Neurology Residency

Residents have protected time from 1 – 5 pm on Thursdays for high-quality didactics. A majority of these didactics are run by our faculty members. These offerings cover all areas of neurology, including aspects of neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, neuropharmacology, and neuropathology. Included in these hours are a monthly journal club, contemporary issues and ethics discussion, interesting case conference, board review sessions, and a variety of sessions that cover healthcare disparities, wellness, as well as practice-related issues such as documentation requirements and billing/coding.

Residents also participate in case-based educational sessions in neuroradiology, EEG, EMG, and movement disorders in a weekly Friday noon conference.

Morning report occurs daily at Butterworth Hospital and is an avenue to discuss interesting cases, localization, and formulation. A transition of care meeting (sign-out) between the overnight resident and daytime teams follows the morning report. 

Neuroscience Grand Rounds are offered two times a month. Residents are invited to present their research activities. Residents also participate in Grand Rounds by presenting interesting cases. A twice-yearly clinical-radiological-pathological case conference is an additional avenue for resident participation.

Residents also participate in a resident-led, faculty-supervised, Morbidity and Mortality Conference monthly; both inpatient and outpatient cases are discussed.

Beginning in their PGY2 year, will participate in a three-year integrative scholarly activity program to become familiar with the methods, regulations, and ethics involved in the conduct of responsible research. Toward that end, this research program will 1) provide the resident with training and experience in planning and conducting research, and 2) educate residents on how to be better consumers of clinical research through didactic and experiential learning. This project includes understanding the concepts of evidence-based medicine and putting those practices to use, demonstrating knowledge of the ethical considerations involved in clinical research, hypothesis generation and data analysis, mastering skills for scientific writing, and making oral presentations.

For research support, the scholarly activity support team can assist. The scholarly activity support team also offers biostatistics consultation and poster preparation. 

The majority of the resident research projects result in presentation at national/international meetings and/or publication in peer-reviewed journals. Resident scholarly activity presentations and publications are also recognized with stipends awarded by our educational leadership. Residents are also expected to submit their work for presentation at an institutional Research Day.

Patient safety and improved quality of care are a part of our daily work. Residents must demonstrate the ability to analyze the care they provide, understand their roles within health care teams, and play an active role in system improvement processes. Graduating residents will apply these skills to critique their future, unsupervised practice and effect quality improvement measures. Residency clinical experiences are structured to facilitate learning in a manner that allows the residents to function as part of an effective health care team, that works together longitudinally with shared goals of patient safety and quality improvement. In addition to participation in institutional Quality Improvement and Root Cause Analysis curricula, all residents participate in error disclosure and reporting, as well as analysis of patient safety events (during our Morbidity and Mortality Conference). All residents are also expected to participate in a quality improvement project or activity during their PGY2-4 years; a deliverable such as Clinical Pathway, a publication in a peer-reviewed journal, or other publication/presentation/abstract is an expected outcome of their work. Residents are also strongly encouraged to participate in community quality improvement initiatives, as these opportunities arise.

Residency years are short, but the days can be long. There are no better people to spend your training years with than our Corewell Health – Grand Rapids/Michigan State University Neurology Residency family! Resident wellness is key and our program is dedicated to maintaining work/life balance and expressing appreciation for our residents with various events and opportunities throughout the academic year.

• Summer welcome picnic, winter holiday party, resident appreciation events

• Spring/fall resident retreats

• Peer mentorship program 

• Wellness didactics sessions

• Conferences: We are proud to support and cheer each other on during research presentations at local, regional, and national conferences! 

With so many great local restaurants and venues, we are committed to supporting small businesses when providing lunches for program meetings, lectures, and events. 

We participate in the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP). Applications and the following documents are accepted only through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). While considering candidates for residency, we do review each application that we receive as a whole (holistic review). 

• Applicants must have graduated medical school within the last three years and must possess recent clinical experience within the United States.
• We do not have a minimum score requirement for USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK or COMLEX 1 and 2, but strongly favor applicants who have passed these examinations on their first attempt.
• International Medical Graduates must meet clinical and communication skills requirements for ECFMG Certification.
• Three letters of recommendation (including at least one from a neurology experience) must be included with your application.
• All candidates must possess U.S. work authorization or be eligible for J-1 status.

For more information on our program, contact Jordan Kossuth, program coordinator.

For information on visiting medical student opportunities, visit our Visiting Learner page.

Corewell Health in West Michigan provides a comprehensive and very competitive benefits package for our residents, staff, and their families. In addition, our program provides educational monies to support your ongoing education. Download our salary and benefits document to learn more.