Education
Residency Training Program
Department of Neurology & Neurological Sciences
300 Pasteur Drive, Room H3160
Stanford, California 94305-5235
Phone: (650) 725-6688
Fax: (650) 725-7459
The Department offers accredited adult and child neurology residency programs as well as post-graduate fellowship training in many neurological subspecialties. Clinical training is conducted through comprehensive hands-on experience in our 4 affiliated hospitals: Stanford University Hospital and Clinics, Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital, Palo Alto VA Medical Center and Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. The hospitals, each with its own characteristic patient population, provide a diverse source of clinical materials. The training is complemented by exposure to cutting edge neuroscience and translational research.
The Neuroscience Institute at Stanford (NIS) brings together clinicians and scientists in the School of Medicine and other university departments to form a world-class interdisciplinary program dedicated to expanding the frontiers of neuroscience. This is complemented by the Stanford Bio-X program that brings together expertise in engineering, computer science, physics and bio-design to provide innovative solutions to clinical medicine. Faculty and trainees also have access to colleagues in the Stanford Health Research and Policy Department, which also provides a popular master degree program in epidemiology and clinical research methodology.
Program Strengths
Each of our 4 affiliated hospitals draws referrals from a different patient population, from the tertiary referrals at Stanford and Lucille Packard hospitals to the bustling general neurology of a county hospital (Santa Clara Valley Medical Center). Each hospital is staffed by Stanford faculty, and is an integral part of the teaching program. The Stanford reputation brings tertiary referrals from a wide area in Northern California. Together with the growth of the metropolitan area around Silicon Valley, they ensure that trainees have a tremendous patient population to learn from.
We place particular emphasis on a well-rounded exposure to all aspects of neurology in both hospital and outpatient settings. The clinical experience ranges from top-notch programs in neuro-critical care, stroke and epilepsy monitoring to a wide range of neurology subspecialty clinics. The clinical services are supported by excellent ancillary services. The resident rotations are structured to enable trainees to concentrate on the neurological aspects of each case without excessive burden from the drudgery of primary patient care.
All the important subspecialties are well represented in the department. Yet, the relatively modest size and the Stanford culture help to retain a personable atmosphere. Members of the faculty are approachable. Residents have abundant opportunity to work in any of the subspecialty programs. The elective time and the option of a research block provide a great means to develop individual careers during residency training.
Geography
The School of Medicine is located on the main campus of Stanford University in the heart of Silicon Valley. The campus is within easy driving distance from San Jose and San Francisco, two of the largest cities in the U.S. Visitors may fly into either San Francisco International Airport (35 minutes north of campus) or San Jose International Airport (20 minutes south).
Stanford and the city of Palo Alto are widely regarded as the birthplace of Silicon Valley. The area underwent tremendous growth over the past decades as a result of the high tech boom. The population of Santa Clara County, where the school is located, has tripled since 1960. It is now the most populous county in the Bay Area with a population of 1.7 million. The Stanford University Medical Center is one of two major tertiary centers that serve the over 6 million people in the Bay area. Because of its location, it is the prime referral center for the south bay. Tertiary referrals also routinely come from much of northern and central California, Oregon, Neveda, and countries such as those in Southeast Asia.
Sunny days with highs between 60 to 80 deg F are the norm most of the year. Winter temperature seldom falls below 40 deg F. Snow fall is rare, and is seen only on hilltops a few times a year. The region gets about 20 inches of rain, and almost all of it comes during the winter months of November to February (unfortunately during the interviewing months!). The late fall and winter months are the most unpredictable. Do check the weather forecast before you come. It is always wise to bring a jacket for the evening, and an umbrella if rain is in the forecast.
