Child Neurology Residency

Our Mission

To train outstanding child neurologists who will define the landscape of child neurology in the future.

Our Program Goals

To provide superlative clinical training for child neurology residents through exposure to diverse patient populations
To provide a clinical and scholarly training curriculum specific to each resident’s career goals
To provide exposure to all aspects of child neurology, thereby expanding residents’ understanding of child neurology and pediatric health
To train our residents in lifelong scholarship

Welcome to Stanford Child Neurology!

Our Child Neurology Division has undergone an exciting phase of expansion, and now offers the largest faculty in the Western United States. As a result, all residents experience great breadth and depth across all facets of Child Neurology. There are four child neurology positions a year (see Clinical Training).

Our program is a 5 year combined program with our general pediatrics residency. The first two years are dedicated to general pediatrics training, and years 3-5 are dedicated to neurology training. Over the course of three years, Child Neurology residents spend approximately 12 months on adult (6 inpatient and 6 outpatient months) and 12 months on child neurology, with the remainder devoted to subspecialty rotations and electives.

Why Choose Stanford?

Personalized and flexible training

Clinical training

At Stanford, clinical experience in both child and adult neurology starts in the first year and continues through all three years. This differs from many other programs where the first year is spent entirely on adult neurology. Instead, our child neurology residents spend more time on adult neurology in the PGY3 year (e.g., 8 months), and then concentrate on child neurology for the majority of time during PGY4 and PGY5 years (e.g., 4 additional months of adult neurology over 2 years). The Stanford system has the advantages of exposing residents early to child neurology and providing a more diverse adult neurology experience throughout training.

Subspecialty neurology clinics at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital include epilepsy, stroke, neuro-oncology, neonatal neurology, movement disorders, neuromuscular and muscular dystrophy, white matter disorders, neurocutaneous, neuropsychopharmacology, neuropsychology, neuro-ophthalmology, and neurogenetics. All residents maintain a pediatric neurology continuity clinic at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital throughout their three years of neurology training. The clinic is one afternoon per week.

Electives

All the electives available to Adult Neurology residents may be customized to include pediatric exposure and the specific interests of the Child Neurology resident. Other electives include child psychiatry, genetics and metabolism, neuroradiology, neuro-ophthalmology, pediatric movement disorders, and developmental pediatrics. Approximately 10 or more months are available for electives. Residents typically use this time to carry out research projects or to gain subspecialty experience in disciplines such as neuroradiology, neuropathology, neuromuscular diseases/EMG, epilepsy/EEG, multiple sclerosis, movement disorders, sleep disorders, neuro-oncology, and behavioral neurology. Off-site electives are possible with special arrangement. Residents are required to take their vacation (3 weeks per year) during elective blocks. You can find more information about our available electives here: https://med.stanford.edu/neuroresident/electives.html

Featured Elective: Child Neurology Pretending Elective

We are very excited to have launched our new Child Neurology “Pretending” Elective in January 2020. This novel elective was designed for our senior child neurology residents to promote autonomy and independence in a still protected environment prior to graduation. The elective empowers our senior child neurology residents to participate in all aspects of the attending role on our inpatient child neurology consult services. When a child neurology “pretending” resident is on service, a faculty attending is also quietly present on rounds, but the pretending resident is truly leading the show. The Pretending elective is designed to strengthen our residents’ leadership abilities with particular focus on running a team, coordinating patient care, and conducting medical education. Elective faculty and residents also participated in a dedicated Pretending curriculum, consisting of periodic small group didactic and discussion sessions targeting communication and effective team leadership strategies such as coaching, feedback, and promoting learner autonomy.

A culture of mentorship & early career development

Stanford Neurology’s open-door policy and culture allows for strong mentor relationships to develop at any point in training. We have formal programs with each resident selecting an official professional development mentor as well as scholarship mentor. We cultivate our residents’ passions to find the unique way in which they will contribute as leaders in Neurology. We are proud of our graduates across the nation who are directors, departmental leaders, and innovators in their areas of interest.

Breadth of scholarship & research exposure during residency

Our residents will select a mentored area of concentration, typically in the neurosciences, medical education, or quality improvement, to pursue their scholarly activities. Many residents have successfully developed innovative projects that are a launching point for their career.

Residents are highly encouraged to pursue mentored clinical or basic science research. Residents may use elective time to pursue formal training in research methodology through courses offered throughout the Stanford campus. A research block of up to 6 months may be arranged during residency as part of the Neuroscience Scholar Track. Further, the Division of Child Neurology enables funded research for an additional period after neurology residency. The program supports residents for instructorships, fellowships, and other institutionally funded research opportunities post-residency. The Division has a strong track record of residents going on to K12, K02, and other independent funding.

Neuroscience Research: All residents are exposed to our research curriculum and will have opportunities to engage with the physician scientist community at Stanford. Those residents particularly interested in a research career may apply for the department’s Neuroscience Scholar Track in the PGY-2 year and be awarded 24 continuous weeks of mentored research time during PGY-3 of residency and/or 1-2 years of funded post-graduate research fellowship following residency. An NINDS R25 funding mechanism is also available. As part of our commitment to career development, those physician scientists applying to residency may consider the Investigator Training Pipeline (ITP) and interview for a 2-year fellowship at the same time as the residency interview.

Education: All residents become skilled educators during residency and have opportunities to pursue advanced professional development at the Stanford Faculty Development Center (SFDC) for Medical Teachers, Stanford Medicine Teaching and Mentoring Academy, Clinical Teaching Seminar Series. Residents have the opportunity to earn an honors certificate in medical education.

Quality improvement: All residents gain experience in QI methodology and systems improvement. A novel formal curriculum has been designed to give our Neurology residents hands-on experience and the tools necessary to solve real-world problems within a complex healthcare system. Our monthly morbidity, mortality, and improvement conference is a popular launching point for multidisciplinary projects that result in national conference presentation and publication, along with innovative change to improve neurological care. Read more here about projects highlighted at the annual QI symposium.

A steadfast commitment to diversity and inclusion

An innovative approach to wellness

We take great care of our residents and are deeply aware of the importance of building resilience in the face of research exposing the risks of burnout amongst neurologists nationally. Stanford Neurology has innovated a robust well-being program for our trainees that is one of the first in the country and presented at the AMA International Conference on Physician Health. Learn more about our Neurology Wellness and Mentorship Program.

A culture of mentorship & early career development

Stanford Neurology’s open-door policy and culture allows for strong mentor relationships to develop at any point in training. We have formal programs with each resident selecting an official professional development mentor as well as scholarship mentor. Each resident is also assigned a trained faculty communication coach for the duration of residency. We cultivate our residents’ passions to find the unique way in which they will contribute as leaders in Neurology. We are proud of our graduates across the nation who are directors, departmental leaders, and innovators in their areas of interest.

Child Neurology Residency

There are four categorical child neurology positions a year. Candidates thus match simultaneously to two years of Stanford Pediatrics followed by three years of Child Neurology, through one centralized National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) application. All applicants are required to use this service.

The application process begins in autumn. Applicants must register with NRMP by October 31.

For the current interview season, all interviews will be conducted virtually in accordance with ACGME guidelines. Interviews for child neurology and pediatrics are combined over 2 consecutive days for invited applicants and will be scheduled on select dates in November and December.

Other details about the Match Schedule are available on the NRMP web site. In general, all application materials are processed through NRMP. If desired, applicants may contact us directly and send appropriate supplementary materials. This may include curriculum vitae, publications, or additional letters of references.

Interview is by invitation only and is an essential part of the application.

International Medical Students

We accept applications from international medical school graduates, although the application process is extremely competitive. Ours is a small program that draws scores of applications, including many from the top medical schools in the U.S. Having had hands-on recent clinical experience in the U.S. is mandatory. Only those with exceptional credentials are invited for interview. An international medical school graduate must have a valid ECFMG certificate, completed USMLE Part III, and have had two years of pediatric residency training prior to commencement of child neurology training. Please note that Stanford University will NOT sponsor trainees for an H-1B visa.

PGY-5

Chrysa Cheronis, MD

“I was drawn to Stanford because of the stellar mentorship within both pediatrics and neurology, the robust research opportunities available to trainees, and, above all, because of the program culture. I knew it was a community that would foster both my professional and personal growth. I am so grateful to spend every day with a close-knit group of health professionals who are brilliant, dedicated, and compassionate!”

Alec Johnson, MD

Grant Lin, MD, PhD

“There are so many reasons to choose Stanford, from the resources and mentorship available to residents to the opportunities to live in and explore the Bay Area. Seeing how excited my now co-residents were to talk about their work, research, and their lives highlighted to me how committed the program is to empowering residents to take full advantage of what Stanford has to offer.”

Andrew Silverman, MD, MHS

"I chose Stanford because of its amazing neurology community of residents and faculty – a community that is closely knit and collegial, supports mentorship and learning, and works on fascinating research across multiple subspecialties. And I couldn't be luckier to have incredible co-residents to join for the 5-year child neurology track."

PGY-4

Natasha Abadilla Glenn, MD

"I tried my hardest during residency interviews to convince myself to branch out after having spent a cumulative nine years at Stanford, but it was absolutely impossible to do once I realized how the things I value highly are also valued highly by the program's leadership and members. Stanford Child Neurology faculty and residents are not only excited about the innovative and groundbreaking research happening here, but also passionate and dedicated to improving families' experiences, advocating for our patients to receive the best care regardless of their backgrounds, and reaching out to the surrounding communities in our area to mitigate health disparities when it comes to pediatric neurological care and education. There's also something to say when program leadership shows genuine interest about the "little things" that make me happy outside of medicine - my home state of Hawaii, my little dog, doing stand-up comedy, and spending time outdoors, to name a few. I immediately felt right at home from day one of residency because I found people here who share in my big passions and care about my smaller joys too. I also have a theory that the great weather here just makes everyone a little happier than elsewhere, which is another big plus :)"

Benjamin Africk, MD

"I chose Stanford for my pediatric neurology training because of the institution’s dedication to teaching and more specific opportunities within the pediatric neurology program to develop clinical education skills. Mentorship abounds here, from clinician coaches you connect with your first days of training to the pre-tending elective within the pediatric neurology department that pushes you to develop autonomy in patient care. I am excited to grow as a doctor at Stanford!"

Julia Bassell, MD

“When applying to programs, Stanford stood out to me for so many reasons. It is as a place where multidisciplinary collaboration was evident and celebrated in research, where mentorship was an integral part of your development through not only the coaching program as a resident, but through mentor support of your career development goals as well, and where flexibility in scheduling allowed you to be proactive about your individual passions in a supportive and collegial environment. Not to mention the location and all the outdoor adventures! So truly happy to be here!”

Jackson Toth, MD

"Right off the bat I was impressed with the level of kindness and professionalism that I found in everyone at Stanford Child Neurology. I knew that I would be welcomed and challenged here and my first few months at Packard have demonstrated this time and time again. The people who make up this program are driven, vibrant, and have made this feel like home."

PGY-3

Sofia Dhanani, MD

Emily Malamud, MD

Natasha Kramer, MD

"I chose Stanford because it was the ideal combination of everything I was looking for. I wanted excellent pediatric, adult neurology, and child neurology training. I also felt like it was a place where I can pursue my research interests and explore different career paths within child neurology. On my interactions with faculty, I was struck by how supportive they were of my individual goals and felt like I could get excellent mentorship, both through the official mentor and coaching networks and informal channels. All the faculty and residents I spoke with were genuine, kind, and happy. Ultimately, I felt like this was the best place for me to learn and grow and am excited to be here!"

PGY-2

Esther Belogolovsky, MD

"I was drawn to Stanford because of its culture of sincere kindness. When I visited the campus, I noticed that everyone was treated with the utmost respect, from patients to colleagues. Since starting my intern year, everyone has shown their deepest appreciation for me, caring about my well-being personally and professionally. I love working here because I am constantly learning from others and contributing to innovative ideas, and there is always someone I can come to who will know the answer to my question (or drop what they are doing to help me)! At the end of each day, I feel grateful to be a child neurology resident at Stanford, and I have already made lifelong friends!"

Katie Champoux, MD

"During interview season, I found myself listing and comparing the various attributes of every program. I ultimately realized that my most important factors were training opportunities, vibrant mentorship, a focus on education, strong support for residents, and, yes, program “vibe.” For me, Stanford checked all those boxes and many more, standing out with its close-knit community of kind and supportive people. I am so thrilled to train here and be a part of the Stanford Healthcare family!"

Natalia Gilbert, MD

"It’s not necessarily easy for a program to convey their personality over a virtual interview, yet everyone I met during my interview day at Stanford was driven, compassionate, and genuinely enthusiastic to be at Stanford. This carried a lot of weight when it came down to my decision, because I felt at home in a program where I could challenge myself to grow professionally while also remaining well-supported along the way. I could not be more excited to be training here and am looking forward to spending the next five years of learning and collaborating with the exceptional faculty at Stanford!"

Jon Schor, MD, PhD

"I chose to come to Stanford because I love its passion for clinical care, the access to basic neuroscience research, and I'm also hopelessly fond of the Bay Area. From the moment I met the Child Neuro community at Stanford, I was struck by how welcoming and warm it was. In fact, I felt almost immediately that this was the right spot for me to grow as a scientist and clinician! I couldn't be more excited to have the privilege to learn all I can from lab, the hospital, and all the fabulous mentors I have access to here."

PGY-1