 months as Moffitt Consult or Senior
            2-3 months of Outpatient Neurology including Psychiatry
            2 months of EEG/EMG
            1 month of Pediatric Neurology
            1 month elective
            1 month vacation/educational leave

R3s are typically on call 7 months of the year, with call frequency ranging from 1in every 4 nights for four months to 1 in every 7-10 nights for three months.

R4:      3 months as Moffitt Ward/Consult Senior Resident
            3 months of elective
            1 months of Neuropathology
            2 months Pediatric Neurology
            1 month SFGH Ward Senior Resident
            1 month vacation/educational leave

R4s are typically on call 4 months of the year, with call frequency ranging from 1in every 4 nights for two months to 1 in every 7-10 nights for two months.

Other Residency Information:
Resident stipends are set by the University of California Office of the President and are subject to revision each year as a function of the California State budgetary process. Residents are entitled to two-weeks of vacation plus two-weeks of educational leave. Health, dental, and vision, as well as life, disability, and AD&D insurance are provided to all members of the housestaff. Neurology residents receive supplementary educational accounts to cover the costs of licensure, books, professional memberships, and travel to professional meetings. It has been customary for the Department to fund the cost of sending third year residents to one of the major annual meetings.

Last Updated: April 25, 2008