The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education has approved a neurology residency training program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Recruitment of the first group of three residents is under way through the 2012 “match,” a process in which an independent organization pairs applicants with programs to meet the preferences of each.

With Cedars-Sinai’s large and diverse patient population, our residents will have a chance to see a wide array of neurological disorders, including rare conditions. Their training will take place at a dynamic, growing campus that emphasizes efficient translation of research into clinical applications.” – Nancy L. Sicotte MD director Neurology Residency Program

Residents in the three-year program, in inpatient and outpatient settings, will study with research and treatment experts in stroke; critical care; movement disorders; epilepsy; multiple sclerosis; headache; and neuromuscular disease.

They will gain proficiency in electroencephalography, electromyography and other sophisticated techniques to study neurological conditions.

The program was designed to give residents increasing independence; elective time is built into the third year for focused research or more clinical expertise.

Sicotte said new programs and collaborations that will enhance residents’ opportunities and learning experiences include:

? The Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, an interdisciplinary program that addresses basic and clinical research questions, provides high-quality services and offers educational and training opportunities.

? The Clinical and Translational Science Institute, in partnership with the University of California, Los Angeles. CTSI is an academic-clinical-community partnership to speed scientific discoveries and clinical breakthroughs to improve health in the most populous and diverse county in the United States.

? Cedars-Sinai’s Regenerative Medicine Institute, a stem cell program bringing together researchers and clinicians to develop treatments for brain, eye, pancreas and liver, blood, and skeletal disorders.

Medical degree graduates must serve a one-year internship before their neurology residency. If Cedars-Sinai accepts applicants “outside of the match” who have already completed their internships, the first residents will begin training in July 2012. Otherwise, the inaugural group will start a year later, following the spring 2012 match and internships.