The following information can be found in complete detail in the remainder of the website. This is the condensed version.
Faculty
Undoubtedly, one of the greatest strengths of the program. Residents have opportunities to work extensively with nationally recognized researchers and experts throughout residency. Every faculty member is a pleasure to work with and approachable. In addition to inpatient experiences, residents are able to work with most faculty one-on-one in their outpatient specialty clinics. Our faculty enjoy teaching medical students and residents at bedside as well as in didactic sessions throughout the entire academic year. The extensive faculty involvement in teaching, along with the support and approachability of our Chairman, Dr. David G. Standaert, and Residency Director, Dr. Khurram Bashir, make UAB a rewarding place to learn.
Clinical Experience
UAB’s reputation draws patients from around the world. The inpatient services, outpatient clinics and call experiences provide exposure to a high volume and an impressive variety of neurological diseases, which support exceptional resident education and training. The Vascular Neurology service allows exposure to a significant number of stroke patients, including patients treated with neuro-interventional techniques. General Neurology and Neurocritical Care ICU expose the residents to a breadth of patients that are difficult to surpass anywhere else. The Epilepsy and Movement Disorders Centers offer experience in surgical evaluation and treatment of these disorders. Each division has multiple faculty who provide clinical care, conduct innovative research and are enthusiastic about teaching.
Residents
UAB Neurology residents are at the center of everything we do in the hospital or in the outpatient clinics. They enjoy working and socializing together. Our residents are enthusiastic and compassionate trainees. UAB Neurology residency program recently received additional support from the UAB Health System, and our residency class will expand to 11 adult neurology residents per year (total 44 residents). In addition, our program trains two child neurology resident per year. The annual department parties/picnics, social gatherings at attendings homes and local restaurants occur often and play a large part in making the UAB residency experience an enjoyable one. With a population of about 1.2 million in the metropolitan area, Birmingham offers affordable living (many residents own homes within a short distance of UAB campus) with plenty to do (nationally recognized restaurants, diverse music, arts, parks, college/semi-professional sports). Larger cities as well as beaches and mountains are a short drive away. The international airport allows for flights everywhere.
Educational Program and Didactic Conferences
The resident neuroscience lecture series is probably one of the most comprehensive lecture series you will find at any program in the country. Lectures are scheduled every day of the week throughout the entire year except holidays. Lectures are given by faculty both within and outside the department as well as by nationally known visiting speakers. Important areas covered in didactics include basic neuroscience topics such as neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, neurobiology, and pharmacology. In addition, we cover all subspecialty topics, review of clinical trials in all subspecialties, psychiatry, biostatistics, and a business series designed to prepare for life after residency. Educational funding has offered our program the unique opportunity of providing lunch for the residents throughout the year. Morning reports focus on clinical cases, including a weekly neuroradiology conference. Every Tuesday morning, Neurology Grand Rounds offer presentations on clinical and research topics from UAB faculty as well as nationally known speakers from other institutions. Many other optional conferences are available, such as brain cutting, tumor board, epilepsy conference, neuromuscular conference, Movement Disorders case conference, MS case conference, and several pediatric neurology conferences, just to name a few.
Call Schedule
UAB Neurology utilizes a structured night-float system designed to provide outstanding clinical training while promoting resident well-being and continuity of patient care. PGY-2 residents complete four weeks of night float during the academic year (divided in two 2-week blocks), while PGY-3 and PGY-4 residents each complete two weeks per academic year. Every night-float shift is staffed by both a senior resident (PGY-3 or PGY-4) and a junior resident, ensuring appropriate supervision, mentorship, and graduated responsibility. Weekend coverage is shared among the resident team, with two junior residents providing in-house call coverage each Saturday and Sunday. Weekend calls are shared between 11 PGY-2 adult neurology and 2 PGY-3 child neurology fellows. This team-based approach allows residents to gain substantial experience managing acute neurological emergencies while maintaining a balanced and supportive training environment.
Procedural Training and Clinical Competency
UAB Neurology is committed to ensuring that residents graduate with both the cognitive expertise and procedural skills necessary for independent practice, fellowship training, and academic careers. Our curriculum provides extensive hands-on experience across a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic neurological procedures.
A dedicated three-month Neuromuscular Medicine rotation during the PGY-3 year, with approximately 50% of time dedicated to the electrophysiology laboratory, allows residents to develop advanced proficiency in electrodiagnostic medicine. By graduation, residents typically perform more than 100 EMG/NCS, providing a level of experience that exceeds the procedural exposure available in many neurology training programs.
Lumbar puncture training begins early in residency through a structured educational experience that includes supervised instruction and dedicated outpatient LP clinics during the PGY-1 and PGY-2 years. Each resident performs more than 50 lumbar punctures during their training.
Residents also receive comprehensive training in neurodiagnostic procedures, including the interpretation of routine EEGs and long-term video-EEG monitoring studies. Exposure to advanced neuroimaging is extensive, with opportunities to participate in the interpretation and clinical application of PET, SPECT, and functional MRI (fMRI) studies. In addition, the high clinical volumes on our stroke, epilepsy, general neurology, and consultation services allow residents to develop a high degree of competency and confidence in the interpretation of CT and MRI studies, an essential skill for modern neurological practice.
Residents receive hands-on experience with botulinum toxin injections for headache and movement disorders, as well as greater occipital nerve blocks for the management of headache disorders. Through our busy neurocritical care and cerebrovascular services, residents also assist in numerous angiographic procedures, endovascular interventions, and neurocritical care procedures, gaining valuable exposure to the multidisciplinary care of complex neurological patients.
To further strengthen emergency preparedness and acute neurological management skills, residents participate in simulation-based training, including dedicated Code Stroke simulation exercises in our state-of-the-art simulation center. Emergency Neurological Life Support (ENLS) course by the Neurocritical Care Society is a comprehensive certification program designed to help residents manage the critical first hours of a neurological emergency. All UAB Neurology residents complete this training during the orientation block.
Research/Electives
Clinical research opportunities are available across all neurology subspecialties, with basic science and diagnostic research opportunities offered in most disciplines. Residents benefit from extensive one-on-one mentorship and can work closely with virtually any faculty member to pursue their academic interests. UAB also offers complimentary research methodology and preparatory courses, with protected time away from clinical responsibilities provided to support participation.
Scholarly activity is strongly encouraged and well supported. Residents may use their educational funds or external grant support to attend and present at national and international conferences. This has become a notable strength of the program, with approximately 80% of residents over the past three years having abstracts accepted for presentation at national or international meetings through collaborative projects with faculty mentors.
In addition, residents receive a generous elective experience consisting of five 4-week blocks. This protected time allows trainees to pursue independent research projects, explore subspecialty interests, and further strengthen their clinical skills through additional elective rotations tailored to their career goals.
Board preparation
UAB Neurology residents have consistently demonstrated outstanding performance on the Residency In-Service Training Examination (RITE), achieving high cumulative scores nationally over the past decade. Every year, multiple residents score above the 90th percentile, reflecting the program’s strong educational foundation and commitment to academic excellence.
This success is supported by a comprehensive and structured board preparation curriculum that includes a board review text authored by former UAB Neurology residents, systematic review of RITE examination questions from the previous years, dedicated neuroradiology and neuropathology review sessions, and targeted study materials that align the residency lecture series with board-relevant content.
The effectiveness of this approach is reflected in the program’s exceptional board certification outcomes. Over the past 10 years, graduates have achieved greater than 90% first-attempt board pass rate. These results underscore the program’s enduring commitment to preparing residents for success on both in-training and certification examinations.
UAB Medical Center/Facilities
UAB is nationally recognized for excellence across numerous clinical and academic disciplines and continues to experience significant growth and expansion. The depth and breadth of the medical center provide residents with an exceptional educational experience, offering extensive opportunities to collaborate with and learn from outstanding faculty and trainees across multiple specialties through consult services and interdisciplinary rotations.
Residents benefit from access to state-of-the-art facilities, particularly in the areas of neuroimaging, neurocritical care, and advanced neurological therapeutics, enabling the delivery of the highest quality patient care. The Department of Neurology has also undergone substantial growth, including the development of expanded resident workspaces, a modern educational library, enhanced research facilities, and newly renovated conference rooms and faculty offices. Together, these resources create an outstanding environment for clinical training, scholarly activity, and professional development.
Educational Fund
UAB neurology has a very competitive educational fund (PGY1: $500, PGY2: $1000, PGY3: $1000, PGY4: $1000). Funds can be used for professional fees (licensure, DEA registration fees) and professional conferences. In addition, membership to the American Academy of Neurology is provided to all residents.
Fellowships
The UAB Department of Neurology offers exceptionally comprehensive fellowship programs that provide outstanding clinical training, cutting-edge research opportunities, and mentorship from nationally recognized experts. These fellowships equip trainees with the expertise, leadership skills, and academic foundation necessary to excel in their subspecialty careers and advance the field of neurology.
Fellowships are offered across almost all subspecialty areas, including Behavioral Neurology, Epilepsy, Movement Disorders, Neurocritical care, Neuroimmunology/Multiple Sclerosis, Neuromuscular Medicine, Neuro-Oncology, Neuropsychology, Headache Medicine, and Stroke.