Clinical training

The clinical component of the Vascular Neurology Fellowship involves evaluation, diagnosis, and management of patients with all forms of cerebrovascular disorders, ordering and interpreting cerebrovascular studies, and participating in clinical treatment trials.

As a stroke fellow you have the opportunity to see a variety of patients in the outpatient clinic and on the inpatient acute stroke and cerebrovascular disease hospital service.

This experience includes the opportunity to care for patients with cerebrovascular diseases including:

• Ischemic stroke
• Hemorrhagic stroke
• Subarachnoid hemorrhage
• Intracranial aneurysms
• Intracerebral hemorrhage
• Carotid artery disease
• Intracranial arterial stenosis
• Transient ischemic attack
• Vascular malformations
• Vasculitis
• Arterial dissection
• Cryptogenic stroke and patent foramen ovale (PFO)
• Genetic causes of stroke, like cerebral autosomal-dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL)

Call frequency

The fellowship call schedule is different for each rotation. Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science follows the recommendations of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

Moonlighting

Moonlighting should not interfere with the required learning and must not violate the work-hour rules of the ACGME. Moonlighting should not compromise the fellow's education but rather enhance it.

Research training

An integral part of the comprehensive Vascular Neurology Fellowship includes specialty training in acute stroke trials, stroke prevention trials, and other clinical research projects.

During the one-year fellowship, trainees organize and complete at least one clinical research project and have at least one first-author publication. Participation in a research project is dependent on the fellow's professional interests and capabilities. Compensation is available for travel to a national neuroscience meeting for original presentations.

Didactic training

Didactic lectures occur monthly during the fellowship. Trainees have an opportunity to participate in clinical conferences in the Department of Neurology.

These include:

• Weekly Neurology Grand Rounds multidisciplinary meeting
• Weekly joint neurosurgery, neuroradiology, and vascular neurology case conference
• Monthly Stroke Center Clinical Practice Committee multidisciplinary meeting
• Quarterly Mayo Clinic stroke journal club

Teaching opportunities

Fellows assist in instructing local fourth-year medical students and residents doing a stroke rotation from the residency program and from other institutions. Trainees have the unique opportunity to participate in academic pursuits such as lectures, resident and medical student teaching, invited talks, clinical trials, drug studies, and novel clinical research during the fellowship period.

Evaluation

To confirm that fellows acquire adequate knowledge and develop the appropriate technical skills to meet program expectations, performance is monitored carefully throughout the Vascular Neurology Fellowship. Trainees are evaluated formally by supervising faculty members on a regular basis and meet with the program director to review these evaluations. In addition, fellows evaluate the faculty to ensure that their educational goals are being met.