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Program Description

Child Neurology - Dr. FanThe UNC Child Neurology Residency Program is an ACGME-accredited program (PGY1-PGY5) that accepts two categorical residents per year. After residents complete two years of training in pediatrics, their third year is spent predominantly in adult neurology training, where they participate in the evaluation and management of patients with a variety of neurological diseases. The following two years are dedicated to child neurology, with twelve months of clinical child neurology training at the NC Children’s Hospital, a tertiary care center, where emergency medicine, inpatient services, and outpatient clinics are located.

Also during the last two years, twelve months of elective rotations are offered in a wide range of research and clinical settings, from subspecialty clinics, to inpatient services, research and practice improvement focus rotations. Some examples of elective rotations include: epilepsy, sleep medicine, the  Carolina Institute of Developmental Disabilities (CIDD), offering opportunities such as the LEND program, pediatric psychiatry, pediatric neurosurgery, neuro-critical care, neuromuscular-neurophysiology, pediatric physical medicine and rehabilitation, the palliative care team, and many more. We work with each resident to tailor a training plan that best fits their individual interests and career goals. All adult and pediatric inpatient rotations and child neurology clinics are located at UNC Hospitals main campus, and adult neurology specialty clinics are at the Neurology outpatient clinic.

Recruitment

We are offering two categorical five-year positions (PGY1-PGY5).

Applications are submitted through the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) using the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) system. Applicants need only apply to the UNC Child Neurology residency via ERAS – a separate application to UNC Pediatrics is not necessary.

The American Board of Pediatrics requires the following schedule for the Pediatric portion of training:

  • 5 units Inpatient Pediatrics
  • 2 units NICU
  • 2 units PICU
  • 3 units Emergency Medicine/Acute Illness (at least 2 months in ED)
  • 2 units Ambulatory Experience to include Community Pediatrics and Child Advocacy
  • 4 units Subspecialty (at least 3 units of core subspecialties)
  • 1 unit Adolescent Medicine
  • 1 unit Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics
  • 1 unit Normal Newborn Experience
  • QI Project

More information about the first two years of the residency program is available on the UNC Department of Pediatrics website.

Adult Neurology

Inpatient – 6 months, divided between neurology ward and consult service

Outpatient – 3 months, some examples – neuro-muscular disorders, neuro-immunology, movement disorders, sleep clinic

Elective – 3 months, some examples – neuroradiology, neuropathology, neurophysiology, epilepsy

Majority of Adult Neurology rotations are completed in PGY3

Child Neurology

Inpatient – 8 months

Outpatient – 4 months

Majority of Child Neurology rotations are completed in PGY4, and some in PGY5

Electives, Child Neurology

Total of 12 months. Required rotations: child psychiatry, neurosurgery, research. Other electives for example – genetics, palliative care, neurodevelopmental disabilities clinic, pediatric EEG and epilepsy monitoring unit

Majority of Child Neurology elective rotations are completed in PGY5, and some in PGY4

Child neurology residents have the opportunity to apply for two Board certifications. A special agreement exists between the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) whereby an applicant who completes at least two years of accredited training in general comprehensive pediatrics and the neurology training necessary to meet the requirements for certification in neurology with special qualifications in child neurology, fulfills the training requirements of both the ABP and the ABPN.

Facilities

UNC Child Neurology residents primarily train at the UNC Hospitals Medical Center in Chapel Hill and at the Children’s Specialty Services Clinic in Raleigh.

Residents train in diverse inpatient settings such as the inpatient ward services, the neurology consultation service, and the epilepsy monitoring unit. The neurology inpatient consultation service provides neurology consultations for all UNC Hospitals and UNC Emergency Room.

North Carolina Children’s Hospital
The North Carolina Children’s Hospital opened as a separate, state-of-the-art structure in 2002. Each year, more than 70,000 children from all 100 North Carolina counties come to UNC for over 200,000 visits for diagnosis and treatment. The Children’s Hospital serves as the primary teaching facility for our residents. It adjoins the Memorial, Women’s, Neurosciences and Cancer Hospitals which make up the UNC Hospitals campus. Read more…

Cone Health
Moses Cone Health System is a not-for-profit, community-based, system of five hospitals located in Greensboro, NC. Residents rotate at the flagship hospital, Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital in the 18-bed pediatric inpatient unit and also in the newly opened Cone Health Center for Children. Our residents have had the pleasure of rotating at Cone for nearly 30 years.

WakeMed
For over 40 years, our residents have enjoyed working at WakeMed. Located in Raleigh, WakeMed is a 760-bed private, not-for-profit health care system. A new Children’s Hospital with 25 inpatient rooms and 12 observation rooms opened in 2010; there are over 143,000 admissions a year. In addition to providing care to the children of Wake County, WakeMed serves as a referral hospital servicing many of the surrounding counties.

UNC Children’s Hospital, Chapel Hill NC

The UNC Children’s Hospital is our primary training site. See a full description above under “Pediatric Rotations.”

 

 

Child Neurology ClinicUNC Child Neurology Clinic
UNC Children’s Hospital, Chapel Hill, NC

The Children’s Specialty Outpatient Clinic is located on the ground floor of the NC Children’s Hospital. Twenty pediatric subspecialty services provide tertiary care to an average of 180 patients each day. The clinic features 40 exam rooms and a large, child-friendly waiting room that is frequently visited by volunteer services personnel bringing fun activities and therapy dogs.

Child Neurology providers see an average of 24 patients each day, utilizing 5-8 exam rooms. The division has a workroom in the Specialty Clinic with eight workstations and an EPIC communication board that posts each provider’s schedule and patient arrival times.

Carolina Institute for Developmental DisabilitiesCIDD Clinic Carrboro, NC
Located three miles from the Children’s Hospital
Services – autism, Angelman Syndrome, Neurodevelopment
UNC’s Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (CIDD) is a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) dedicated to providing exemplary clinical services to individuals of all ages who have concerns about or are at risk for intellectual and developmental disabilities. Their specialized clinics focus exclusively on disorders that affect cognitive, social, communication, motor, and adaptive skill development. The CIDD also specializes in serving individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities who may have co-existing behavioral, mental health, or medical health needs.
Neurology ClinicUNC Neurology Clinic Chapel Hill, NC
The UNC Hospitals Neurology Clinic is a freestanding modern facility two miles away from UNC Hospitals. The Clinic is comprised of 19 exam rooms, five physician works rooms, a remote EEG reading area and two conference/teaching rooms with the capability of videoconferencing our noon conferences, grand rounds and other core didactics programs. In addition to support staff, the Clinic is equipped with a phlebotomist, a financial counselor and a pharmacy specialist, all on site during the clinic’s working hours.
  • Advanced core facilities are located within the Neuroscience Center and throughout the UNC campus.
  • An NIH-funded Clinical Research Center is available for faculty and resident clinical studies.
  • Advanced 3T-fMRI, 7T-fMRI and PET imaging facilities are also available.
  • The UNC School of Public Heath, one of the major public health schools in the United States, provides outstanding collaborative possibilities for residents interested in disease prevention and health care policy.
  • The UNC School of Medicine also maintains a highly successful program in mentorship and assistance for senior residents and junior faculty applying for NIH Career Development Awards and other mentored funding.
  • The relatively high number of elective months in the UNC Child Neurology residency program, along with a highly supportive and interactive research environment, provides a very high success rate for residents pursuing fellowship and other post-residency academic paths.