Fellowship Program
Child Neurology
High-quality clinical care is directly linked to the education of students, residents, and fellows. This is why the three-year, ACGME-accredited Child Neurology Residency Program is a top priority of the Division of Neurology. Our goal is to train clinical neuroscientists; individuals who provide expert patient care in the context of a strong foundation of basic and clinical neurosciences and who have the skills to pursue diverse career pathways, clinical and/or academic. Mentorship is abundantly available to help define, pursue, and reach those personalized goals.
Clinical Resources
Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and Doernbecher Children’s Hospital (DCH) is a referral center, serving children from Portland, the expanse of Oregon, southern Washington, and western Idaho. Neurology faculty and trainees provide inpatient care to primary neurology patients including those on video EEG telemetry, as well as consultation services to the inpatient ward and neonatal and pediatric intensive care units. Outpatient care is provided in general neurology and subspecialty clinics including:
- Doernbecher Childhood Epilepsy Program clinic (including surgical, vagus nerve stimulator, and ketogenic diet management)
- Neurometabolic clinic
- Neuromuscular clinic
- Movement disorders/tic disorder clinic
- Tone management/spasticity clinic
Close clinical and curriculum relationships are maintained with other disciplines including Neurodevelopmental Disabilities/Child Development and Rehabilitation Center, Child Psychiatry, Neurosurgery, Neuroradiology, and Adult Neurology. Clinical experiences occur at DCH, OHSU, and Shriners’ Hospital, which are all on the OHSU campus.
Faculty
Thomas Koch, MD, Division Chief, Program Director
For more details on faculty of the Department of Neurology and the adult neurology residency program, see www.ohsu.edu/neurology.
Prerequisites
The usual pathway of training prior to entering a Child Neurology residency program is 2 years of training in general pediatrics. However, other tracks include one year of training in general pediatrics and one year of research in the basic neurosciences, OR one year of training in general pediatrics and one year of training in internal medicine. See www.sfmatch.org or www.abpn.com/cert_subspecialties.htm for further details.
Curriculum
The curriculum fulfills requirements by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (see program requirements under Child Neurology section of the Neurology Residency Review Committee in www.acgme.org).
The first year is divided equally between adult and child neurology, primarily on ward services. Two months are traditionally used for selected elective rotations such as Neuroradiology. The trainee becomes facile at the neurologic examination and develops a strong foundation in neuroanatomic localization.
Six months of the second year are spent in adult neurology rotations, including some senior-role ward service experiences as well as elective rotations. Throughout the remainder of the second and third years, time is spent on some inpatient rotations, predominantly elective rotations, as well as a required rotation in Child Psychiatry. The curriculum may be organized to allow for a block of experience in research activities.
A weekly half-day outpatient continuity clinic occurs throughout the three years.
Conferences
- Didactic lectures on core child neurology topics provide a foundation early in the program.
- Monthly Pediatric Neuroscience Seminar is jointly organized by Child Neurology and Neurodevelopmental Pediatrics, and is a forum for journal club, case discussions, or interdisciplinary didactic presentations. Presentations by trainees are often encouraged.
- Trainees are expected to attend weekly conferences in the Department of Neurology, including morning report, Neuroradiology, clinical neurosciences conference, and grand rounds. Morning report and noon conferences often offer opportunities for the Child Neurology resident to present and teach colleagues.
- In the third year, weekly to biweekly case-based sessions with Child Neurology faculty are held to prepare the Child Neurology resident for a Patient Performance evaluation which will replace oral board exams.
Application Process
Application materials are obtained from and must go through the San Francisco Match Program (www.sfmatch.org). Depending on availability of positions, applications may be accepted for the upcoming academic year to 2 years in advance.
After an application is received from SFMP and reviewed, an e-mail will be sent to notify the applicant to call and schedule an interview. Application materials should be received by the OHSU Child Neurology Residency Program no later than Nov 30. In general, interviews occur on weekdays between early November and early January and in general last from noon to 5 pm, including lunch with faculty and/or trainee. If also interviewing with the OHSU Pediatric Residency Training Program, if both programs are notified, every effort will be made to coordinate dates.
Nearby lodging includes Days Inn City Center, 1414 SW 6th, 503-221-1611; Four Points by Sheraton, 50 SW Morrison, 503-221-0711; and the Portland Marriott City Center, 520 SW Broadway, 503-226-6300.
Public transportation from the Portland International Airport includes the MAX light rail Red Line or Tri-Met bus 12 (Sandy Blvd.) to downtown Portland. From the downtown transit mall on SW 5th Avenue, transfer to bus 8 (Jackson Park) to OHSU.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there pediatric residents on the Child Neurology service?
Yes. Pediatric interns and residents care for subspecialty patients on the wards. In addition, each pediatric resident spends a month rotation on Child Neurology. In any given month, there may also be an adult neurology resident, neurosurgery resident, 4th-year Pediatric “selective†medical student, and 4th-year student on his/her Neurology rotation.
Does your program require in-house call and how frequent is call?
In-house call is required during adult neurology ward rotations, on an average of every fourth night. There is NO in-house call during child neurology rotations, during which the trainee acts as a fellow taking call from home. Call is on average 2 evenings per week (approximately between 6 and 10 pm) and one weekend per month.
What research opportunities are available?
Although the emphasis of all Child Neurology residency programs is to provide a strong foundation in clinical neurology, our trainees are encouraged to pursue and complete a project, in order to take advantage of resources to learn about the academic process. The exact format is open-ended and may range from submitting a topic review to clinical research or basic science projects. Mentorship from Child or Adult Neurology faculty, or staff in other collaborating divisions is available.
Can international graduates apply?
Yes, if they have obtained an immigrant visa, and have fulfilled or are fulfilling the prerequisites noted above.
What is Portland like?
(Use Portland and Surroundings link in Hem-Onc section) Portland has repeatedly been featured as one of the most livable places in the US. The cost of living is substantially less than other major metropolitan areas, and through its close proximity to the Cascade Mountain range, as well as the Pacific Ocean, Portland offers unique outdoor recreational opportunities. Hiking and skiing on Mt. Hood, cycling local hills, windsurfing the Columbia River Gorge, and visiting Willamette Valley wineries are all within an hours drive from Portland.
For further information, please contact:
- Thomas Koch, MD
Professor of Pediatrics and Neurology
Director, Child Neurology Residency Program
(503) 494-5856 - Amy Kao, MD
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Neurology
Clerkship Director, Child Neurology
(503) 494-5856
kaoa@ohsu.edu