Movement Disorders Mini-Fellowship

University of Louisville Movement Disorder Program
500 South Preston St., A Bldg, room 113
Louisville, Kentucky 40202
USA

Director/Training Program Director: Irene Litvan, M.D.

Residents in Neurology have the possibility to enroll in a Mini-Fellowship in Movement Disorders during their 3rd or 4th year.

Length
The minimum requirement is an active rotation for three months full time and 3 months part-time.

Description
The mini- fellowship in Movement Disorders provides residents with the opportunity to be exposed to both clinical and research aspects of movement disorders. During the initial three full-time months (that do not need to be consecutive), residents will gain first hand experience in the clinical setting and acquire in skills to better evaluate, diagnose and treat patients with all types of movement disorders and dementias, including:

  • Parkinson’s disease (PD)
  • Parkinson’s with dementia (PDD)
  • Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP)
  • Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD)
  • Multiple System Atrophy (MSA)
  • Vascular Dementia (VAD)
  • Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD)
  • Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB).

The Movement Disorders Program will be moving soon to the Frazier Neuroscience Institute. This environment will provide residents the opportunity to participate in a mutlidisciplinary setting and will expose them to the much-needed multidisciplinary management of patients with these disorders. In addition to participating in consultations and evaluations at our clinic, residents will participate in existing research projects and if appropriate, may develop their own projects.

Objectives & Benefits
The goals of the mini-fellowship are to provide first-hand experience in the practice, management and research of patients with movement disorders and dementia. As the number of clinicians choosing research paths is decreasing dramatically and its low numbers are of particular concern in Neurology and Movement Disorders, it is important that residents have the option of participating in a Mini-Fellowship experience. This experience will greatly improve residents’ chances of later being accepted into good programs in Movement Disorders and related areas.

As the University of Louisville Movement Disorder Program has a tertiary base of referral, this clinic allows residents to be exposed to both common and rare neurodegenerative disorders. Dr. Litvan’s extensive experience and expertise in movement disorders, behavior and cognition, will make this experience a particularly worthwhile educational opportunity.

Responsibilities:
Residents are expected to actively participate in:

  • All Movement Disorder Clinics and Seminars during their rotation
  • Research projects, including the collection and analysis of data

In addition, residents will be required to give presentations and reports, and will write at least one manuscript during their Mini-Fellowship rotation.

At the end of this rotation residents are expected to know the principles of how to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients with various types of movement disorders and dementias.