Curriculum

Our residency curriculum balances inpatient and outpatient neurology, with increasing autonomy as residents progress from PGY-2 to PGY-4. Ample elective time is provided each year for residents to pursue individual interests.

Starting in July 2021, we are switching to an X+Y schedule, which will eliminate weekly continuity clinic. Instead, residents will have blocks of clinic every 4 weeks.  By eliminating weekly continuity clinic, residents will no longer have to leave inpatient rotations to go to clinic, and residents in clinic will be able to focus on outpatient neurology.  Additionally, residents will never spend more than four weeks in a row on inpatient rotations.

Ours is an Advanced program, meaning applicants must apply separately for their PGY-1 year.

Applicants who match with us are guaranteed an internship through the Emory Transitional Year (TY) Internship program, for which they must apply separately through ERAS. Applicants who prefer to train elsewhere for their PGY-1 year may do so.

Per ACGME guidelines, the internship year must include:

• eight months in internal medicine OR
• six months in internal medicine with a period of at least two months' time comprising one or more months of pediatrics, emergency medicine, internal medicine, or family medicine
• residents may spend up to four months in neurology during the intern year

The goal of the PGY-2 year is to simply immerse the resident in neurology; there is no better way to learn the principles of neurology than to see and examine patients under careful supervision. The PGY-2 year is a mix of inpatient and outpatient neurology; residents rotate through all of our inpatient services at Emory University Hospital and Grady Memorial Hospital, including the wards, consult service, neurocritical care unit, and stroke service.  PGY-2 residents are responsible for overnight call coverage at Emory University Hospital via a night float system.  PGY-2 residents rotate through outpatient subspecialty clinics at Emory and the Atlanta VA Medical Center, including movement disorders, cognitive, ALS, epilepsy, sleep, stroke, and neuroimmunology.  Additionally, all PGY-2 residents spend four weeks learning the basics of EEG interpretation.

During the PGY-3 year, residents begin to transition to a supervisory role. For the first time, the PGY-3 is a leader, running the Grady and Emory consult teams. Time management and organizational skills are quickly learned while running these busy teams. The PGY-3 must not only triage consults, but spend time teaching the PGY-2, rotating residents, and medical students on the services, which is a major responsibility and learning experience. PGY-3 residents are responsible for overnight call coverage at Grady Memorial Hospital via a night float system.  

PGY-3 residents spend three months rotating on Child Neurology at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, one of the top pediatric hospitals in the country. All PGY-3 residents also rotate through neuro-ophthalmology clinic, neuromuscular/EMG clinic and epilepsy clinic.

The PGY-4 year is the most flexible of the 3 years of training, with six months of elective time to pursue individual interests. The remainder of the year is spent as the senior resident on the Grady ward and consult services; rotating through VA subspecialty clinics; and spending a month on the Grady psychiatry consult service.  The PGY-4 year is a year of increased responsibility, and upon graduation, residents are fully competent to practice as independent neurologists.

We offer a Flexible Neurology Training Path which allows residents more time to focus on clinical or basic science research during all three years of residency. On the flexible path, residents will be given extra time for research during each PGY year. Residents will still fulfill all ACGME requirements for graduation.

Residents must apply for the flexible path by November 1st of their PGY-2 year; interested residents are encouraged to seek out research mentors during their PGY-1 year, though it is still possible to apply if a mentor is not identified until the PGY-2 year. A committee of physician scientists and core residency faculty will review all applications; decisions will be granted by January 1st. There is no limit on the number of residents who can be on the flexible path at any given time. Prior research experience is recommended, but not an absolute requirement.