Vanderbilt University Medical Center Program

The Vanderbilt University Medical Center Child Neurology Residency Program is an ACGME-accredited five-year categorical program designed to provide comprehensive clinical training in child neurology. The program sets out to cultivate competent, compassionate child neurologists poised to become leaders in their field. It encompasses two years of training in pediatrics, followed by three years focused on neurology, including 12 months dedicated to adult neurology and 24 months to pediatric neurology. Throughout this period, residents gain experience in both inpatient and outpatient neurology at the Vanderbilt University Hospital and the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, respectively.

The program emphasizes a diverse range of educational opportunities, including detailed rotations in areas like EEG, NCV/EMG, advanced headache and spasticity treatment, neuroradiology, and neuropathology. Residents can tailor their elective time to explore specific areas of interest and further their career development. The curriculum is reinforced by a robust schedule of didactic sessions, covering basic neuroscience, translational and clinical neurology, and other key areas designed to complement the clinical learning experience. Child Neurology residents also benefit from additional educational conferences and sessions that further integrate them into the vibrant educational community at Vanderbilt.

Vanderbilt seeks four categorical residents annually, intending to equip them for board eligibility in both the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and the American Board of Pediatrics. The residency is structured to provide residents with a supportive learning environment, including mentorship and opportunities for career development, particularly for those interested in pursuing a career as a physician-scientist.

The program acknowledges the importance of its setting in Nashville, highlighting the city's vibrant culture and high quality of life as an integral part of the residency experience. This attention to lifestyle emphasizes the program's acknowledgment of the importance of work-life balance in medical training.

Application for the program is through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) for the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP), and the program inserts its categorical positions, which include the initial two years of Pediatrics training at Vanderbilt, followed by the three years of training in Child Neurology. The program accepts both USMLE and COMLEX scores and recommends completion of USMLE Step 1 and/or COMLEX Level 1 before the interview season and USMLE Step 2 and/or COMLEX Level 2 before the start of the intern year.

This comprehensive approach to training, coupled with the supportive community and rich educational opportunities at Vanderbilt, are designed to prepare residents for successful careers in child neurology, whether they aim to work in clinical practice, research, or education.