The first two months of training is a time for PGY-2 residents to gain confidence in their abilities as new neurologists. As part of our summer schedule to ease the transition from medicine intern to neurology resident, the program ensures that there will be a senior resident in the hospital at all times during July and August. There is also a summer lecture series with daily noon conference topics prepared especially for the PGY-2 class.

Every day at Mount Sinai begins with Morning Report, where the nightfloat resident presents the cases seen overnight. There is a different attending leading Morning Report each day including the chairman, program director, and specialists from the Multiple Sclerosis Center. Friday morning reports are often dedicated to a review of a topic from the Continuum publication or a journal article. Attending teaching rounds take place each morning followed by a review of imaging studies with the Neuroradiologists. At noon there is a conference given by a wide variety of staff including specialists from the departments of Neurology, Neurosurgery, Radiology, and Psychiatry. The afternoon is spent on work rounds. Once a week there is continuity clinic in the afternoon at Mount Sinai’s Center for Advanced Medicine. There is a weekly Grand Rounds that brings in lecturers from across the country. The residents also take part in a Neuroanatomy course that is offered in conjunction with the graduate school.

Educational opportunities are also an integral part of the rotations at the Bronx VA and Elmhurst Hospitals. The Bronx VA has daily Morning Report with the chairman, weekly outpatient clinic, Grand Rounds, Neuroradiology, and EEG rounds, and monthly participation in the National VA Parkinson’s Disease Consortium. At Elmhurst there is weekly Neuroradiology rounds. In addition, the residents are responsible for presenting cases at departmental Grand Rounds.

The call schedule is approximately short call every 3 days until 8pm, while rotating on the inpatient services at Mount Sinai and Elmhurst Hospitals. At 8pm a night float takes over. The Bronx VA has home pager call after 5pm on weekdays and on weekends. PGY-4 residents also take home pager call after the first two months. There is no call while on Neuroradiology, Ambulatory Care, Psychiatry, or during elective rotations.

Elective time is tailored towards the interests of the individual resident. Some popular clinical electives include movement disorders, multiple sclerosis, and neuromuscular diseases. Electives at outside institutions can also be arranged. It is expected that residents choose to use elective time to get involved with a research project. The faculty is very approachable and enthusiastic about assisting residents with these projects. The program also encourages residents to attend academic conferences related to each individual’s interests.

Each resident receives a faculty mentor at orientation who is available throughout all three years as a source of career guidance, advice, and mentoring. Mentors meet with residents periodically to discuss how resident life is going and to help with the process of exploring different career paths.

In addition to the mentor program, residents meet with the program director semi-annually to discuss setting short- and long-term goals and to review personal accomplishments.

The Mount Sinai Neurology residency-training program takes place at three diverse hospitals.

Mount Sinai Hospital is a tertiary care center with 1171 beds located in Manhattan at the intersection of the Upper East Side and East Harlem communities. Mount Sinai is equipped with a shared Neurosurgery and Neurology Intensive Care Unit staffed by Neurocritical Care attendings, as well as an outstanding 6-bed Stroke Unit. The Neurology service at Mount Sinai works with a dedicated team of Neurointerventionalists for patients who would benefit from emergent catheterization procedures.

The James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center is a 311-bed hospital situated in the Bronx on a historic site from the Revolutionary War. The Bronx VA has a fully computerized medical record system and an accomplished medical research program. The Medical Center is a regional referral center for spinal cord injuries with a dedicated spinal cord unit.

Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens is located in the most ethnically diverse community not only in New York City, but in the world. It is a Level 1 Trauma Center and a designated Stroke Center. The experience at Elmhurst is an opportunity to care for patients from an extraordinary range of cultures and backgrounds. The extensive bedside teaching by the neurology faculty at Elmhurst makes it often cited by residents as the most valuable part of the residency training.

The current PGY2 salary is 54,402 (as of 9/08). Mount Sinai provides yearly salary increases based on level of training. Obtaining the salary increase for the PGY3 level is dependent upon obtaining a New York State Medical License.

Housestaff benefits include subsidized health, dental, vision, and disability insurance. All neurology residents receive a PDA and a standard neurology textbook at orientation. Neurology residents are provided membership to the American Academy of Neurology, which includes a subscription to Neurology and the educational review Continuum.