Curriculum

Description of Teaching/Learning Activities

This program will combine formal didactic, applied clinical, and mentored research experiences to provide formal training in the four core curricular areas, emphasizing the six core clinical competencies throughout. All patient care is supervised by qualified faculty. The program director ensures direct supervision of fellows at all times. Fellows are provided with rapid and reliable communication with supervising faculty through direct on-site supervision of all clinical 5 activity. The faculty schedules are structured to provide fellows with continuous supervision and consultation.

For the two year Clinical-Research Fellowship:

First-year rotations include:

•  Neuropsychiatry and behavioral neurology clinics -- Longitudinal experience; two half-day clinics/week (required).
•  Neuropsychological assessment -- One-month rotation (required).
•  Psychosis Clinic -- One-month rotation (highly recommended).
•  Neuroradiology and neuropathology -- One-month rotation (required).
•  Epilepsy and EEG -- One-month rotation (highly recommended).
•  Consultation-liaison psychiatry -- One-month rotation (highly recommended).
•  Movement disorders -- One-month outpatient rotation (highly recommended).
•  Neurorehabilitation -- One-month inpatient and outpatient rotation (highly recommended).
•  Traumatic brain injury clinic -- One-month outpatient rotation (highly recommended).
•  Pediatric Neurology and Autism Clinic -- One month inpatient and outpatient rotation (required).
•  ECT service – Inpatient rotation (highly recommended).
•  Mentored independent research -- Rotation or longitudinal (highly recommended).

The Second Year of training:

The second year will be more research-oriented, but with continued clinical responsibilities and didactic opportunities. In the second year, the fellow will continue to gain competence as an increasingly independent subspecialist, and will develop an appreciation of research methodologies through the development and execution of a mentored research project.

Second-year rotations include:

•  Neuropsychiatry and behavioral neurology clinics -- Longitudinal experience; two half-days per week (required)
•  Supervised independent research -- Longitudinal experience

For the one year full-time Clinical Fellowship:

•  Neuropsychiatry and behavioral neurology clinics -- Longitudinal experience; two half-day clinics/week (required).
•  Neuropsychological assessment -- One-month rotation (required).
•  Psychosis Clinic -- One-month rotation (highly recommended).
•  Neuroradiology and neuropathology -- One-month rotation (required).
•  Epilepsy and EEG -- One-month rotation (highly recommended).
•  Consultation-liaison psychiatry -- One-month rotation (highly recommended).
•  Movement disorders -- One-month outpatient rotation (highly recommended).
•  Neurorehabilitation -- One-month inpatient and outpatient rotation (highly recommended)
•  Traumatic brain injury clinic -- One-month outpatient rotation (highly recommended).
•  Pediatric Neurology and Autism Clinic -- One month inpatient and outpatient rotation (required)
•  ECT service – Inpatient rotation (highly recommended)
•  Mentored independent research -- Rotation or longitudinal; (highly recommended)

For the two year half-time Clinical Fellowship:

Similar to the one year full-time clinical fellowship but spread over 2 two years

Evaluation Plan Criteria for Advancement From Year-1 to Year-2:

•  Successful completion Year-1 rotations. The Fellowship Educational Affairs Committee will be responsible for reviewing any unsatisfactory evaluations and for determination of any necessary remediation.
•  Passing evaluation for all the required didactic courses.
•  Competency to supervise Year-1 fellows, residents, and medical students as rated on the Department faculty evaluation of fellows.
•  Ability to perform fellowship duties with minimal supervision as rated on the Department faculty evaluation of fellows.
•  Successful performance of all required clinical activities, which include evaluating, admitting and discharging inpatients and outpatients, assessing patients for dangerousness, the prescribing starting and maintenance dosages of commonly used neuropsychotropic medications (and other commonly utilized interventions) and managing the side effects of these medications/interventions, communicating skillfully with staff and patient’s relations, developing a good doctor-patient relationship, and referring patients for consultation when indicated. These abilities are documented on the Department faculty evaluation of fellows.
•  Demonstrated successful performance as a team leader. Specifically, the fellow has the necessary skills in data gathering, medical/neurologic/psychiatric knowledge, clinical insight, critical thinking, and interpersonal communications with team members to assume a leadership role. Demonstrated evidence of practice-based learning and system-based learning in clinical encounters.
•  Successful acquisition of skills necessary to do mentored clinical research in neuropsychiatry/behavioral neurology and completion of an approved research proposal as determined by the program director.

Criteria for Completion of Training:

• Successful completion of Year-2 rotations. The Fellowship Educational Affairs Committee will be responsible for reviewing any unsatisfactory evaluations and for determination of any necessary remediation. • Ability to perform independently in the practice of neuropsychiatry/behavioral neurology as rated on the Fellowship faculty evaluation of fellows.
• Passing evaluation for all the required didactic courses and examinations.
• Sufficient medical/neurologic/psychiatric knowledge base, problem-solving skills, and clinical judgment to provide satisfactory patient care.
• Demonstrated practice-based learning and system-based learning in clinical encounters. At every level of advancement and at the time of completion of training, the fellow must demonstrate the following:
• Satisfactory or superior interpersonal and communication skills, as documented by evaluators in inpatient and ambulatory settings.
• Ability to work well with patients, fellow colleagues, faculty, consultants, ancillary staff and other members of the health care team in a manner that fosters mutual respect and facilitates the effective care of patients as demonstrated by satisfactory staff and faculty professional behavior evaluations.
• Successful completion of remediation that originated in disciplinary action for unprofessional behavior. Any disciplinary actions or treatment programs implemented per the University of Illinois Chicago policies on impaired function must have been successfully completed and reinstatement has been approved by the Program Director.