About the Program

What Sets Us Apart  

Clinical Excellence  

• As the home of the biopsychosocial model, we train our residents to consider “the whole patient” with a multidisciplinary collaborative approach to care, attention to social determinants of health, and one of the few neuropalliative care programs in the county
• Our world-renowned faculty provide residents with graduated autonomy in the care of the neurologic patient on the wards, in clinics, and in research, beginning on day one of training 
• Residents get a broad exposure to neurology throughout their residency, including early ambulatory neurology exposure with their continuity clinic starting in the PGY-1 year
• Our department prioritizes quality and patient safety, with resident-led QI projects

Residents as Educators   

• Inspired by the leaders in neurologic education at URMC, our residents deepen their passion for teaching during training 
• Residents have continuous interactions with medical students at the prestigious University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, including with clerkship students on clinical rotations, and teaching opportunities for chief residents in the pre-clinical Mind, Brain, and Behavior course
• Our residents engage in an innovative didactic model calibrated to their level of training, which includes peer learning, skills workshops, and self-directed inquiry.  See sample Academic Half-Day Schedule.  

From Bench to Bedside 

• All Neurology residents at URMC eagerly engaged in scholarly activity throughout their training, individualized to their interests and ultimate career goals 
• Our residents are frequently invited to highlight their work on the national level, and our department subsidizes the costs associated with these opportunities
• As part of our mentoring program, residents learn how to develop and present research projects with practical workshops and abstract/poster critique
• We showcase trainee research activities at the annual Steven Schwid Resident, Fellow and Student Research Symposium.  See list of this year's award winners!

Beyond UR Borders  

• Residents at URMC receive training and hands-on experience in teleneurology, taught by experts in the field  
• Community outreach is a critical part of our program, as residents organize donation drives, participate in community health fairs, and can rotate through the UR Spanish Neurology clinic led by Dr. Blanca Valdovinos
• We offer several unique international electives across three continents, with options for clinical care, teaching, and/or research

Personal & Professional Wellness  

• Our program is resident-centric, with resident feedback incorporated into every aspect of the program, and resident representation on numerous departmental and institutional committees and initiatives
• An unmatched, structured, longitudinal resident mentoring program with a special emphasis on leadership development during the PGY4 year
• Frequent social events, birthday celebrations, and friendly competitions- our residents don’t just work together, they are actually friends who become more like family over the course of their residency! 

All are Welcome  

• Our department is committed to engaging students from historically marginalized groups to enter the pipeline for careers in the neurosciences, and to recruiting and retaining diverse trainees and faculty members
• We developed a multi-year DEI curriculum for residents to explore critical topics that help them best care for the patients and communities we serve
• Residents participate in the Department of Neurology IDEAS (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Anti-Racism and Social Justice) Council, and are active members and leaders of several affinity groups at URMC
• Our program was selected as one of the pilot sites for the new American Academy of Neurology Anti-Racism program for residents