Resident's Schedule & Handbook

Resident Handbook

The Resident Handbook is available in PDF format

This file is only available on the Downstate Intranet.

Schedule

Morning Report

Residents on service attend morning report daily at all two hospitals with the attending on service and at times, accompanied by the Chief of Service for the respective site. Cases seen by the on-call resident which were either sent home from the Emergency Room or admitted to the Neurology service are discussed in detail.

Noon Lecture

Lectures are held at noon everyday at UHB. Lectures cover fundamentals of clinical neurology given by experts in their respective fields. Residents are expected to particpate in discussions with the lecturer regarding challenging clinical scenarios and topic questions. Residents also routinely conduct board preparation on days in which lectures are not scheduled.

Noon conference also includes Journal Club in which a senior resident, fellow, or attending chooses a recenly published article of important clinical value. The article is presented in detail and discusses amongst the residents.

Textbook Review

The Third Edition of Blumenfeld's Neuroanatomy through Clinical Cases is the primary text reviewed in the first year of Neurology residency. Residents are tested on their knowledge with monthly quizes to ensure academic development. Next, residents are expected to use Merritt's Neurology during their second year to apply their knowledge of neuroanatomy to clinical practice. Senior residents are assigned Adam and Victor's Principles of Neurology for subject mastery. Additional textbooks used for selected chapters and textbook readings include Plum and Posner's Stupod and Coma, O'Brien's Aids to the Examination of the Peripheral Nervous System, among others.

First year Lectures

Over the first two months of the first year, the following lectures are provided exclusively for first year resident education. The introductory lecture series helps to ease the transition into dermatology residency and focuses on high-yield topics.

Introductory lecture series for first year residents

• Neurological Exam (Dr. Perk)
• Neurological Diagnosis (Dr. Somasundaram)
• Stroke Code Simulations (Stroke Fellow)
• Status Epilepticus (Dr. Grant)
• Headache Emergencies (Dr. Valsamis)
• Neuromuscular Emergencies (Dr. Y Anziska)
• Coma (Dr. B Anziska)
• Cord Compression (Dr. Vas)

Case Conference

Case conferences moderated by Dr. Perk or the Pediatric team are held on Tuesday Mornings and are open for students, residents and attendings. In these interactive meetings, residents present puzzling and interesting cases for discussion. Special attention is given to localization, appropriate clinical assessment and differential diagnosis. This weekly conference is cherished by Neurology residents as it puts their neurological acumen to the test.

Soma Rounds

Dr. Somasundaram, a renowned Neurologist who has practiced at Downstate and King's County for over 40 years, hosts a special discussion with residents regarding a challening case. With his unique insight, expertise, and humor, Dr. Soma arrives at the diagnosis without fail. In the process, the residents see how a master clinician approaches a complicated case.