Department of Neurology

Neurology Resident Subspecialty Clinic

Educational objectives of the resident subspecialty clinic for the adult neurology resident are to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes to perform a thorough neurological exam and to diagnose and manage non-acute neurological illness by providing faculty supervised care to a diverse population of patients representing the broad range of neurological illnesses. The resident begins to develop understanding of longitudinal progression and resolution of complex neurological disease states as they present to a subspecialist in neurology. The resident learns to evaluate and manage neurological diseases with the assistance of subspecialty experts in multiple fields of neurology. Specific subspecialty exposure will occur in the following areas of neurology: epilepsy, general neurology, movement disorders, neuroimmunology, neurobehavioral, neuromuscular, neuro-oncology, pain management, sleep disorders and vascular neurology. The resident will assume an ascending level of responsibility with appropriate faculty supervision based upon maturation of knowledge, skills and attitudes applicable to the educational goals of this experience. Resident subspecialty clinics are held at the Neurology Clinic at Miami Valley Hospital and the VA Medical Center.

The specific educational goals for the Neurology Subspecialty rotation are:

  1. A practical experience in obtaining an orderly and detailed history from the patient, conducting a thorough neurological examination and organizing and recording data. Core competencies addressed: patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, systems-based practice.
  2. Understanding of the indications for and the limitations of clinical neurodiagnostic tests and their interpretation, as used by subspecialty trained neurologists in a variety of areas, including EEG, sleep studies, CSF examination, EMG and muscle biopsy. Core competencies addressed: patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, systems-based practice.
  3. The ability to correlate information derived from neurodiagnostic studies with the clinical history and examination in formulating a differential diagnosis and management plan. Core competencies addressed: patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, systems-based practice.
  4. Understand the effective follow-up evaluation and management process for chronic and short-term neurological disorders in comprehensive specialty clinics, such as multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, neuromuscular disorders, vascular neurology, movement disorders and sleep disorders. Understand how to adjust treatment plans to the individual patient as they progress thru variable disease states. Core competencies addressed: patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, systems-based practice.
  5. Evaluation of and medical decision-making for patients with disorders of the nervous system requiring surgical management, such as deep brain stimulation and intractable epilepsy. This includes evaluation of psychiatric and neuropsychiatric comorbidities and medical comorbidities. Competencies addressed: patient care, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, systems-based practice.
  6. Understand the principles of bioethics and the provision of appropriate and cost effective evaluation and treatment of patients with a variety of neurological disorders and related issues of end-of-life palliative care, adequate pain relief and psychosocial support and counseling for family members. Competencies addressed: patient care, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, systems-based practice.
Last edited on 08/11/2023.