Neurology is the medical specialty dedicated to the care of patients with dysfunction of the central nervous system, such as stroke, epilepsy, headache, Alzheimer's disease, sleep disorders, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and brain tumors, or the peripheral nervous system — such as nerve root compression from herniated discs, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, carpal tunnel syndrome, Guillain-Barré syndrome, myasthenia gravis, and muscular dystrophies.
Neurologists typically divide their time between outpatients, inpatients hospitalized for primary neurologic disorders, and inpatients who were hospitalized for other conditions but who also have neurologic problems. Common procedures used by neurologists include lumbar puncture (LP), electroencephalography (EEG), electromyography (EMG), and polysomnography (PSG). Neurologists must also learn to interpret a variety of imaging studies, notably CT and MRI scans.
Residency Training
- Duration of training: Four years (1 year of internship, 3 years of residency)
- Number of programs nationally: 133 adult programs (552 positions), plus 69 pediatric programs (85 positions)
- Number of entering residency positions per year: 621
- Types of fellowships or subspecialties: Cognitive Disorders, Epilepsy, Headache, Neuromuscular, Clinical Neurophysiology, Sleep Disorders, Neuro-Critical Care, Neuro-ophthalmology, Neuro-Otology, Multiple Sclerosis/Neuroimmunology, Neuro-Oncology, Movement Disorders, Neurorehabilitation, Pain, Vascular Neurology, Sports Neurology.
- Type of Match: Regular
- Overall competitiveness: Moderately Competitive. There's a good chance of matching for the average student
Primary Faculty Contact for M1s and M2s
Zachary London, M.D.
zlondon@umich.edu
Undergraduate Contact
Heather Stoll
hwaller@med.umich.edu
Medical Student Club or Interest Group
SIGN: Student Interest Group in Neurology
Contact: Zachary London, M.D., zlondon@umich.edu
Shadowing or Mentoring Experiences Available to M1s or M2s
Contact: Heather Stoll hwaller@med.umich.edu
Resources
Cognitive
Disorders, Epilepsy, Headache, Neuromuscular, Clinical Neurophysiology, Sleep
Disorders, Neuro-Critical Care, Neuro-ophthalmology, Neuro-Otology, Multiple
Sclerosis/Neuroimmunology, Neuro-Oncology, Movement Disorders,
Neurorehabilitation, Pain, Vascular Neurology, Sports Neurology