Training & Curriculum

Neurology residents will train throughout the Department of Neurology, learning from leaders in a wider range of specialties. The department operates a 24-bed Neuroscience Critical Care Unit in the Saperstein building, and the Cedars-Sinai Stroke Program is a Joint Commission-certified Comprehensive Stroke Center that offers the highest level of care, including advanced imaging and interventional radiology resources, as well as ongoing clinical and basic science research programs. Well-developed affiliated services also include the California Rehabilitation Institute.

Training Focus by Postgraduate Year (PGY)

Neurology residents train throughout the Department of Neurology, learning from leaders in a wide range of specialties. Experience is gained in both outpatient and inpatient settings, including the ICU as well as emergency neurologic care.

The Cedars-Sinai Neurology Residency allows trainees to assume increasing patient care responsibilities as they progress through the three-year curriculum. Core rotations are repeated throughout the program, including inpatient ward/consult services, epilepsy, stroke, pediatric neurology, neuromuscular medicine and neurocritical care. Increased expectations are reflected in residents’ roles within the team and the rotation-specific goals and objectives. Since July 2019, the residency program has implemented a night float call system to enhance the training experience.

PGY-1

Neurology residents are required by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) to spend one year in an accredited internal medicine residency program, including at least eight months in internal medicine clinical training. No credit may be given for time spent in another medical specialty.

We are now linked with Cedars-Sinai Internal Medicine Residency Program. Interested applicants should rank the Internal Medicine Residency Program separately through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). All applicants invited to interview for neurology will automatically be scheduled to meet with the Internal Medicine program director and learn about the linked med-prelim/neurology program and its requirements on the same day.

The program codes are:

Med-Prelim/Neurology (Preliminary)
NRMP Program Code: 1030140P1
ACGME Program Code: 1400511040

PGY-2

The PGY-2 year is designed to give residents broad exposure to neurological disease and patient presentation in a variety of settings — including emergency room, inpatient and outpatient — as well as an introduction to related disciplines that are critical for developing effective patient management approaches.

While on the neurology ward/consult rotation, residents in the PGY-2 year receive patient assignments from senior residents, fellows or faculty. Trainees have opportunities to teach rotating medical students. In the outpatient setting, residents learn the fundamentals of subspecialty neurological practice and become familiar with targeted examination techniques and treatments.

PGY-2 rotations:

Ward/consult
Neurocritical care
Neuromuscular
Epilepsy
Stroke
Outpatient subspecialty
Rehab

PGY-3

PGY-3 residents take on more supervisory and teaching roles. They serve as the senior resident on the neurology ward/consult service and are responsible for triaging and assigning consultation requests, for organizing and assigning teaching assignments to the medical students and junior residents, and for the overall functioning of the team.

Residents also begin their pediatric neurology rotation, which includes six weeks at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. In the outpatient setting, residents are assigned a greater number of patients and more complex cases. They perform and interpret neurodiagnostic procedures under the direct supervision of faculty.

Elective time, targeted to early in the PGY-3 year, allows for exploration of subspecialty interests and fellowship audition rotations.

PGY-3 rotations:

Ward/consult
Stroke service
Pediatric neurology
Neurocritical care
Outpatient subspecialty
Neuromuscular
Epilepsy
Elective

PGY-4

Fourth-year trainees operate as chief residents and oversee patient assignments and teaching on the neurology ward/consult service. They take on increased leadership and organizational roles. They interpret electroencephalogram (EEG) tests with limited over-reading and will have opportunities to pursue experiences in intraoperative monitoring cases.

In the outpatient setting, residents are responsible for working up and managing patients with limited attending input. They perform and interpret EEG/nerve conduction velocity studies in conjunction with teaching faculty. Six months of elective time during this year provides more time to pursue additional training or to develop research projects in keeping with the individual resident's interests and career goals.

PGY-4 rotations:

Ward/consult chief resident
Pediatric neurology
Epilepsy
Selective outpatient subspecialty
Neuromuscular
Elective