Specialty Tracks within UVA

The University of Virginia’s Department of Neurology has a long history of excellence. We are proud of our nationally ranked Division of Child Neurology. Our faculty are invested in resident education as well as the professional development of our residents. In addition to excellent core child neurology faculty, our division enjoys a close relationship with the faculty in the Division of Adult Neurology as well as the faculty in the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.

UVA offers one child neurology training position per year. Child neurology training typically involves two years of pediatrics, one year of adult neurology, and two years of child neurology. UVA offers a five-year categorical program that includes all of the required training in both pediatrics and neurology. A wide variety of post-training fellowship experiences are also offered at UVA.

The goal of the Clinical Educator Track is to provide residents with additional training and mentored practice to facilitate early success in careers as clinical educators.

This is a 24-month track that starts at the beginning of the PGY2 year and continues until the end of the PGY3 year.

• Applications are submitted in the spring of the PGY1 year
• Acceptance criteria: Interested applicants should provide a letter of intent, as well as one letter of support from the Residency Program Director, and one letter of recommendation from a University of Virginia faculty member

Each year, many of our residents choose to do a global health elective. Residents may participate in these electives for one month during their second and third years of residency. In recent years our residents have traveled to countries in Central and South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia (including Costa Rica, Guatemala, Peru, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Liberia, Ghana, Cambodia, and Semester at Sea). A few residents have also chosen to do local electives in communities in the U.S. through the Indian Health Service. Other global health-related opportunities include rotating through the International Family Medicine Clinic and the International Adoption Clinic here at UVA.

Residents who have a long-standing interest in global health may elect to be part of the Pediatric Global Health Leadership Track during their time in residency.

The Primary Care Track is intended to provide interested residents with additional primary care clinical and professional education, additional expertise in mental/behavioral health care, and clinical exposure to community pediatric office models to facilitate successful transition into careers in general pediatrics.

Residents in the Primary Care Track will:

• Follow a modified clinical elective schedule
• Attend monthly didactic sessions on primary care clinical and professional topics
• Earn mental health certification through AAP Echo or VMAP program
• Complete a primary care scholarly project or community outreach activity
• Pair 1:1 with a primary care mentor
• Gain confidence in applying for and obtaining a job in primary care
• Develop an understanding of practice management and workflow through real-time experience in a community practice

Residents will earn a designation of Distinction in Primary Care Pediatrics upon graduation.

The research track, or PResTO, is for residents with an interest in getting exposure to research during residency as time allows, and potentially incorporating research into their career. Some will have had research experiences before residency and others may be interested in exploring research for the first time.  PResTO will be tailored to the needs of individual residents and will be mindful of the diversity of research backgrounds and current and future research interests. Residents can take advantage of PResTO and be on one of the other tracks.