Neurology Residency Program

Program Director:  Sandeep Rana, MD
Accreditation:  ACGME
Program Length:  'Advanced-link' combining 4-years of training into our ACGME-accredited preliminary Internal Medicine and Neurology Residency Program
Residents per year:  5

Quick guide to Neurology Residency Program

About the program

Our Neurology Residency Program, established in 1993, places a strong emphasis on traditional bedside teaching and the use of sophisticated technology in all aspects of the neurosciences, including basic neurosciences research.

The approach to practical and system-based learning is shared throughout many levels during residency training.  In addition, a strong emphasis in placed on maintaining close interactions with other disciplines.

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Mission statement

Our mission is to train and enable Neurology residents to reach full potential as physicians and individuals to thereby better serve their patients and community with emphasis on social responsibility, humanism, ethical behavior and commitment to life long learning. 

Aims and objectives

1. To teach clinical skills to residents on exemplary medical care for patients with uncompromising dedication.
2. To promote the health of our communities by training residents equipped to meet the needs of population at large as well as underserved population.
3. To train residents mindful of high-value care and who are competent in the application of quality improvement and patient safety principle.
4. To support and contribute to the research mission of our medical center, nation, and the world by pursuing new up-to-date medical knowledge, promoting both bedside training or bench research.
5. To promote the translation of the latest scientific knowledge to the bedside or to improve our understanding of the disease pathogenesis and ensure that all patients receive the most scientifically appropriate and up-to-date patient care.
6. To promote social justice by advocating for equitable health care, without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, social status, or ability to pay.
7. To foster a culture of professionalism and treat our colleagues/ hospital staff with kindness, respect, and patience.
8. To promote well-being amongst Neurology residents, faculty and colleagues by pursuing optimal work life balance, healthy lifestyle and developing resilience.

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Welcome from the Department Chairman

Welcome to the Neurology Residency website for Allegheny General Hospital. We are glad you are taking this opportunity to learn more about us. We offer a vibrant
residency centered at Allegheny General Hospital, with a full complement of
inpatient and outpatient experiences. This includes extensive neurology critical
care training, along with research opportunities in both basic neurosciences
and clinical research. Our residents present regularly at national neurology
meetings, including multiple subspecialty conferences, and are well represented
in publishing articles during their residencies in major neurology journals.

Our faculty is of the highest quality, and we have fellowship trained physicians in
Neuroimmunology, Epilepsy, Movement Disorders, Neuromuscular Disorders, Stroke, Headache, and Neuro-Oncology. In addition to the usual resident rotations in inpatient general neurology and outpatient clinics, elective rotations are
offered in all these subspecialty disciplines, and also in Neuroradiology,
Neurosurgery, Neuro-rehabilitation and Neuropathology.

I believe that the greatest strength of our program however is the relationship
developed among the faculty and the residents. Most programs will tout
collegiality with the faculty, but we take this commitment very seriously and
due to the relatively small size of the program the residents not only get
extensive hands-on teaching from the faculty, but personal relationships are
engendered that lead to real mentorship and extend into the resident’s future
careers.

Lastly, our goal is to prepare our residents for their future whether it is in academic medicine or private practice. A substantial proportion of our residents
continue their training in fellowships and their ability to obtain programs of
their choice has been gratifying.

I hope you find the website informative, and I believe we offer you an exciting
Neurology Residency Program that will train you well and prepare you for your future.

Stephen Samples, MD
Chairman, Department of Neurology
Allegheny Health Network

Welcome from the Program Director

Welcome to the Neurology department of Allegheny General Hospital. Here at Allegheny, educating Neurology residents and fellows is at the heart of our core mission along with patient care and clinical research. Over the last two decades our residency program has flourished and has expanded from three residents a year to five per year. Residents work closely with faculty and are trained in the
latest cutting-edge treatment of Neurological disorders.

Our experienced faculty is the strength of the program. They are all fellowship
trained and practice their subspecialty along with general Neurology. The other
strong aspect of our program is the high volume of patients with wide spectrum
of Neurological disorders that are treated at our department. This allows
residents to get practical training in wide variety of Neurological disorders.
Some highlights of our program include the following:

• Stroke Program- designated as a Comprehensive Stroke center. Here residents get experience in the management of acute stroke and develop competence in selecting patients for tPA therapy, as well as endovascular intervention.
• Multiple Sclerosis Clinic is one of the largest in western Pennsylvania and
  residents get trained in the latest treatment options of Multiple Sclerosis including Tysabri infusions.
• ALS Center which recently was designated as a “Center of Excellence” by
  National ALS association- services a high volume of ALS patients by
  providing multidisciplinary care. At the clinic the residents learn the
  diagnostic challenges and the palliative care in patients with ALS. 
• Epilepsy Clinic - here residents are exposed to wide variety of Epilepsy syndromes and learn how they are managed. A new state of the art Epilepsy Monitoring unit was recently started at Allegheny General Hospital and has expanded the capability in monitoring epilepsy patients. 
• Headache Center - The AHN Headache Center is a multidisciplinary clinic focused on diagnosis and management of a wide range of headache and facial pain disorders. Residents will learn both holistic and pharmacologic approaches to headache management, with hands on training in interventional techniques including use of botulinum neurotoxins, nerve blocks, and trigger point injections.
• Movement Disorder clinic - Residents learn management of Parkinson’s disease, Dystonia, Huntington’s disease and other movement disorders. It is also a center that services one of the largest patient populations with Deep Brain stimulators for various movement disorders. 

Other notable aspects of our program that enrich the learning experience are the
presence of faculty specializing in Neuro Oncology, and intraoperative
Neurophysiology monitoring. The residents can also choose elective rotations in
Sleep laboratory where they learn from Board certified sleep disorder specialists. The residents also work closely with Neurosurgery and Neuroradiology departments.

In the EMG laboratory, the residents get hands on experience in performing the
studies. Residents get training in Pediatric Neurological disorders by doing
rotations at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Our department is also a site for rotations of medical students from Temple and Drexel Medical Colleges along
with students from LECOM Osteopathic College. Residents at our program get
opportunities to interact and teach these medical students.

The residents enjoy a congenial atmosphere, where faculty provides supervision and guidance. In the senior years, as the residents gain experience, they are
encouraged independence in managing their patients. Residents collaborate with
faculty and complete one research project each in PGY3 and PGY4 years.

Over the years, our residents have performed exceptionally well in Neurology Boards, and our passing rate is much above the national average. Many of our residents have been accepted and have gone on to complete prestigious Fellowships.

At our department of Neurology, we strive for excellence in patient care, education and research. Candidates looking for comprehensive clinical training should apply to our program as we will be delighted to have applicants sharing our core values join the team!

Sandeep Rana, MD
Neurology Residency Program Director
Allegheny General Hospital
Allegheny Health Network's Medical Education Consortium

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Application information

Our institution sponsors J1 visa only.
Candidate applications are accepted for an ‘advanced-link’ combining 4-years of training into our ACGME-accredited preliminary Internal Medicine and Neurology Residency Program(s) at Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Successful candidates chosen for interviews are eligible for an ‘advanced-link’ position through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) including - 1 year of preliminary Internal Medicine and 3-years of Neurology Residency.  Separate applications for each program are required through Electronic Residency Application Service® (ERAS®) . Combined same-day interviews are granted by invitation only.

Qualified applicants will have successfully completed a U.S. Allopathic or Osteopathic medical school, or a recent International graduate within a recent 3-year timeframe and a minimum 3-digit score of 220 in USMLE (1 & 2 CK).

Required documents

The following documents should be provided through ERAS:

• Completed application
• Personal statement
• Curriculum vitae
• Official medical school transcript
• Dean's letter
• Three letters of recommendation (at least one from a specialist in Neurology)
• USMLE and/or COMLEX board results
• US clinical experience

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Neurophysiology Fellowship Program

• Neurophysiology Fellowship
• Duration: 1 year.
• Program Director: George Small, MD
• Number of positions: 2 per year

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About Graduate Medical Education

The Neurology Residency program is part of the Graduate Medical Education (GME) opportunities offered by the AHN Medical Education Consortium. Learn more about Graduate Medical Education.

Contact us

Program Coordinator
Breana Jarvis
Breana.Jarvis@ahn.org

Mailing address:

Neurology Residency Program
320 E North Avenue
5th floor Hemlock Building
Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Phone: (412) 359-6527

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