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Department of Neurology

Houston, Texas

BCM neurologists see patients through the Baylor Clinic and some of the world's leading specialty clinics.
Department of Neurology
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Residency in Pediatric Neurology

The residency in Pediatric Neurology provides training for both academic and practice-oriented child neurologists. Residents selected for this program benefit from outstanding clinical training and research programs geared toward the understanding of childhood neurologic problems. The Pediatric Neurology service, in addition to having its own residents, has rotating house officers from the Pediatric and Adult Neurology Programs. Child Neurology residents supervise interns and residents of the Department of Pediatrics at the Texas Children's Hospital as well as at the Ben Taub General Hospital, a Harris County Hospital. The Department of Pediatrics of the Baylor College of Medicine is one of the largest pediatric departments in the country.

Location

The Pediatric Neurology offices and laboratories occupy approximately 10,000 sq. ft. in the Clinical Care Center at Texas Children's Hospital, Texas Medical Center, Houston, Texas. Within this space is a computer (with e-mail and internet access) equipped office dedicated for the use of the Pediatric Neurology Residents.

The Cain Foundation Research Laboratory is located within these facilities. This suite of laboratories is endowed, in part, by a foundation which has been established to support research in Pediatric Neurology at Texas Children's Hospital.

Research programs in the Cain Foundation Laboratories emphasize the basic mechanisms of early life seizures, of synaptic plasticity and of neurodevelopment.

Description

The Pediatric Neurology Training Program is combined with the Adult Neurology Residency Program in the Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine.

Requirements

  • 2 years of pediatric residency or
  • 1 year internal medicine and
  • 1 year pediatrics or 1 year pediatrics and 1 year laboratory research in the basic neurosciences

Length

The training program is for a three-year period.

  • Year One
    • Adult Neurology. During this year in Adult Neurology, a Continuity Clinic for the Pediatric Neurology Resident is established, to allow the resident to see pediatric neurology out-patients and the opportunity to follow those patients for a three year perio
  • Years Two & Three
    • The last two years are divided into two (6 month) blocks of elective and/or specialty rotations and one block (12 months) of pediatric clinical neurology experience. The exact sequence of the last two years varies depending upon the needs of the individual resident and is tailored to best meet the career goals of the individual.

Specialty Rotations

  • Neuropathology
  • Neuroradiology
  • Clinical Neurophysiology ( electroencephalography & electromyography)

Research Electives

Research programs are geared toward understanding a number of neurologic disorders including the spinocerebellar ataxias, Rett syndrome, seizure disorders, and developmental disorders of the brain. Examples of current research include:

  • Developmental changes in brain caused by early life seizures
    P.I.: Dr. John Swann
    Director, Cain Foundation Laboratories
  • Role of phospholipid receptors in synaptic plasticity and in neurodevelopment
    P.I.: Dr. Gary Clark
  • Mechanisms involved in neonatal brain injury
    P.I.: Dr. Jan Goddard-Feingold
  • Molecular techniques to understand the spinocerebellar ataxias and Rett syndrome.
    P.I.: Dr. Huda Zoghbi

Clinical Electives

Examples of clinical electives include rotations such as Psychiatry, Neurosurgery, Genetics, Rehabilitation, Neuromuscular disorders, Movement disorders, and Neuro- Ophthalmology. Elective time in the above areas is usually six months, but individually tailored programs are available.

Clinics

  • Brachial Plexus
  • Ben Taub Child Neurology Continuity Clinic
  • Child Neurology Fellow Continuity Clinic
  • Clinic for Childhood Attentional Problems
  • Genetics
  • Muscular Dystrophy
  • Neurofibromatosis
  • Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
  • Psychopharmacology

Faculty

The faculty consists of 16 fulltime members, 10 of whom are child neurologists. The others include neuroscientists, neuropsychologists, and social workers. They are complemented and supplemented by a large faculty in Adult Neurology and the Neurosciences and fulltime faculty in pediatric neuropathology, neuroradiology, pediatric neurosurgery, and clinical neurophysiology.

The interests of the Child Neurology faculty are broad, including patients with neuromuscular diseases, neonatal seizures, neonatal neurology, epilepsy, Rett s syndrome, neurooncology, headache, movement disorders, etc. The research programs in Child Neurology are complemented by the Neurosciences Program and the Neurobiology of Disease Program which are Ph.D. granting programs. Research faculty have joint appointments in these programs.

To Apply

The program accommodates two residents on each of the three levels. Applications should be submitted by October 18 to 21 months prior to the anticipated starting date.

Contact:
Marvin A. Fishman, M.D.
Professor of Pediatrics & Neurology
Director, Section of Child Neurology