Overview
The Child Neurology Residency Program is a 3-year program following completion of 2 or 3 years of ACGME-accredited pediatric residency training. The overarching goal of the program is to train residents to become competent specialists in the independent practice of Child Neurology.
Following completion of Child Neurology residency training, graduates will be equally prepared to enter into academic practice (either physician-scientist or clinician-educator) or independent practice. The residents will assume increasing levels of autonomy and responsibility as they progress through their training; however, will maintain a close interaction with the faculty who are charged with the supervision, education, and evaluation necessary in a training program. The ABPN requires child neurology residents to do 12 months of their residency in adult neurology, and we are very fortunate to have the Cleveland Clinic of Florida (CCF) adult Neurology Residency as our adult neurology partner. Years 1 and 2 will be split between CCF and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, and our residents will get in depth exposure to all aspects of both adult and child neurology including epilepsy, demyelinating diseases, neuromuscular conditions, movement disorders, neuro-intensive care, neurogenetics, etc. Year 3 will be geared towards demonstrating autonomy, finalizing a research project, and exploring areas of interest in greater detail. Furthermore there will be dedicated rotations throughout all 3 years for electives and research, fulfilling all the criteria set forth by the ACGME and ABPN.
Mission Statement
The program mission is to develop the future generations of child neurologists by providing them with access to a diverse patient population, a faculty with years of experience in the management of child neurology and subspecialty care, and through utilization of evidence based medicine and novel technologies.
Meet the Pediatric Neurology Team
Program Goals and Objectives
- To prepare child neurologists who provide expert medical care for patients with common and uncommon neurologic conditions and who can serve as leaders, educators, and physician scientists in any of the subsets of neurology that they will gain exposure to at NCH including epilepsy, neuromuscular diseases, movement disorders, neurocritical care, neurogenetics, stroke, headaches, etc.
- To provide Child Neurology residents with cross-training in both pediatric and adult neurology as this is required for the ABPN boards, but more importantly helps set a strong foundation in the understanding and management of neurology.
- To raise awareness of the limitations of present knowledge and to stimulate an attitude of spirited discussion, acquisition, and sharing of new knowledge, and to formulate questions as hypotheses subject to scientific testing.
These goals can be achieved by patient contact, lectures, research, and reading. The resident will develop skills in performing neurologic exams, determining differentials following obtaining a thorough history and physical, and determining plans of care based on standards of care and Evidence Based Medicine. Furthermore, they will get exposure to neurologic procedures including lumbar punctures, botulism toxin injection, EMG/NCV, and other physiological studies such as EEG, TMS, and sleep studies. Residents will get intensive hands on exposure through a variety of patient cases under the direct supervision of their attending physicians.
Program Design
The NCH Child Neurology Residency meets all ACMGE and ABPN requirements to allow graduating residents to take the ABPN Child Neurology Boards. Residents will be expected to complete 12 four-week blocks at our adult neurology affiliate institution, Cleveland Clinic of Florida (CCF). There they will have a mix of inpatient (6 blocks, including stroke, general neurology, and epilepsy monitoring unit coverage), outpatient (3 blocks), and elective (3 blocks) time to help get a broad exposure to adult neurology and understand the full spectrum of neurologic care. While at CCF, the child neurology residents will work in tandem with their counterpart CCF adult neurology residents and take part in the didactic curriculum while there.
The remainder of the 3-year residency will take place at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and include 9 inpatient blocks, 6 outpatient blocks, and 8 elective blocks. The inpatient blocks will be divided amongst our Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU), inpatient general neurology consults, and ICU consult services. The outpatient blocks will include both general neurology clinic, subspeciality clinics, and multidisciplinary clinics. Examples of subspecialty and multidisciplinary clinics include epilepsy neuromuscular, neurogenetics, spasticity, headache, ion channel, stroke and neurovascular disease clinics.
All residents will have a weekly half day continuity clinic throughout their 3 years of residency. Their clinic will take place on the same weekday, and they will have rotating attending supervision to ensure a broad range of teaching and exposure. Residents will be able to follow patients they have seen while admitted as well as new patients from the community. If there are areas of neurology they wish to focus in, residents will have the opportunity to narrow the focus of their continuity clinics to aid in this goal in their final year of residency.
Elective time will be available for residents to pursue research interests or to take part in subspecialty rotations. Examples include epilepsy, movement disorders, MS clinic, psychiatry, neuro-rehab, headache, palliative care, neurogenetics, neurosurgery, vascular/stroke disorders, etc.
Curriculum by Year
| Rotation |
Program Year 1 |
Program Year 2 |
Program Year 3 |
| Block 1 |
Peds Neuro OP General |
Adult Neuro OP |
Peds Elective* / Neuro Surgery* |
| Block 2 |
Peds Elective* / Genetics* |
Adult Neuro IP ICU |
Peds Neuro IP ICU |
| Block 3 |
Adult Neuro Elective |
Peds Neuro OP General |
Peds Neuro OP Specialty |
| Block 4 |
Adult Neuro IP Consult |
Peds Neuro IP Consult |
Peds Elective |
| Block 5 |
Adult Neuro IP Ward |
Child/A Psych |
Peds Elective |
| Block 6 |
Adult Neuro IP Stroke |
Peds Neuro IP EMU |
Peds Neuro IP Consult |
| Block 7 |
Peds Neuro OP General |
Adult Neuro IP Consult |
Peds Neuro OP Specialty |
| Block 8 |
Peds Neuro OP Specialty |
Adult Neuro OP |
Peds Elective |
| Block 9 |
Peds Neuro IP ICU |
Adult Elective |
Peds Neuro IP ICU |
| Block 10 |
Adult Neuro OP |
Peds Neuro IP Consult |
Peds Neuro IP EMU |
| Block 11 |
Adult Neuro IP Consult |
Peds Elective |
Peds Elective |
| Block 12 |
Adult Neuro Elective |
Peds Elective |
Peds Neuro IP Consult |
| Block 13 |
Vacation |
Vacation |
Vacation |
Didactic Curriculum
The didactic and knowledge areas of the program will aim at providing the resident with the basic knowledge of the following topics:
- Introduction: Basics of Neuro Exam, Neuro exam in the ICU, Normal Developmental Milestones, Documentation 101 Cortical Anatomy and Critical Cortex, Basal Ganglia and Thalamus, Brain Stem, Spinal cord and peripheral nerves
- Epilepsy: Semiologies and localization, Epilepsy syndromes, Infantile spasms, Antiseizure medications, Status epilepticus, New onset seizures, Epilepsy Surgery, Ketogenic Diet, EEG basics, ICU EEG basics
- Neuromuscular Conditions: Myopathies and muscular dystrophy, Peripheral neuropathies, Neonatal neuromuscular diseases, Neuromuscular junction disorders
- Inpatient Neurology: Demyelinating disorders, Pediatric Stroke, Autoimmune encephalitis, Status migrainosus, Brain death, Neonatal neurology, Neonatal seizures
- Outpatient Neurology: Autism, ADHD, Headaches, Sleep Disorders, Neuro-oncology, Movement disorders, White matter diseases
- Other: Neurosurgical emergencies, Neuropathology 101, Bioethics, Statistics and Epidemiology, Healthcare in America/Billing 101, Basics of genetics, Epilepsy genetics, Common neurogenetic conditions
How to Apply
Applications should be submitted through the ERAS system.
We plan to match ONE categorical position for the combined pediatrics and child neurology residency in the 2026-2027 Match (To start June 2027 as PGY1 Pediatric Resident) and ONE reserve position in the 2026-2027 Match (To start July 6 as Year 1 Neurology Resident PGY3 or PGY4).
Submit your application through the Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS) to the following track for the 2026-2027 Match if interested, based on your eligibility:
- Pediatrics-Preliminary/Child Neurology Program – NRMP Code # 1110320P0
- Reserve Child Neurology Program – NRMP Code # 1110185R0
Eligibility Options
If you are a Med School Graduate applying to the Categorial position (5 year-combined Pediatric Residency and Child Neurology)
- All candidates applying to the categorical position will be eligible to match to a five-year position in both the pediatrics and child neurology residencies at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.
- All applications for the five-year position are reviewed through the Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS) by the Child Neurology and Pediatrics residency programs.
- If applying for our categorical position (combined Peds/Neuro five-year program), you do not have to apply separately to pediatrics - we will share your application with pediatrics. You should only apply to the child neurology categorical track to be considered for the categorical position.
If you are in Pediatric Residency (A PGY2 Completing the requirements for combined Peds/Neuro or a PGY3 completing your Pediatric Residency:
- Apply to the reserve position
- We will offer ONE reserve position in this year’s match.
- All candidates applying to the reserve position will be eligible to match to a three-year position in the child neurology residency.
- Applicants for the reserve positions must be in their PGY-2/3 year of pediatrics training.