Course Description

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) offers neurology residents a four-week clinical elective rotation at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center, a 240 state-of-the-art research hospital, located on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland.  The rotating resident will be primarily assigned to the Neurology consultation team, and will be able to tailor the clinical and research related experience to his or her interests by attending subspecialty clinics and laboratory meetings.  Patients seen by the consultation service frequently present with common neurological conditions in the context of rare conditions and novel therapeutic trials, and thus consultations will build on the resident’s skills and knowledge base while expanding his or her understanding of complex disorders and treatments.  The resident will be able to attend additional clinics of interest, including movement disorders, neuroimmunology, neuromuscular disorders, and epilepsy, as well as clinics in other Institutes that comprise the NIH.  Patients include children and adults, inpatients and outpatients, who are enrolled in current National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored clinical trials.  The resident will be supervised directly by the chief of the Neurology Consult service.  Residents are expected to research issues related to the patients seen on rounds and in clinic, and present a 30-minute talk toward the end of their rotation.

Staff

• Sarah M. Kranick, MD
• Avi Nath, MD

Rotation Objectives

• Assist in providing neurological evaluation of fascinating patients with complex diagnostic and management issues
• Gain first-hand experience in evaluating patients on clinical research protocols, frequently in the context of novel therapeutic agents
• Discuss patients at the weekly Neurology Consult Service rounds.
• Attend other clinics, rounds, and laboratory research meetings as desired
• Build upon their fund of knowledge by observing the experimental diagnostic procedures and therapies available at the NIH Clinical Center

Eligibility Requirements

Residents must be currently enrolled, and in good standing, in an Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited program in the United States (US) at the time of application for an elective rotation. A Program Letter of Agreement  must be provided by the resident’s program director. In addition, foreign medical school graduates must have ECFMG certification and provide a copy of the validated ECFMG certificate.

Selection of Applicants

Applicants should indicate their goals for the rotation in their cover letter.