Physicians specializing in adult neurology will complete one year of internship with a minimum of eight months in internal medicine plus three years of neurology residency. Those specializing in child neurology will spend two years in a general pediatric residency, or a year in both internal medicine and pediatrics, or one year in research and one year in pediatrics. Residents in child neurology then spend at least one year in adult neurology service and two years in a child neurology service. After completing residency training, neurologists can choose to enroll in a fellowship program. A fellowship offers a neurologist the opportunity to develop expertise in a subspecialty of neurology such as stroke, dementia or movement disorders.
Fellowship programs range from one to two years.
For information about neurology residency programs in the United States, consult the Graduate Medical Education Directory published by the American Medical Association, or contact the San Francisco Matching Programs organization. The San Francisco Matching Programs will help facilitate the application and selection process for medical students seeking neurology residency and fellowship positions. Upon completion of residency training, a neurologist may seek certification from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. When a patient has a neurological disorder requiring frequent care, a neurologist is often the principal care provider. Patients with disorders such as epilepsy, Alzheimer s disease or multiple sclerosis may use a neurologist as their principal care physician.