Department of Neurology

Miami Valley Hospital General Neurology Service

The educational objectives during the adult general neurology rotation at Miami Valley Hospital are to:

  1. Acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes to perform a thorough neurological history and exam, and
  2. To learn the role of the neurologist in the diagnosis and management of acute and chronic non-cerebrovascular neurological illness.

The adult general neurology service at Miami Valley Hospital provides faculty-supervised care to a diverse population of patient's with a full range of acute and chronic non-cerebrovascular neurological illnesses. The resident assumes an ascending level of responsibility based upon maturation of knowledge, skills and attitudes applicable to the educational goals of this experience. The PGY2 and PGY4 neurology residents assigned to this service will provide neurological care for patients admitted with primary neurological problems. In addition, PGY2 and PGY3 neurology residents will provide neurological consultations to other services at Miami Valley Hospital. The neurology residents will act as a supervisory physician for rotating internal medicine and psychiatry residents on this service.

Faculty supervised teaching rounds are held seven days per week. During these rounds, residents present cases and their diagnostic and therapeutic plans. The service is responsible for managing patients’ mainly neurological disorders with the pathology spectrum including multiple sclerosis exacerbations, intractable epilepsy, central nervous system infections, encephalopathy, peripheral nervous system disorders and central nervous system malignancies. There is one attending for the service, except for the few patients on the epilepsy monitoring unit who will have an epileptologist serving as the attending.

The specific educational goals of the Miami Valley Hospital general neurology experience includes:

  1. Obtain a practical experience in obtaining an orderly and detailed history from the patient, conducting a thorough general and neurological examination and organizing and recording data. Competencies addressed: patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills and professionalism.
  2. Understanding of the indications for and the limitations of clinical neurodiagnostic tests and their interpretation. Competencies addressed: patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement.
  3. Learn the ability to correlate information derived from neurodiagnostic studies with the clinical history and examination in formulating a differential diagnosis and management plan. Competencies addressed: patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement.
  4. Understand the evaluation of and the decision-making for patients with disorders of the nervous system requiring surgical management. Competencies addressed: patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement.
  5. Learn the neurological consultants role in the management of patient's with psychiatric and neuropsychiatric disorders and comorbidities including substance abuse. Competencies addressed: patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills and professionalism.
  6. Understand the role of the neurological consultant in the management of patients with acute neurological disorders in the medical and surgical intensive care units. Competencies addressed: patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement.
  7. To better understand the principles of bioethics in the provision of acute and cost-effective evaluation and treatment of patients with neurological disorders, including the medically underserved. Competencies addressed: patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills and professionalism.
  8. Understand the participation of the neurologist in end-of-life palliative care including adequate pain relief and psychosocial support and counseling for family members about these issues. Competencies addressed: patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills and professionalism.
  9. Learn the role of family and social issues by participation in neurological care including psycho-social support and counseling for family members. Competencies addressed: patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills and professionalism.
  10. Develop expertise in the coordination of care with the primary care team for which neurology is comanaging patients or providing a consultation, including appropriate written and verbal communication with the primary care team and with the patient and their family. Competencies addressed: patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills and professionalism.
Service schedule
  1. Admissions and on-going patient care: PGY1 and PGY2 neurology residents and rotating internal medicine and psychiatry residents with supervision by PGY4.
  2. Consultations: PGY1 and PGY2 neurology residents and rotating internal medicine and psychiatry residents and supervision by PGY3 neurology residents.
  3. Resident rounds: Supervising: PGY4 neurology residents; Required participation: PGY1, PGY2, PGY3 neurology residents, PGY2 internal medicine rotating residents, PGY1 psychiatry residents and medical students.
  4. Continuity clinic one half day per week.
Last edited on 08/11/2023.