Department of Neurology
Neurology Residency Program
P.O. Box 19643, Springfield, IL 62794-9643
Highlights:
- 4-Year Program (PGY-2 match in Neurology assures PGY-1 position)
- Comprehensive Inpatient/Outpatient Experiences - broad range of clinical problems encountered
- State-Of-The-Art Clinical Programs
- Tertiary Care Programs In: Alzheimer Disease, Epilepsy, Movement Disorders, Headache, Neuromuscular Disease, Neurorehabilitation and Stroke
- Structured program in basic neurosciences with additional experience in neuroradiology, neuropathology, and clinical neurophysiology
- High faculty-to-resident ratio for close interaction & frequent informal teaching sessions
- Faculty actively involved in clinical & basic research - Many of our residents have published articles during their residency
(See “Resident Presentations & Publications” section)
- Our residents consistently achieve board certification.
- Residents in the program consistently score above the national average on the AAN Inservice exam
Program Overview
The Neurology Residency Program has duty hours optimal for the care of patients and in compliance with the General and Special Requirements of the ACGME. No resident is on call more than an average of every third night. Call may be taken from home, although residents have the option of staying in the hospital. A sleeping room is available in Memorial Medical Center (Room C233) for anyone interested in utilizing it. The room is located in the regular sleeping quarters (room 226-combination 3/5) and can be accessed by calling/paging the house supervisor for the combination. Should the room be fully occupied, the house supervisor will help the resident locate a sleeping room.
PGY-1 General Internal Medicine 6 months Acute Care (ICU) 1 month ER 1 month Renal 1 month Electives 3 months PGY-2 Inpatient Service 6 months Neuroradiology 1 month Psychiatry 1 month Neurosurgery 1 month Neuropathology 1 month Stroke Team 2 months On Call Responsibility: No more than an average of every third night on inpatient or psychiatry rotations. PGY-3 Inpatient Service 4 months Pediatric Neurology 1 month EMG 1 month w/1 week Hospice EEG 1 month Neuropathology 1 month Rehabilitation 1 month Research 1 month Stroke Team 2 months On Call Responsibility: No night call on EEG/EMG or Neuropathology rotations. No more than an average of every third night on Pediatric Neurology, Neurosurgery & Volunteer Faculty rotations. Resident does not provide adult neurology inpatient service coverage while rotating on Neurosurgery, Psychiatry or Pediatric Neurology services. PGY-4 Chief Residency 6 months Pediatric Neurology 2 months Electives 2 months Stroke Team 2 months On Call Responsibility: Chief Resident provides back-up. Call service responsibility is priority of residents assigned to inpatient clinical service. PGY-3 residents and PGY-4 residents completing electives are scheduled only if absolutely necessary.
Available Electives:
EEG, EMG, Neurorehabilitation, Alzheimer Disease/Dementia, Neuroradiology, Pediatric Neurology, Psychiatry, Neuropathology, Neurotology, Neurosurgery, Ambulatory Neurology
Research Electives – Laboratory or Clinical: Clinical Trials, Tremor Pathophysiology, EEG/Epilepsy, Myology, Gait Disorders, Alzheimer Disease, Stroke, Movement Disorders/Parkinson’s Disease, Botulinum Treatment
Clinical Electives may be taken in any configuration of blocks with approval of faculty supervisor. More than one elective may be selected. Clinical Electives should be arranged six months in advance with the faculty involved. Elective requests are to be submitted to the residency office in writing.
Research Electives should also be arranged six months in advance to allow time to plan the project and obtain any human or animal committee approvals needed. A one-page summary is to be submitted to get credit for a research elective.
Clinical Neurophysiology Course Sample Schedule
Neurology Resident Neuroscience Course Sample Schedule
Neurology/Neurosurgery Grand Rounds Sample Schedule
Neurology Program Faculty
Brajesh Agrawal, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurology
Thomas Ala, MD, Supervisor, Alzheimer Disease/Dementia electives; Associate Professor of Neurology, Interim Director, Center for Alzheimer Disease and Related Disorders (CADRD)
Rodger J. Elble, MD, PhD, Professor; Department of Neurology, Residency Director; Director, Grand Rounds Program; Co-Director, Residents' Clinics; Movement Disorders, and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Director of Stroke
Sushant Kale, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurology; Director, Stroke Program at St. John’s Hospital
Sajjad Mueed, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurology; Director, Stroke Program at Memorial Medical Center
Ayman Omar, MD, PhD, LMCC, Assistant Professor Neurology, Director, NeuroOncology
Yen-Yi Peng, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurology, Journal Club, EEG rotation and electives.
Rita Tranquilli, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurology
Zeng Wang, MD, PhD, Co-Director, EMG Program, Assistant Professor of Neurology
Pediatric Neurology
Michael R. Pranzatelli, MD, Professor of Pediatrics & Neurology, Chief of Child & Adolescent Neurology.
Residency Graduates: Where are they now?
Resident Presentations:
Kaul S, Verhulst S, Elble R. Impaired pentagon drawing is a predictor of impending dementia in Parkinson's Disease patients. 63rd Annual Meeting, American Academy of Neurology, April 9-16, 2011. Honolulu Hawaii.
Siddiqui FM, Moore BE, Von der Hagen M, Winder T, AbdelSalam H, Huebner A, Moore SA. Autosomal dominant core-rod myopathy with a unique phenotypic presentation and a potentially novel genotype. 63rd Annual Meeting, American Academy of Neurology April 9-April 16, 2011, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Siddiqui FM, Qureshi AI. Effect of Pre-morbid Use of Antiplatelet therapy on Hematoma Expansion, and Death among 5426 Patients with Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage. 63rd Annual Meeting, American Academy of Neurology, April 9-16, 2011, Hawaii.
Siddiqui FM, Agrawal BK, Patel V, Bekker S, Moore BE, Rao K, Robbins KT, Elble RJ. A Unique Case of Esthesioneuroblastoma with Leptomeningeal Spread. 135th Annual Meeting, American Neurological Association, September 12-15, 2010 San Francisco, CA
Singh A. Epilepsia partialis continua: pitfalls in diagnosis. Neurology Resident Scholar Program Annual Meeting, September 25, 2010 in Scottsdale, AZ
Fazeel Mukhtar Siddiqui, MD, Ameer E. Hassan, MD, Nauman Tariq, MD, Hussam Yacoub , MD, Gabriela Vazquez, PhD, M. Fareed K Suri, MD, Robert A Taylor, MD, Adnan I Qureshi, MD. Endovascular Management of Symptomatic Extracranial Stenosis Associated with Secondary Tandem Stenosis. A Multicenter Review. . Integrated Neuroscience Poster Presentation (Presented in the American Academy of Neurology 62ndAnnual Meeting, April 11-April 18, 2010, Toronto, Canada)
Fazeel Mukhtar Siddiqui, Brajesh Agrawal, Rodger J. Elble. A Unique Case of Hyperviscosity Syndrome in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Treated with Rituximab. Poster Presentation (Presented in the American Academy of Neurology 62ndAnnual Meeting, April 11-April 18, 2010, Toronto, Canada)
Fazeel Mukhtar Siddiqui, Brajesh Agrawal, Dean Naritoku. ‘Generalized Convulsive Status Epilepticus secondary to Subarachnoid Pneumocephalus: A Rare Complication of Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injection’. Poster Presentation (Presented in the American Neurological Association 134th Annual Meeting, October 11-14, 2009, Baltimore, MD).
Fazeel Mukhtar Siddiqui, Brajesh Agrawal, Tom Ala. ‘Disseminated Pyomyositis: A Rare Cause of Weakness and Muscle Tenderness with Normal CK and Aldolase Levels’. Poster Presentation (Presented in the American Academy of Neurology 61st Annual Meeting, April 25-May 02, 2009, Seattle WA)
Brajesh Agrawal, Fazeel Mukhtar Siddiqui, Rodger J. Elble. ‘A Unique Case of Angiotropic Lymphoma Mimicking Encephalomyeloradiculoneuritis’. Poster Presentation (Presented in the American Academy of Neurology 61st Annual Meeting, April 25-May 02, 2009, Seattle WA).
Brajesh K. Agrawal, Jane K. Taylor, Hossam H. AbdelSalam, Zeng Y. Wang, Gurpreet S. Mandar, Michael R. Pranzatelli, Southern Illinois University, Springfield, IL. "Severe Central and Peripheral Neuro−Lupus: Role of CSF B Cells and Chemokines"presented in American Academy of Neurology, April 2010
Resident Publications:
Siddiqui FM, Bekker SV, Qureshi AI: Neuroimaging of hemorrhage and vascular defects.
Neurotherapeutics 2011; 8(1), 28-38.Siddiqui FM, Hassan AE, Tariq N, Yacoub H, Vazquez G, Suri K, Taylor RA, Qureshi AI: Endovascular management of symptomatic extracranial stenosis associated with secondary intracranial tandem stenosis. A Multicenter review American Society of Neuroimaging 2011
Siddiqui F, Qureshi A. Dabigatran etexilate, a new oral direct thrombin inhibitor, for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation. Exper Opin. Pharmacother 2010; 11:1-8.
Agrawal BK, Siddiqui FM, Elble RE [PO1.088]. A unique case of angiotropic lymphoma mimicking encephalomyeloradiuloneuritis. Neurology 2009;72:A30
Siddiqui FM, Agrawal BK, Ala TA, [PO3.161] disseminated pyomyositis: A rare cause of weakness and muscle tenderness with normal CK and adolase levels. Neurology 2009;72:A161
Kaul S, Elble RE, Impaired pentagon drawing in an early indication of impending dementia in Parkinson disease. Movement Disorders 2008;23:S250
Hord ED M. Evans MS, Mueed SJ, Adamolekun B, Naritoku DK: The Effect of Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Migraines. Journal of Pain 2003; 4(9): 530-534.
Sinha S, Naritoku DK : Intravenous valproate is well tolerated in unstable patients with status epilepticus. Neurology 2000;55:722-724.
Naritoku DK , Sinha S. Prolongation of midazolam half-life after sustained infusion for status epilepticus. Neurology 2000; 54:1366-1368.
Naritoku DK, Sinha S: Status epilepticus in patient with 'do not resuscitate' (DNR) orders. Clinical Lessons in Epilepsy 1999; 2(2):4-5.
Qureshi F, Morales A, Elble RJ: Tremor due to infarction in the ventrolateral thalamus.Movement Disorders 1996; 11(4):440-444.
Patel J, Naritoku DK: Gabapentin for the treatment of hemifacial spasm. Clinical Neuropharm 1996;19(2):185-188.
Brilliant M, Hughes L, Anderson D, Ghobrial M, Elble, RJ: Rarefied white matter in patients with Alzheimer disease. Alzheimer disease & Associated Disorders 1995;9(1):39-46.
Bashir K, Manyam BV: Clozapine for the control of hemiballismus. Clinical Neuropharm 1994;17(5):477-480.
Woofter MJA, Manyam BV: Safety of long-term levodopa therapy in malignant melanoma. Clinical Neuropharm 1994;17(4)315-319.
Martinez N, Gelber DA, Todd SM: Nocturnal paroxysmal dystonia: evidence for an epileptic etiology. Neurology abstr. 1992;42(suppl 3)154.
Faingold CL, Riaz A: 1992. Neuronal networks in convulsant drug-induced seizures. In: Faingold CL, Fromm GH (eds) Drugs for control of epilepsy, GH Boca Raton: CRC Press,pp 213-251.
How to Apply for Residency Positions
Application Criteria:
All candidates must apply through ERAS.
- No pre-match positions will be offered
- Preliminary year of training is provided.
- Applicants can be no more than 5 years post MD graduation.
- USMLE part 1 and 2 scores must be at least 85 on each part of the exam.
We begin accepting applications in September each year.
- Applications are reviewed on a first come, first serve basis.
- Once the interview schedule is filled, we stop interviewing.
Required documents:
- ERAS Application
- Dean's letter attesting to graduation from Medical school
- Grades - Grade point average and/or Class rank
- USMLE score sheets, CSA exam, ECFMG certificate
Three letters of recommendation:
- One from Internal Medicine Program Director
- Two from Internal Medicine Program Faculty
Incomplete applications and those not meeting program requirements will not be reviewed.