Vascular Neurology Fellowship
The Spectrum Health/Michigan State University College of Human Medicine Vascular Neurology Fellowship program is a one-year, ACGME-accredited program that accepts two fellows each year. The fellowship program provides a broad clinical and academic experience that encompasses all aspects of care in vascular neurological disorders.
Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital is the primary training site. It is the largest medical center in West Michigan, a level one trauma center with 1,100 beds, a NAEC level IV epilepsy center, the home of AeroMed emergency helicopter service, the hub for 15 regional hospitals and an established telestroke program. There are more than 1,500 patients admitted to the stroke service annually. As the largest comprehensive stroke center in Michigan, our stroke program performed 192 thrombectomy cases in 2019 alone. Through our strong collaboration with Michigan State University and Van Andel Research Institute, fellows are strongly encouraged and supported in their development of independent clinical projects and/or other scholarly activities. Teaching opportunities for fellows abound; fellows participate in the neurology lecture series and lead various medical student and resident didactics throughout their training year.
The one-year training program is based on the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) curriculum and the ACGME requirements. The program provides a stand-alone inpatient stroke primary service and a separate stroke consult service, each staffed by its own vascular neurology faculty and team of APPs/residents. Rotations (13 four-week blocks) include:
- Stroke primary admission and stroke consult services (seven blocks)
- Neuroradiology (one block)
- Endovascular neurosurgery (half block)
- Neuro rehabilitation (half block)
- Neurosonology (one block)
- Neuro intensive care unit (one block)
- Research/elective (two blocks)
A variety of seminars and conferences are planned to strengthen fellow education. Fellows attend dedicated vascular neurology, neuroradiology, and endovascular neurosurgery lecture series covering all relevant basic science and clinical aspects. Fellows attend neurosciences grand rounds and are invited to present once at neuroscience grand rounds at the end of their fellowship year. Basic science didactics include the following broad topics:
- Cerebrovascular anatomy: normal and common variants of cerebral arteries and veins; aortic arch and pre-cerebral arteries; cerebral venous sinuses and jugular system; arterial supply zones and watershed regions; vascular supply of the spinal cord; and embryologic development
- Cerebrovascular physiology: cerebral blood flow and auto-regulation; cerebral oxygen and energy metabolism; and blood brain barrier
- Cerebrovascular pathology: vascular pathology, atherosclerosis, and aneurysm development; pathology of cerebral infarction and hemorrhage; excitotoxity, ischemic cascade, edema development, and inflammation; pathology of neuro-intervention- angioplasty, restenosis, and thrombectomy
- Hemostasis and coagulation cascade: platelet activity, aggregation, activation, and molecular mediators; coagulation pathways and molecular mediators
- Cerebrovascular pharmacology: anticoagulants, antiplatelet agents; thrombolytic agents; embolic agents
- Neuro epidemiology
- Medical ethics
- Quality assurance
- Vascular neurology lecture series (weekly)
- Carotid artery disease and neuro-endovascular boards (weekly)
- Neurovascular multidisciplinary case conference (weekly)
- Brain-heart meeting: discuss cardiogenic or ESUS stroke management (monthly)
- NIH StrokeNet webinar grand rounds (monthly)
- Vascular neurology journal club (monthly)
- Neurology morbidity and mortality conference (monthly)
- Neurology grand rounds (bi-monthly)
- Multi-institute stroke collaborative meeting (quarterly)
- Applicants must complete a four-year ACGME-accredited neurology residency program before entry into the fellowship program, applicants who complete an RCPSC-accredited or CFPC-accredited residency program located in Canada before entry into the fellowship program are also eligible
- Applicants must possess U.S. work authorization or be eligible for J-1 visa status
- Applicants must be a MD or DO
- Applicants must have strong communication skills
- We do not have minimum USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK, or Step 3 score requirements
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