Our program's educational philosophy is that experiential learning should be balanced and reinforced by a carefully planned didactic curriculum. Our residency's educational conferences are taught by a wide range of outstanding faculty, giving residents exposure to neurologists and clinician-scientists they might not have the opportunity to interact with during clinic or in the hospital. In addition to morning report, professor's rounds, noon conferences, neuroradiology conferences, and journal clubs, residents attend teaching conference every Wednesday afternoon and a rich outpatient focused seminar each Thursday morning during clinic week. A few of our key educational sessions are highlighted below.
1. Physicianship:
Neurology training at UCSF always starts with a month that we call Physicianship. We recognize that when you start neurology after medical internship or pediatric residency, you will have forgotten some of the neurology you learned during medical school. The goal of Physicianship is to provide a laid-back refresher course in neuroanatomy, localization, the neurological examination and an approach to common neurological problems and emergencies you will encounter during your clinical training. In addition, we begin our mentorship program during this time and begin to explore your own personal academic interests.
Physicianship takes place in March for residents in the categorical track, and July for residents in the advanced track and for pediatric neurology residents starting their adult year. The month is free from clinic duties and includes time to rest, recharge, and begin career planning for flexible residency and careers after residency.
2. Wednesday Conference:
Wednesday Conference is a weekly 3-hour event in our neurology residency program. It offers residents the opportunity to delve deeper into complex subspeciality Neurology topics, review challenging case studies, and gain from the expertise of visiting professors in special Grand rounds sessions. The first two months of the year is a summer didactic series focusing on basic skills our newest trainees need to know to be successful on the wards. The rest of the year, one hour every Wednesday is reserved for a PGY3 or PGY4 resident to present a case, often with the patient participating in a focused history and neurological examination. Departmental Grand Rounds occur once per month on Wednesday afternoons. Both child neurology and adult neurology trainees attend Wednesday conferences.
3. Clinic Week Outpatient Focused Conferences:
Our clinic week outpatient focused conferences occur during the dedicated outpatient weeks of the residency program. Encompassing a pager-free half-day, they revolve around the practice of outpatient neurology, focusing on the long-term management of chronic neurological diseases, patient communication, and hands-on skills-based sessions to improve your practice (e.g. Botox for migraine, nerve conduction study technique, or polysomnography interpretation). They offer a combination of small-group chalk talks, lectures, case presentations, and workshops to optimize the learning experience.
4. Morning Report:
Morning Report is an educational meeting that kickstarts most days at all inpatient hospital sites. Residents present new admissions or complex cases from the previous day to the attending neurologists and fellow residents. The meeting promotes a collegial environment where participants can engage in discussions regarding diagnostic reasoning, management plans, and evidence-based care. The Morning Report not only helps improve the residents' clinical reasoning skills but also keeps them informed about the spectrum of neurological conditions presenting within each hospital. Some morning reports are structured as Professor’s Rounds, which include a visit to the bedside to demonstrate neurological examination findings.
5. Noon Conferences:
Noon Conferences, scheduled one to two weekdays at each site, provide an additional daily dose of structured learning. These sessions encompass a broad range of generally inpatient focused topics from the neurovascular or neurohospitalist world. Additional conferences may focus on morbidity and mortality or multidisciplinary care of complex outpatients.
6. Journal Club:
Journal Club is a weekly to monthly gathering where residents critically appraise recent scientific literature in neurology. Guided by faculty mentors, residents learn how to evaluate the methodology and statistical analysis of published studies. Our journal clubs encourage the cultivation of evidence-based practice, expose residents to cutting-edge research in their field, and foster a better understanding of clinical trials and statistical analysis. This forum is not only for discussing clinical science but also for developing presentation skills and engaging in scholarly debate. A subset of journal clubs are run by UCSF’s BALANCE (GloBAL Neurology, NeuroinfeCtious Diseases, and Health Equity) initiative and focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion aspects of neurologic care.
7. Neuroradiology Conferences:
Inpatient rotators at each site participate in a weekly interdisciplinary neuroradiology conference where cases from both neurology and neurosurgery are presented and discussed with neuroradiology faculty. This is always an outstanding learning experience where trainees gain knowledge in interpretation of complex neuroimaging, often with pathological correlation.