• Learn to evaluate and treat disorders such as:
  • Neuromyelitis optica
  • Autoimmune central nervous system (CNS) disorders with or without associated neoplasm
  • Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome
  • Myasthenia gravis
  • Autoimmune peripheral nerve disorders in the Autoimmune Neurology Clinic
• Participate in assay interpretation in the Neuroimmunology Laboratory

• Learn to evaluate and treat patients with a variety of autonomic disorders
• Participate in the interpretation of autonomic testing including autonomic reflex screen and thermoregulatory sweat test

• Evaluate patients with neurological, psychiatric, and medical disorders in the Behavioral Neurology Clinic, ranging from the commonplace to the exotic
• Learn the anatomical and pharmacological foundations of various cognitive disorders
• Gain experience in interpreting neuropsychological tests

• Treat a wide variety of hemorrhagic and ischemic cerebrovascular disorders
• Learn the procedures and applications of noninvasive cerebrovascular tools, including transcranial Doppler and carotid ultrasound
• Participate in clinical and epidemiological research

During this elective, which is taken after the core clinical neurophysiology two-month course, you choose one or more rotations in these areas:

• Electroencephalography (EEG). During the initial two-month clinical neurophysiology rotation, you read a wide range of normal and abnormal records. After this, you may choose to work full-time in the EEG laboratory for another one to four months.
• Electromyography (EMG). During the initial two-month clinical neurophysiology rotation, you learn to perform nerve conduction studies and EMGs. After this, you may choose to work full-time in the EMG laboratory for another two to four months. During the additional months, you evaluate patients with a wide range of neuromuscular disorders and gain experience with more specialized electrophysiologic techniques.

• Care for patients undergoing evaluation for deep brain stimulation with a variety of indications
• Observe operative cases of deep brain stimulation
• Learn programming of deep brain stimulation

• Provide subspecialty consultations in the Epilepsy Clinic
• Evaluate patients before and after epilepsy surgery
• Assist with epilepsy drug investigational studies
• Participate in the multidisciplinary epilepsy subspecialty conference

After a total of six months of training, which includes the two-month required clinical neurophysiology course, you may be eligible for subspecialty certification by the American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine. To receive board certification by the ABPN, one year of fellowship training is required.

• Learn the approaches to and management of a wide variety of primary and secondary headache disorders, both common and rare.
• Learn procedural skills in the management of headache disorders.

• Care for patients with common and unusual movement disorders, learning clinical evaluation and treatment approaches in the Movement Disorders Clinic
• Access an extensive video library of movement disorders
• Gain exposure to the electrophysiologic evaluation of patients with movement disorders as well as treatment with botulinum toxin injection in our Movement Disorder Laboratory

• See patients with immune-mediated disorders of the nervous system in the Multiple Sclerosis Clinic
• Learn to evaluate and treat multiple sclerosis and related demyelinating disorders

• Care for patients with common and unusual neuro-oncologic disorders, learning clinical evaluation and treatment approaches in the Neuro-Oncology Clinic
• Learn to evaluate and manage patients with primary and secondary brain and spinal tumors and paraneoplastic disorders as part of a multidisciplinary team

• Gain experience in ophthalmology as it relates to general medical and neurological problems
• See patients in the outpatient ophthalmology clinic and as part of the inpatient neuro-ophthalmology service

• Learn the anatomy and physiology of the vestibular and ocular motor systems through evaluating patients with complaints of dizziness, vertigo, diplopia, nystagmus, and imbalance
• Gain familiarity with interpreting vestibular function testing and audiological tests

• Care for patients with common and rare neuromuscular disorders
• Participate in multidisciplinary care for patients with ALS
• Gain exposure to muscle pathology interpretation

• Work with staff neurosurgeons and senior residents seeing acute neurosurgical emergencies and a wide range of neurosurgical problems
• Participate in initial evaluations, surgical procedures, and postoperative care

• Assess and treat intractable pain disorders in the Pain Clinic
• Become familiar with both medical and invasive approaches to pain management

• Learn palliative medicine approaches for patients with neurologic disorders.

• Assist in the clinical assessment of patients with all forms of peripheral nerve disease
• Participate in regular peripheral nerve conferences and nerve biopsy reading
• Learn the appropriate use of electromyography, computerized automated sensory testing, autonomic function testing, and nerve biopsies in the diagnosis of peripheral nerve disorders

• Work with patients on the inpatient physical medicine rehabilitation unit
• Gain outpatient experience in evaluating and treating disorders such as stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, and neck and back pain

• Help with the diagnosis and care of patients in a hospital psychiatry unit
• Learn about operant deconditioning procedures to manage chronic pain problems

A distinctive feature of our residency is the Department of Neurology's support of up to six months of research time during residency to complete clinical or basic science projects.

Under the guidance of your research mentor, and with the support of the Adult Neurology Residency research director and program director, you can use this elective time to design and execute your research project.

Residents who wish to transition to an extramurally funded academic career track may use this time to develop preliminary data, take advantage of the numerous education offerings in the Mayo Clinic Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCaTS), or develop an application to the Clinician-Investigator Training Program.

• Care for patients undergoing evaluation in the sleep disorders center for a wide variety of sleep disorders
• Learn to read and interpret polysomnograms and multiple sleep latency recordings

• Learn to recognize the distinguishing auditory perceptual features of the major types of motor speech disorders and their implications for neurological localization and diagnosis

• Work closely with consultants providing telemedicine services to patients presenting with stroke symptoms in a variety of locations