Rush University Medical Center Program

The Vascular Neurology Fellowship program at Rush University Medical Center offers an intensive one-year fellowship accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), focusing primarily on stroke care. This program is designed to provide comprehensive training in a state-of-the-art environment, ensuring fellows gain the necessary skills to excel in their future careers in vascular neurology.

The training facilities include the neurointensive care unit, which is a cutting-edge 28-bed unit featuring a dedicated embedded CT scanner. The inpatient setting encompasses a 32-bed neurology floor housing an inpatient stroke unit with six full-time EEG-monitored beds, allowing for a variety of clinical experiences. The program's neurosonology laboratory is equipped with transcranial Doppler and carotid ultrasound capabilities, providing significant hands-on training opportunities.

Fellows engage in a structured curriculum where they spend six months on the acute stroke service, enabling them to manage and intervene in acute stroke situations actively. Additionally, fellows spend two months in the neuroICU service, rounding out their critical care training. The remaining months of the fellowship are dedicated to elective rotations in areas such as neurosonology, neuroradiology, stroke rehabilitation, neuroendovascular surgery, and research, among others. This diverse training ensures that fellows come out well-rounded and prepared for various aspects of vascular neurology practice.

An essential component of the fellowship involves close collaboration with the cerebrovascular and endovascular neurosurgery departments. This collaboration fosters an environment ripe for mentorship and advanced patient care opportunities, particularly in performing acute stroke interventions like lytic therapy and endovascular therapies, in addition to participation in clinical trials. Furthermore, fellows focus on becoming experts in outpatient stroke management, as the RUSH Stroke Program is a certified comprehensive stroke center managing over 1,100 inpatient cases and 1,000 outpatient visits each year. Graduating fellows will be eligible to take the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology vascular neurology boards, thereby enhancing their credentials.

Application Process

Applications for the fellowship are managed through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). Applicants are invited to submit their materials starting November 2024, with an application deadline set for March 31, 2025, for appointments beginning in July 2026. Required materials include a comprehensive MyERAS application, a curriculum vitae, transcripts from the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) or Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX), a brief personal statement, a letter of intent, a wallet-sized color photograph, and three reference letters submitted via the ERAS letter of recommendation portal.

Candidates must have completed an ACGME-accredited neurology residency and hold board eligibility from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology prior to starting the fellowship. This prerequisite ensures that all fellows bring a solid foundation in neurology to their vascular training, maximizing the learning experience.

Visa Support

The Vascular Neurology Fellowship program offers visa sponsorship options for international medical graduates. The program typically supports J-1 visas, allowing foreign medical graduates to participate in the fellowship while ensuring compliance with relevant immigration policies.

Competitiveness and Special Requirements

This fellowship is known to be competitive, attracting a wide range of candidates, including those from both U.S. medical schools and international medical graduates (IMGs). Applicants should be mindful of the competitive nature of the selection process and ensure they meet all special application requirements. This includes having a year of graduation that aligns with the program's guidelines and no more than a specified number of failed attempts on STEP exams, typically detailed in the application information.

Ultimately, the Vascular Neurology Fellowship program at Rush University Medical Center is designed to empower the next generation of vascular neurologists through comprehensive clinical training, research opportunities, and an immersive patient care experience.