In the PGY2 year neurology residents spend their time on the clinical services with approximately 9 months devoted to adult neurology rotations and the remainder of the time to child neurology and Veteran care at the VA Hospital in Long Beach.  The call schedule averages every 6th night during their first year and while on call the PGY2 will have an intern to direct and teach in regards to seeing consults and admissions.  The junior resident will always receive back-up support from the chief resident in making clinical decisions.  Residents are expected to master the fundamentals of neurology by the end of their first year.

The PGY2 residents each have a 4-week outpatient month which includes exposure to the following clinics: movement, neuromuscular, multiple sclerosis, sleep and stroke clinics.  They do not take overnight call during the weekdays on this rotation.

Block schedule

• Neurology Wards: 10 weeks
• Neurology Consults: 16 weeks
• Elective: 4 weeks
• Rancho inpatient/outpatient: 4 weeks
• Rancho Epilepsy Monitoring Unit/ Rancho Rehab: 4 weeks
• VA Clinics: 4 weeks
• VA Consults: 4 weeks
• Vacation: 4 weeks (generally taken on neurology consults)

The PGY3 year is designed as a year of guided, personal study in diagnostic techniques and basic science disciplines.  They are expected to take call to cover for when the first year resident go on vacation. This averages to no more 5-6 calls the entire academic year.  By the end of the second year residents are expected to be competent in neuro-diagnostic procedures (including EEG, evoked potentials, EMG and nerve conduction studies, CT, MRI, and SPECT) and will be responsible for interpreting these investigations on their patients during the third year. The remainder of the second year is set aside for electives during which time the residents may engage in a clinical or laboratory research project under the supervision of a member of the faculty or take additional training in sub-specialized areas of neurology.

Block schedule

• Elective: 20 weeks
• Neurology Consults: 4 weeks
• Neurology Wards: 4 weeks
• Pediatric Neurology: 8 weeks
• Neurophysiology: 4 weeks
• VA Consults: 4 weeks
• VA Clinics: 4 weeks
• Psychiatry: 4 weeks
• Vacation: 4 weeks 

Sample of electives

• Neurorehabilitation at Rancho Los Amigos Hospital
• Epilepsy at Rancho Los Amigos Hospital
• Neuroradiology at the VA
• Neurophysiology (EEG/EMG)
• Research
• Away elective (established electives at UCLA or Cedars Sinai including interventional radiology, neuromuscular medicine, movement disorders, neurocritical care, etc.)

In the PGY4 year the third-year neurology resident will serve as chief resident on the neurology ward service or the consultation service and will be responsible for patient management as well as instruction of junior residents, interns, and medical students. The chief resident on the wards service will be taking home call to help the junior resident make clinical decisions.  The remainder of the year is elective time.

Block schedule

• Elective: 16 weeks
• Neurology Consults: 8 weeks
• Neurology Wards: 8 weeks
• Neurophysiology: 4 weeks
• VA Consults: 4 weeks
• VA Clinics: 8 weeks
• Vacation: 4 weeks (Generally taken during elective time or neurophysiology)

Sample of electives

• Neurorehabilitation at Rancho Los Amigos Hospital
• Epilepsy at Rancho Los Amigos Hospital
• Neuroradiology at the VA
• Neurophysiology (EEG/EMG)
• Research

Away elective (established electives at UCLA or Cedars Sinai including interventional radiology, neuromuscular medicine, movement disorders, neurocritical care, etc.)