Clinical assignments
PGY-1
Our interns match categorically at The Ohio State University and receive training through our outstanding Internal Medicine program. One month each of their intern year will be spent in the neurocritical care unit and in our outpatient neurology clinics. We maintain connections with our interns through different wellness events and educational programs throughout the year.Neurology years 2-4
After intern year, clinical rotations are in four-week blocks that vary from year to year, with increasing outpatient/elective rotations over the three years of neurology residency. The residents are given a gradual increase in responsibility as team leaders over the course of residency. Rotations take place at the main Ohio State hospitals (including the Brain and Spine Hospital), Ohio State East Hospital and multiple outpatient clinics in the Columbus metro area, both on and off campus. Residents have the opportunity to gain significant procedural skills, including EMG, EEG interpretation, lumbar puncture and headache injections (Botox and nerve blocks). Our night float/elective blocks consist of two weeks each of alternating night float and elective weeks. Our required outpatient rotations are split between two subspecialities with two weeks each of associated outpatient clinics.PGY-2
We ensure that our PGY-2s get adequate exposure to all major areas of both inpatient and outpatient neurology to assist with fellowship selection.
A sample of rotations:
- Neurology Consultations - Emergency Department (1)
- Neurology Consultations – General Inpatient Neurology – OSU Main (1-2)
- Stroke Inpatient Service (1)
- Epilepsy Monitoring Unit Service (1-2)
- Neurocritical Care Unit (1)
- Night Float/Elective (2-3)
- Outpatient: Neuromuscular/EMG (1)
- Outpatient: Neuroimmunology/Headache (1)
- Outpatient: Cognitive/Movement Disorders (1)
- Outpatient: Neuro-oncology/Sleep (1)
- Elective (1)
PGY-3
Our residents start to function as seniors/team leaders during their PGY3 year on our inpatient neurology consultation and primary stroke services. The Child Neurology rotations consist of two inpatient and one outpatient block at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, which has a top tier Child Neurology program and provides excellent education opportunities for our residents. Our residents do not take call while on Child Neurology rotations.
A sample of rotations:
- Neurology Consultations – General Inpatient Neurology – Ohio State main campus (1-2)
- Neurology Consultations – General Inpatient Neurology – Ohio State East (1)
- Stroke Inpatient Service (1)
- Night Float/Elective (2-3)
- Outpatient: Neuromuscular/EMG (1)
- Outpatient: Neuro-immunology/headache (1)
- Outpatient: Cognitive/Movement Disorders (1)
- Outpatient: Neuro-ophthalmology/Stroke (1)
- Pediatric Neurology Consultations - Nationwide Children’s Hospital (1-2)
- Elective (1-2)
PGY-4
A sample of rotations:
- Neurology Consultations – General Inpatient Neurology – Ohio State main campus (1-2)
- Neurology Consultations – General Inpatient Neurology – Ohio State East (1)
- Stroke Inpatient Service (1)
- Night Float/Elective (2-3)
- Outpatient: Epilepsy/EEG (1)
- Outpatient: Neuro-oncology/Sleep (1)
- Pediatric Neurology Consultations - Nationwide Children’s Hospital (1)
- Elective (2-3)
Continuity Clinic
Starting in PGY-2 year, our residents start seeing patients in their continuity clinic, which allows them to manage and treat their own patients with attending oversight over the course of their residency. We aim for them to see a wide selection of general neurology patients, and residents can schedule follow up appointments with patients they saw in the hospital. Continuity Clinic takes place every Thursday at the Brain and Spine Hospital Neurology Clinic and every Friday at the Davis Neurology Clinic, both of which are on the main hospital campus. Residents are not scheduled to have clinic when they are on most inpatient rotations (excluding EMU and Nationwide Children's) to avoid having to leave important inpatient duties to attend clinic.
Didactics
Residents have protected conferences daily from 12 – 1 p.m. that are hybrid in-person and virtual to allow both on-campus and off-campus residents to attend with ease. These are taught by attendings across all of our neurology subspecialities with some taught by attendings outside neurology for their relevant expertise (palliative care, infectious disease, neuroradiology, neuro-ophthalmology). Residents also participate in peer-led weekly morning reports, subspecialty journal clubs, and Error Reduction Conferences. There is a robust curriculum in place to review all subspecialty neurology in an annual fashion with focus on in-training examination (RITE) during the late winter.
We also have a robust longitudinal curriculum with a weekly (Friday) didactic catered to the following four disciplines throughout the year:
- EMG/NCS interpretation
- EEG interpretation
- Neuroradiology
- Neuroanatomy
In addition to a robust didactic curriculum, subspecialty divisions also have a multitude of educational conferences that the residents join when they are rotating or have particular interest. These include:
- Epilepsy Surgery Conference
- Movement Disorder Deep Brain Stimulation/Focused Ultrasound Ablation Conference
- Neurobehavioral Case Conference
- Neurocritical Care Conference
- Neuroimmunology Case Conference
- Neuro-oncology Tumor Board
- Neuromuscular Conference
- Neurovascular Case Conference
Grand Rounds
Our department Grand Rounds are held on Tuesdays between 7:30-8:30 a.m. (either in-person or virtual format). We invite highly recognized expert speakers in their fields from across the country. Residents have the opportunity to interact with the invited speakers after each Grand Round presentation.
Neurology bootcamp
We have created a comprehensive four-day Neurology onboarding bootcamp for all PGY-2 residents to participate in prior to starting their second year of training. These are protected sessions where residents gain knowledge in acute neurological emergencies and the neurological examination, and learn through different platforms including didactics, case-based education, and high-fidelity simulation.
Research
Residents are encouraged to participate in scholarly activity during their training. Residents are assigned research mentors, who guide residents through research projects of interest, ranging from case reports, retrospective chart reviews, QI projects, clinical research and/or basic science experiments. Residents are expected to pursue a research project that will culminate in a formal medical communication — peer-reviewed publications and/or conference presentations (oral and/or poster presentations). In May, we hold our annual Neuroscience Day conference, where residents present their research projects (either final results or in-progress updates). We strongly encourage our residents to present at external peer-reviewed conferences (e.g., AAN annual meeting).
Mentorship
In addition to each resident being assigned a research mentor, they will also be assigned a clinical mentor starting their PGY-2 year with a goal of meeting twice yearly to discuss progress in residency, future plans, and overall wellness. Clinical mentors can change based on career interests later in residency.
Wellness
Wellness is of utmost importance in our program. Residents can engage in monthly wellness activities that are organized by our Wellness Chief and funded by the department (prior events – yoga, pottery making, mushroom foraging, mini massage, tie-dying T-shirts). We are committed to our residents’ educational experience with an emphasis on the balance between service and education. There are a variety of medical center-wide initiatives and resources to support residents’ physical and mental health and well-being.