Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Residency Program
The Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (NDD) Residency Program is an independent four-year, ACGME-accredited program. Our categorical program includes two years of pediatrics training with our rigorous, ACGME-accredited pediatrics residency at Children’s Medical Center Dallas. During this time, requirements are met to fulfill the American Board of Pediatrics’ specialty pathway training; this makes residents eligible to sit for the American Board of Pediatrics at the completion of the combined six-year training. After completion of the first two years, our residents start four years of neurodevelopmental disabilities residency training, which includes 18 months of clinical child neurology and neurodevelopmental disabilities, as well as 18 months of clinical and basic science education.
NDD is a discipline particularly focused on multidisciplinary team approaches. Our residency program trains NDD residents to be not only astute clinical scholars, but also advocates and authorities in neurodevelopment.
Our exceptional faculty includes specialists in neurodevelopmental disabilities, neurometabolism, neurogenetics, pediatric stroke, neuromuscular disorders, and pediatric epilepsy. The NDD faculty works closely with faculty in psychiatry, psychology, and physical medicine and rehabilitation. The NDD faculty also enjoys close working relationships with local public schools and special-needs private schools.
An NDD residency graduate will have produced original research as a result of close mentoring and excellent didactic teaching on creating effective research. The NDD graduate will have a solid understanding of how to correctly assess cognitive, motor, and emotional states of children with a broad set of illnesses using a range of neurocognitive instruments.
Finally, the graduate will have skills to lead multidisciplinary teams on behalf of patients in clinical and educational settings. With this broad and important grounding, the NDD graduate resident will have options to pursue academic careers, private practice, or a combination of the two.
At the end of six years of training, the NDD graduate resident is eligible to sit for the following boards through the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN):
- Pediatrics (ABP)
- Neurology with Special Certification in Child Neurology (ABPN)
- Neurodevelopmental Disabilities* (ABPN)
*Must first pass boards for both Pediatrics and Child Neurology
Curriculum
The Neurodevelopmental Disabilities resident enters the four-year NDD Residency Program after two years of pediatric residency training at an accredited program (this is included in our categorical residency program).
The curriculum represents a broad exposure to neurological disorders in adult neurology (1 year), pediatric neurology (1.5 years), and neurodevelopmental disabilities (1.5 years).
Residents spend their first two years as integrated members of the Pediatrics Residency program at UT Southwestern - Childrens Health℠.
The first block of this year is dedicated to An Introduction to Neurology and Management of Acute Neurologic Emergencies. This focused review of neuroscience, neuroanatomy, neuropathology, and neuroradiology occurs without the burden of primary clinical responsibilities. The neurologic exam in both pediatrics and adults is also taught and demonstrated.
Residents complete six months of adult inpatient neurology with the focus on direct care of patients with acute neurologic disease on the neurology inpatient and consult services, including the Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit and Epilepsy Monitoring Unit, while under the direct supervision of adult neurology senior residents and attending faculty. They also complete one block of adult outpatient specialty clinics and one block of adult neurology elective. Neuropathology is also completed this year.
Integrated throughout training is a weekly Child Neurology Continuity Clinic where residents follow patients longitudinally and assess disease progression and management, especially as it pertains to a developing child. Residents will be exposed to common and uncommon neurologic disorders, with the opportunity to follow patients over the duration of their training.
Rotations
| Year 3 (1st Year of Child Neurology Phase) | # Blocks |
|---|---|
| Inpatient Adult Neurology Rotations with Call | |
| Parkland Hospital Stroke Service | 2 |
| Parkland Hospital / CUH General Neurology Service | 2 |
| Adult Epilepsy Monitoring Unit/EEG | 1 |
| Parkland Neurocritical Care | 0.5 |
| Intro to Stroke and General Neurology | 0.5 |
| Adult Neurology Elective/Outpatient Clinics | |
| Intro to Neurology Subspecialty clinics | 0.5 |
| Adult Movement Disorders Outpatient clinic | 1 |
| Basic Sciences - Neuropathology | 1 |
| Adult Elective | 0.5 |
| Child Neurology Rotations | |
| Child Neurology Wards – Children’s Medical Center℠ | 2 |
| Child Neurology Outpatient Clinics | 2 |
| Vacation/Conference/Board Preparation | 3 weeks |
During their fourth year, residents will complete their adult neurology training requirements including adult outpatient specialty clinics (one block) and adult neurology elective (two blocks). Residents spend more time developing and mastering their skills in child neurology. They develop diagnostic skills and become familiar with the management of acute and chronic child neurologic disorders under direct supervision of senior residents and attendings in a variety of settings. These settings include the Pediatric ICUs, the neuroscience floor, the Cardiac ICU, the Neonatal ICU, several general and subspecialty pediatrics floors, the Emergency Room, and outpatient clinic rotations. Residents can also complete a rotation in the Pediatric Epilepsy Monitoring Unit at Children’s Medical Center.
Rotations
| Year 4 (2nd Year of Child Neurology Phase) | # Blocks |
|---|---|
| Inpatient Adult Neurology Rotations with Call | |
| Clements UH Neurology Consults | 1 |
| Adult Neurology Elective/Outpatient Clinics | |
| Adult Elective | 2 |
| Adult Outpatient - Headache/Neuro-ophthalmology | 1 |
| Child Neurology Rotations | |
| Child Neurology Wards | 6 |
| Child Neurology Epilepsy Monitoring Unit | 1 |
| Child Neurology Outpatient – Children’s Medical Center℠ | 1 |
| Electives | 1 |
| Vacation/Conference/Board preparation | 3 weeks |
| Year 5 (3rd Year of Child Neurology Phase) | # Blocks |
|---|---|
| Child IP – CMC Neurology Consults | 2 blocks |
| Child IP – CMC Epilepsy Monitoring Unit | 1 block |
| Child OP – Scottish Rite for Children/CMC Neurology Clinics | 1 block |
| NDD OP – NDD Clinic | 2 blocks |
| Basic Sciences: Neuroradiology | 1 block |
| Child Psychiatry | 1 block |
| Clinical Electives* | 5 blocks |
*These electives can be tailored to each resident’s particular interests, including clinical or basic neuroscience research.
Year 5 completes the core pediatric neurology training, and the neurodevelopmental training begins in earnest. The resident will spend 9 blocks at either Children's Medical Center or Scottish Rite for Children and will spend one block in child psychiatry. The remaining three blocks are for electives in neurologic-related fields. The NDD resident is expected to begin leading multidisciplinary teams in clinical and educational settings.
The NDD resident will spend most of the last year in electives and research. The resident will participate in electives, specifically neuro-ophthalmology, neurogenetics/metabolic disease, neuromuscular disorders, neuro-oncology, and neurologic rehabilitation. Additionally, residents will be encouraged to complete the research projects they started at the beginning of the four-year Child Neurology phase.
| Year 6 (4th Year of Child Neurology Phase) | # Blocks |
|---|---|
| NDD OP – NDD Clinic | 3 blocks |
| Clinical Electives | 2 blocks |
| Basic Sciences: Research (bench or clinical) | 8 blocks |