Residency Program Program Overview Curriculum Clinical Sites Research How to Apply Meet Our Residents & Alumni Contact Us Program Overview Home Research Research: Clinical Departments Neurology: Home Neurology: Education & Training Neurology: Education & Training > Residency Program Neurology: Education & Training > Residency Program > Program Overview A Well-Rounded Training Experience The Neurology Residency program at UC Irvine provides the knowledge and skills that define a highly qualified clinical neurologist. The training also includes opportunities to develop research expertise. We are committed to a training environment that fosters lifelong learning and resident wellness. Teaching occurs during daily lectures, educational conferences, bedside and table rounds, and regular interactions between residents and faculty. The educational tradition also encourages the development of teaching skills during residency and participation in peer teaching. We instill in our residents exceptional humanistic qualities, including respect, honesty, loyalty and compassion. All residents are expected to develop research projects and participate in quality improvement projects. The annual Resident Research Day, where residents present their projects, is held in June. Resident Selection Residents are chosen based on their academic qualifications, their commitment to providing the highest standards of patient care and their ability to participate in an interactive educational environment. Residents play an integral role in the department’s growth and development. They are given progressive opportunities for independent decision-making as they advance in clinical knowledge and skills based on ACGME core competencies. Faculty Expertise Residents are supervised by board-certified neurology faculty with extensive educational backgrounds, including additional training from prestigious institutions in their subspecialty areas. Our faculty members are nationally recognized clinicians and clinician-scientists with an absolute commitment to the best patient care and education. Attendings are always available for direct and indirect supervision. The residents are given increasing responsibilities and gradual autonomy based on their clinical competency levels and decision-making capability. Program Expectations The program uses the six competency areas identified by the ACGME for organization of educational objectives and assessment methods: Patient Care Residents must be able to: Provide patient care that is compassionate, appropriate and effective for the treatment of health problems and the promotion of health. Competently perform all medical and diagnostic procedures for the area of neurological practice. Demonstrate competency in the management of outpatients and inpatients with neurological disorders across the lifespan, including those who require emergency and intensive care. Understand the limitations and variability of the diagnostics tests and incorporate them accurately into patient care. Medical Knowledge Residents must demonstrate: Sophisticated knowledge of diagnostic testing, available treatments and controversies. Appropriate knowledge of advanced neurology and clinical science. Correlation of the clinical presentation with detailed anatomy of the disorder. Efficient synthesis of information to focus and prioritize diagnostic possibilities. Practice-Based Learning and Improvement Residents must demonstrate the ability to: Complete an appropriate learning plan based on clinical experience. Incorporate appropriate evidence-based information into patient care. Understand the limits of evidence-based medicine in patient care. Enhance the learning of colleagues and patients through practice-based learning strategies. Engage in scholarly activity. Interpersonal and Communication Skills Residents must demonstrate: Excellent communication skills. Leadership of team-based patient care activities and interactions during multidisciplinary conferences. Mentorship of colleagues in timely, accurate and efficient documentation. Effective information gathering from collateral sources when necessary. Effective and ethical use of all forms of communication. Professionalism Residents must: Be able to independently address and mentor others in the compassionate practice of medicine. Be able to address and mentor others in sensitivity to diverse and vulnerable populations. Advocate for quality of patient care. Demonstrate effective clinical teaching skills with special respect to the micro-skills of clinical teaching. Create a nurturing environment that emphasizes the importance of learning and is conducive to learning. Systems-Based Practice Residents must: Make clinical decisions that balance cost and risk-benefit ratios. Incorporate available quality measures in patient care. Describe potential sources of system failure in clinical care. Participate in a team-based approach to medical error analysis.