Clinical training

Your clinical training will include diagnosis and management of the entire spectrum of neuromuscular diseases, including acquired and inherited diseases of the muscles, neuromuscular junction, nerves, and motor neuron. You will learn the basic concepts of clinical neurophysiology and will learn to perform and interpret EMGs. You will learn the basic concepts of histochemistry and immunocytochemistry and will learn to interpret muscle and nerve biopsies.

Rotation schedule

Fellows are assigned to three four-month rotation blocks a year. One block combines the neuromuscular clinic and EMG; one block combines the neuromuscular clinic and muscle pathology; and one block combines the peripheral nerve clinic and nerve pathology.

Didactic training

Didactic training during the Neuromuscular Medicine Fellowship includes:

• One-on-one supervision by faculty in the neuromuscular clinic and inpatient consultations
• Demonstration of EMG techniques by faculty and technicians
• Supervision during performance and interpretation of EMG studies
• Supervision during muscle and nerve biopsy interpretation
• Weekly EMG conferences that focus on electrophysiological aspects of neuromuscular medicine
• Monthly muscle conferences focusing on clinical, pathological, and molecular aspects of neuromuscular medicine
• Monthly peripheral nerve conferences focusing on clinical, electrophysiological, and pathological aspects of neuromuscular medicine
• Monthly muscle journal club
• Weekly neurology grand rounds
• Weekly neurology subspecialty conferences
• Monthly clinic-pathological conferences
• A clinical neurophysiology didactic course during the first two months of the EMG block and related handbook located in the EMG laboratory
• Access to an extensive Mayo Clinic website containing relevant education materials, such as examples of EMG activity in normal and diseased subjects, and teaching cases with EMG and pathological correlates and diagnostic and evaluation protocols
• A muscle pathology library and a nerve pathology library with representative slides for common and uncommon myopathies and neuropathies, respectively
• Textbooks on neuromuscular medicine, EMG, muscle and nerve pathology are available in the fellows' workrooms and laboratories
• Online medical journals and textbooks accessible at all workstations
• Attendance at one national meeting, or two if presenting

Fellows have access to any resource on the Mayo Clinic website 24 hours a day, seven days a week at workstations throughout the institution.

Research training

Fellows are strongly encouraged to identify a specific area of interest within neuromuscular medicine and to plan and pursue a research project under the mentorship of one or more faculty members. You will have opportunities to present your research project at conferences within the Department of Neurology and at national meetings.

Call frequency

Neuromuscular Medicine fellows are not required to take call.

Teaching opportunities

As you advance in your training during this fellowship, you will teach neuromuscular medicine to neurology and physical medicine residents rotating through the neuromuscular clinic and EMG laboratory. Fellows give demonstrations and practice sessions to residents rotating in the EMG laboratories and to the clinical neurophysiology technician students. Fellows also regularly give lectures and conferences attended by neuromuscular faculty, neurology residents and physical medicine and rehabilitation residents. Fellows present at weekly EMG conferences and present at monthly muscle and peripheral nerve conferences.

Conferences

Conference opportunities during this fellowship include:

• Weekly EMG conferences focusing on electrophysiological aspects of neuromuscular medicine
• Weekly neurology grand rounds
• Weekly neurology subspecialty conferences
• Monthly muscle conferences focusing on clinical, pathological, and molecular aspects of neuromuscular medicine
• Monthly peripheral nerve conferences focusing on clinical, electrophysiological, and pathological aspects of neuromuscular medicine
• Monthly muscle journal club
• Monthly clinic-pathological conferences
• Attendance at one national meeting, or two if presenting

Evaluation

To ensure that you acquire adequate knowledge and develop your technical skills, your performance will be monitored carefully during the course of this fellowship. You will be evaluated formally by your supervising faculty member after each clinical and laboratory rotation and will meet with the program director to review these evaluations. In addition, you will regularly evaluate the faculty and program to ensure that your educational needs are being met.