Unique Aspects of our Program

Basic Structure

12-1 pm: Grand Rounds are held during this time most weeks. Other conferences are held throughout the year on off-weeks:

• M&M (co-presented by 2 PGY-3s): 3 times per year

• Neuroanatomy Review (Draw it to Know it): Every week during August then every other month (during faculty meetings)

  • Resident-led and resident-taught neuroanatomy review.

1-2 pm: Typically a resident presentation, alternating between:

• Parry Rounds & Case Presentations: Cases are presented by residents and discussions are facilitated by master clinicians (such as retired department chair, Dr. Parry) lead residents through the though process of neurologic diagnosis and clinical reasoning.

• Journal Club: We seek to avoid the stereotype of journal clubs as dry, dull and defeating with an invigorated new format designed to train residents how to systematically analyze a journal article in small group discussions then a large group discussion facilitated by our biomedical librarian, Jonathan Koffel, who brings his expertise in evidence-based medicine to the discussion. To further increase the utility of these sessions, we have our subspecialty faculty members choose landmark papers within their fields that all neurology residents should read.

• Skills Workshops

• Board Review: Q & A or Jeopardy-style board review sessions led by our G4s.   

• G1 Mini-lecture Series: During board review sessions, a senior resident leads a 'chalk talk' on important intro neurology topics to our G1s.

• Chief Chats: Opportunities for residents to openly discuss any issues or concerns without faculty present.

3-4 pm: Didactics by faculty

• 2-year curriculum divided into subspecialty blocks which integrate neurology, neuropathology and neuroradiology:

  • • Epilepsy/EEG
    • Neuromuscular
    • Neuroimmunology
    • Neuro-opthalmology
    • Pediatric Neurology
    • Neuro-Oncology
    • Cognitive/Behavioral Neurology
    • Neurophysiology
    • Sleep Medicine
    • Psychiatry
    • Pain/Headache
    • Neurovascular
    • Neurocritical Care
    • Systemic Manifestations of Neurologic Disease
    • Movement Disorders

Simulation Days

• • Our residency collaborates with the Hennepin County Medical Center Interdisciplinary Simulation and Education Center (ISEC) to provide a guided, safe environment for our trainees to practice real-life medical situations and procedures. 

  • Annually, trainees participate in high-fidelity simulations designed for learning about and practicing acute stroke care, management of status epilepticus, brain death examination, and lumbar puncture. Faculty members observe the teams of residents during each case and provide feedback in a group debrief afterwards. 

The Basics

Number of enrolled residents: 2 per class

Application requirement:

• • • Statement of purpose

    • Plans to pursue a career as an academic clinician-educator

    • In good standing in terms of clinical performance

Program start: End of PGY-1 year (during Bootcamp)

Requirements for Completion

1. Curriculum Development Project.

• • • Develop and implement a curriculum initiative and/or education scholarship project.

    • Disseminate (via journal publication or poster presentation).

    • This fulfills the research requirement for residents.

2. Create and maintain a professional teaching portfolio.

3. Mentorship

• • • Meet at least twice yearly with faculty clinician‐educator mentor.

    • Residents’ progress is reviewed twice/year by the NET Committee, who will provide feedback and guidance to support NET residents’ successful completion of their goals and program requirements.

    • NET Committee: Jamie Starks, Sam Maiser, Ezgi Tiryaki.

4. Complete required curriculum.

• • • Annual teaching workshop: Occurs during Bootcamp. Some curriculum is for all PGY‐1s. NET residents will participate in additional education‐related curriculum.

    • Didactics: At least 4 didactic sessions will be held each year on Fridays at noon (NET residents are excused from Grand Rounds on these days). Didactics are held at the Campus Club with lunch provided. Didactics will cover topics in the following areas:

      • • Teaching skills.

        • Curriculum development.

        • Leadership & administration.

        • Career development and scholarship.

5. Complete mandatory teaching practicum. There are mandatory and optional teaching experiences. Rotation scheduling for NET participant takes teaching obligations into account (i.e. elective time will be scheduled to allow participation in the experiences outlined below).

Teaching Practicum

PGY‐2s

• • Facilitate at least one Foundations of Clinical Thinking session for MS1s (as part of the NET FCT group).

  • TA at least one MS1 neuroanatomy lab and deliver “clinical correlation” talk.

  • Participate in ECM neurology exam workshop for MS1s.

  • Organize and facilitate PGY‐1 Bootcamp.

  • Start brainstorming ideas for curriculum development project.

PGY‐3s

• Facilitate 2‐3 FCT sessions as part of the shared NET FCT group of MS1s.

• Participate in ECM neurology exam workshop for MS1s.

• Facilitate at least one small group session for the HHD5 neurology course for MS2s.

• Simulation‐based education:

• Complete HCMC Sim Center’s Sim Facilitator Course

• Write one new neurology simulation case.

• Co‐direct annual neurology simulation.

• Debrief sim cases at the simulation session.

• Curriculum development project: Complete needs assessment, develop goals/objectives, and determine teaching methods for curriculum initiative.

PGY‐4s

• • Facilitate 2‐3 FCT sessions as part of the shared NET FCT group of MS2s.

  • Co‐teach the HHD5 course (2nd year medical student neurology pathophysiology course):

  • Review/revise curriculum in conjunction with faculty course directors.

  • Give neurology lectures to the medical students (divided between NET residents).

  • Facilitate small group sessions.

  • Help write exam questions for the course.

  • Lead the core education/leadership skills workshop during Bootcamp.

  • Lead at least one educational session for non‐neurology residents/physicians (e.g. IM board review, IM morning report, EM stroke sims).

  • Lead at least one educational session for non‐physician healthcare providers or students.

  • Curriculum development project: Implement curriculum, evaluate curriculum, and disseminate results (e.g. poster presentation, journal publication, MedEd Portal publication).

Research Highlights

• The department has earned over 11.9 million dollars in NIH funding making it a top performing academic institution (top 25 programs nationally). In addition it has earned greater than 26.5 million dollars in its robust neurosciences program cementing it in 6th place as a national leader in neurological discovery.

• Our department is a Udall Center of excellence in Neuromodulation research, one of just eight such institutions nationally. This gives residents extremely unique opportunities for research in neuromodulation which will position them to be key contributors to the future of the field.

• The department is one of 29 programs that form the Stroke-Net research program led by the NIH and routinely places as a top site for acute clinical trial enrollment. As such, it provides residents opportunities to participate in stroke research. This dovetails well with our programs curriculum, which provides strong exposure to stroke, neurological critical care, and endovascular neurology in order to train residents poised for leadership in the inpatient setting.  

Neurology Residency Research & Scholarship Committee (NRSSC):  Mentored Resident Research

Purpose:

The aim of the Scientific Pathway & Research in Neurology Training (SPRINT) program is to cohesively integrate research training with clinical neurology residency training. This pathway is designed for residents who intend to pursue a career in clinical research, enabling them to become proficient in research methodology and preparing them to become leaders in the field of academic neurological research.

Logistics:

-One resident per year

-Residents apply during PGY-1

Core Faculty

Jeff Allen MD - Neuromuscular Medicine 

Thomas Henry MD - Epilepsy

William Mantyh MD - Dementia/Behavioral Neurology

Leo Almeida MD/Colom Mackinnon PhD - Movement disorders & Neuromodulation

Christopher Streib MD MS - Vascular Neurology 

Peter Kang MD - Muscular Dystrophy 

Curriculum

1.     Research Project:

·       Design and complete a research study, including submission of research proposal, study design, data collection and data analysis

·       Complete and publish a literature review on a research topic of interest

·       Submit manuscript/research findings at high impact peer-reviewed journals

·       Present research findings on research day and at a conference of your choice

·       This fulfils the ACGME research requirement for residency

2.     Mentorship:

·       Meet at least once per quarter with faculty research mentor who will provide assessment, supervision and constructive feedback

·       SPRINT resident will create and maintain a professional research portfolio 

·       Residents’ progress is reviewed twice per year by the Resident Research Committee who will provide feedback and guidance to support SPRINT residents’ successful completion of their goals and program requirements

3.     SPRINT Overview Schedule:

·       PGY-1 

●      Select a research mentor who will act as the Principle Investigator (PI) of your research project. Set up initial meeting and plan for subsequent meetings during your PGY2-4 years.  Research mentors to be identified ahead of time. Goal to have a few options and vet faculty ahead of time. 

●      Identify your research topic. Will be determined in coordination with the research mentor. 

●      Complete required online modules during PGY-1 bootcamp

·       PGY2:

●      Complete and publish literature review (meta-analysis or systematic review) in a topic of interest 

●      Sign up to become a junior journal reviewer for a journal of interest (PGY2)

●      Write and submit a research proposal to the institutional review board (IRB) (PGY2)

●      Design and work on a research study (PGY 2)

·       PGY 3 & 4:

●      Publish research findings at high impact peer-reviewed journals 

●      Present research findings on research day and at a conference of their choice 

●      Be a member in the resident research committee 

●      Play a role in Friday School Journal Club

Protected Time

-1 month/year research block to complete data base and/or submit manuscripts

-Half day/week on elective rotations are protected to allow for longitudinal progress on resaerch projects and allow for time to meet with mentors

SPRINT resident expectations:

·       To understand the key concepts in the responsible conduct of research 

·       To be able to critically appraise the medical scientific literature

·       To be able to independently formulate a research question, as well as be able to design and conduct a study to address that question

·       To be able to present and publish the results of one’s scholarly work

·       Identify individual strengths and weaknesses as researchers

Research mentor expectations:

·       Have robust expertise in the resident’s area of research and the willingness to devote time and energy beyond normal faculty responsibilities

·       Meet with SPRINT resident on a quarterly basis 

·       Supervise the SPRINT resident and provide assessment and constructive feedback

·       Establish research training goals that include quality of performance, mastery of information and technical methods relevant to the research